Monday, July 22, 2013

Warm Bodies (2013)

Allegorical horror movie about how we have to reconnect to each other in order to be human is also a damn fine romantic comedy. Yea I know it’s a weird mix of genres and subject matter but Warm Bodies manages to pull it off in spades.

Set about eight years into a zombie apocalypse the film follows a zombie who becomes known as R. He’s a zombie with more going on in his head (the film is narrated by R’s internal monolog). One day when he sees the daughter of the leader of one of small group of living human survivors he’s smitten. It’s a feeling that grows when he eats the brain of her boyfriend and gains his memories as well. Going against the norm and opting to keep her safe, he finds that he is changing, dare I say that he’s finds he’s coming back to life? It’s something that many of the dead they come in contact with begin to experience as well…

Subversive film turns the notions of genres on their head in order to create a wonderful one of a kind film. This is a funny and touching film with a dollop of gross out. I honestly can’t think of another film with undead creatures that so firmly operates with in the romance genre. Yes I know it’s also a comedy, but it’s also a horror movie, a science fiction film, a polemic and a few others as well.

The film works not only because the script is so good, but because the performances match it. Yes John Malcovich is his typical loopy self as the head of the living, and as such is a joy, but the real surprise isNicholas Hoult as R and Teresa Palmer as Julie his girlfriend. They what would have been over played roles and instead make them into people you care about.

Even if you don’t like horror films you need to see this because its not really about the horror, instead its about finding life even though you’re dead.

No comments:

Post a Comment