10 Best Horror Movies To Watch On Valentine's Day
3. Warm Bodies
Romeo and Juliet has been retold so often, it was only a matter of time before it received a zombie adaptation.
Which brings us to Warm Bodies. In this zomromcom, a flesh-gorging ghoul called R (Nicholas Hoult) finds himself falling for a human girl, Julie (Teresa Palmer).
Rather than being a surface-level adaptation of William Shakespeare's work, Warm Bodies hits the key beats. R kills Julie's boyfriend, echoing how Romeo slaughters Julie's cousin, Tybalt. Juliet's father is revealed to be the leader of an undead-killing resistance group, much like how Romeo and Julie's families are sworn enemies.
Even though the premise sounds like a joke, it highlights how love can break any barrier, even between life and death. Finding the humanity in a borderline mindless zombie must be tough, but Hoult makes R a sympathetic character, even when it's established that, yes, he has gorged on many a brain. The way Julie pushes R to get in touch with his former humanity is palpable, as it conveys the power of compassion.
Most importantly, Warm Bodies reminds audiences that romance can thrive in the most unexpected places, so it's likely to leave anybody smiling long after the credits roll.