Life After Beth

First time director Jeff Baena has made a film so dull and unwatchable by the end of the movie where the usual end credit scene he can't even fill a whole 90 minute movie he has to put DVD commentary at the end. That is how you know how much he tried to drag a film to get a full 90 minute movie. Last years Warm Bodies was dull and uninteresting but this takes it to the dumpster. It is the most dreadful film to sit through I have seen this year. Boring unfunny and situations that are meant to be either funny or life threatening where director Edgar Wright did with something right like Shaun of the Dead and everything that film succeed in this fails on all levels. The first fifth-teen minutes of the film was OK but totally after that the film falls harder than the time John C. Reilly gets drunk in almost all his movies. The real problem is having faith in Park & Recs big star Aubrey Plaza still can't find a vehicle to take her to big movie stardom. Unlike Chris Pratt you is Star-Lord. But never the less this is one film where the actual danger is less worrying than to excited about. And she does nothing for the screenplay to move along it is really as dead as the zombies. All the actors are really trying there best to stay awake and bring some joy charm anything to bring life in this awful film. Just a waste of good actors giving nothing else to do except give awful lines that don't mean anything to solve a story or provide any comical death or even the worst it is just a bore. As for the zombie aspect is the worst because they like smooth Jazz and attics. It just doesn't work like Warm Bodies. Zombies are for no other reasons for them to eat people and for humans to kill them in horrific ways but you never get that in this film. To me good zombie movies are exactly that and this is one that does not provide anything useful or even funny new or what it is trying to accomplish a spark or romance between the two main characters and it is terrible. I really wanted to like it but prepare yourself for one dull comedy, thrill less horror film, and worst and romcom that fails on all level. Also last the tone is all over the place there is supposed to be actual threat for these people going through the zombie apocalypse that is incredibly uninteresting.

source: Life After Beth

I have no idea how the ratings aren't higher. Dane DeHaan is amazing as always. The comedy is dry and quirky. It definitely fits the dark comedy genre. A ridiculous, sweet, and surprising zombie movie.

I can't say exactly what is the appeal of Aubrey Plaza, and yet when I see her name attached to something it makes me want to see the movie. Though I have to admit, with the way she explained the film on The Daily Show, and the clip they showed with Dane DeHaan, Molly Shannon, and John C. Reilly, I was really tempted to just skip this movie. If just because, while DeHaan I think is a good actor, as well as Anna Kendrick and Cheryl Hines who are in the film, seeing Molly Shannon or John C. Reilly in a film is like seeing Eugene Levy or Denise Richards, it automatically creates a red flag. Now, to find out whether the red flag is deserved or not, read below. Characters & Story To clear her head, a young woman named Beth (Aubrey Plaza) decides to go on a hike by herself; which unfortunately leads to her dying from a snake bite. But after only being buried for a day or so, she returns much to the delight of her parents Maury (John C. Reilly) and Geenie (Molly Shannon). However, with her rising from the dead comes the fear of what people may assume if they found out. Especially Beth's boyfriend Zach (Dane DeHaan) who, after sharing their grief with him getting shut out, is acting like a fool because he thinks he saw Beth in their window. Leading to a story in which Maury is doing his best to keep his daughter alive, and hidden, after her resurrection, despite all signs pointing to her needing to be put back in the ground. Praise Though certainly not hilarious, the film does have its moments when it will make you chuckle. For it has very goofy moments, like watching Beth tumble down a hill with a stove on her back. But, outside of a few laughs and giggles here and there, I don't think there is much else to praise. Criticism If just because this film is not only bleh, but it lacks potential. For, as noted in my The To Do List review, Aubrey Plaza has no business being the star of a movie. A strong supporting character, like how Melissa McCarthy was in Bridesmaids, yes, but the star? Absolutely not because her off putting presence never rises above being like an intriguing gimmick. Something which seems destined to make her that one odd character which makes you go "What the hell?" whenever she appears and says something. For, as of this point in her career, that is what she is good at, and in the film she tries to be your everyday girlfriend and she seems to be forcing herself so hard to seem convincing as a regular old love interest, that it makes her off putting demeanor rise to dangerous levels. Then, on top of that, you have a cast and story which tries to mix horror elements with odd comedic moments, which honestly rarely even works for veterans of the Horror/Comedy sub-genre like Child's Play and Nightmare on Elm Street when Robert Englund was Freddy. So imagine an actor like DeHaan, who seems more made for dramas than comedies, being mixed with comedians like Plaza, Shannon and Reilly who are the type of comedians who really seem like they should never be within the first 3-4 names listed on a film. Overall: Skip It The film isn't funny, it isn't scary, there is no thriller element, and the overall production seems like someone's capstone project for their Bachelor's in Film. Which is why I'm saying to skip this. For while, despite what I'm writing, it doesn't make me think less of Plaza or DeHaan for being involved, and how they performed, it just reinforces how some of the actors in this movie have no business being the stars of a movie. Maybe a TV show, but at this point in their careers they don't have what it takes to command your attention, get you to laugh, and send you home with a smile on your face.

The synopsis of this movie is what caught my interest, and the DVD cover also brandished 'the best zom-rom-com since Shaun of the Dead'. So I will say that the playing field for this movie was right there for a home-run. But the movie turned out to be just another mediocre zombie movie, and I will say that "Warm Bodies" was much, much better than "Life After Beth". So there is a comparison for you right there. While "Life After Beth" started out alright, then director Jeff Baena set up the scenario for more than he could handle, and t he movie just fell to a heap of disappointing pieces. There wasn't a single moment throughout the movie that made me laugh, so for a comedy, then the movie failed to deliver. The movie was adequate entertainment, don't get me wrong, but it hardly sustains more than a single viewing. The cast list was good though, and people were doing good jobs with their given roles and characters. "Life After Beth" was a mediocre movie that set out to accomplish more than it could handle, and as such it scores a very mediocre five out of ten stars from me.

The exhausted zombie subgenre gets a much needed fresh take with this tiny budgeted horror comedy. A zombie epidemic is strictly background material and it begins with Zach played by Dane DeHaan, who does a good job here, grieving over the death of his girlfriend Beth. He bonds with her parents, played by John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon, who make the most of their underwritten parts. It's not before long that Beth returns and she and Zach continue their relationship - which is obviously headed for disaster. Aubrey Plaza does good work with her usual deadpan line readings and there's some hilarious scenes with her spastic rage and violence. Life After Beth is a small, lightweight film, the side characters can occasionally fall into sitcom-ish territory, but it does have some genuine big laughs.

I'm a huge fan of Aubrey Plaza. For first it seemed like, she was the best choose for this ironic and ambivalent dead and alive character. But her act was rather dead, than alive. I think this is her poorest performance on screen as well as Dane Deehan's, who always plays the same 'i'm so deep and baggy eyes' one. This movie in my opinion wanted to be a satire, but it failed massively. Through the entire almost one and half hour I was thinking about 'The signal' which is although made by 3 directors, but it has the perfect balance between dark humour and horror elements. It had so many opportunities and should have had much more funnier conversations. I remembered some lines from 'In the flesh', which had those lines that made the series made fun the seriousness of the situation and suited perfectly the atmosphere. I'm sad, because I sat down, to watch the movie with great expectations and didn't even wanted to watch the trailer before. Too bad I didn't.

Ah, the zombie genre...Is there still anything we haven't seen before? Life after Beth takes a swing at the RomZomCom sub-genre but it biggest problem is that it isn't really anything. I suppose it's meant to be funny but there's nothing really funny about it. It isn't dramatic either or dark or creepy or anything. The trailer didn't seem to bad (and looked rather funny, reminded me a bit of Fido) but the writers don't seem to know what to do with the idea (a girl dies and returns as a zombie but doesn't know it and everyone's trying to keep it a secret). It won't be a big success because it doesn't appeal to anyone in particular and won't be remembered as a classic or even a great addition to the zombie genre.

I wasn't going to write any more reviews to backdate the last few months of movie-going until I saw so many negative reviews for Life After Beth. It's not that the reviews are wrong but as with so many film experiences, it looks like expectations spoiled it for them... I ENJOYED THIS MOVIE and for the very reasons nobody else seemed to enjoy it. I had the good fortune to actually forget what the film was meant to be about and went in expecting a moving drama about the loss of a partner, a kind of film I love as well as being a horror genre fan. The way the story then developed for me was far from directionless and kept me guessing as to what was going on, an element that would admittedly be lost on anyone knowing what they're seeing and likely boring them. Directionless then... Yes. Without the element of intrigue and fascination at where the characters will go next, it could feel this way... What this film DOESN'T deliver is a simple comedy or horror or romance or even a mix of those. If you've seen the trailer you've seen the 'funny' bits and if you want any of these things, watch something else. There are loads of movies like that. No, this movie is way more unique. If you're looking for a film that looks at the difficulty of letting go of loved ones then presents a not-so-great alternative and how a mother and father, and a teen boyfriend, handle the strange, seemingly prayer answering, but inevitably unworkable situation. What if you could have a second chance of life with a lost loved one? What if getting your deepest wish meant a horrible reality for them? Could you find the strength to give them up?

LIFE AFTER BETH (2014) * Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Kendrick, (Cameo: Garry Marshall) Laugh-free one-note joke 'rom-com/zom-com' with a very game Plaza (honey, fire your agent immediately) who returns from the dead as a smooth-jazz loving (!), anger management zombie who winds up causing all sorts of 'polite society' ills for her confused family and beloved boyfriend (DeHaan is the only one who really acts up a storm for an otherwise forgettably awful film). The crimes against comedy (let alone humanity) is first-time (and hopefully LAST time) filmmaker Jeff Baena who wouldn't recognize a fart from an ad-lib in his tone-deaf attempt at satire, dark comedy or sharp skewer to cul-de-sac audiences he's so desperately catering to while completely wasting his vast amount of talent acquired (squandering so much comedic casting is unbearably sad). And trust me you would never want to see comedy guru Marshall as a member of the undead in spotty make-up and doddering dialogue! (Un)dead on arrival.