Before starting this review, I’d like to give a shout out to whoever pitched this movie at the producers. A romantic comedy crossed with a zombie flick was probably the toughest sell in film history. Although, the bravery of the producers was rewarded with a box office smash. Warm Bodies cost $30,000,000 to make and grossed $115,000,000 worldwide (2013).
The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic America. A small band of survivors seek sanctuary in a compound designed to keep the zombies out. When the group runs low on medical supplies they’re forced to venture beyond the safety of its walls. They come across an abandoned airport, where Julie first encounters the zombie simply known as ‘R'. Instantly he falls for the young heroine and this infatuation begins to reawaken his human side.
The film is narrated by an internal dialogue delivered by ‘R’. His musings are often very funny, they also help move the story along. At one point ‘R’ tells himself “Don’t be creepy, don’t be creepy,” as he approaches Julie. Earlier in the movie he ponders “What am I doing with my life? I'm so pale. I should get out more. I should eat better. My posture is terrible. What's wrong with me? I just want to connect. Why can't I connect with people? Oh, right, it's because I'm dead.”
Similar to Anna And The Apocalypse, I wouldn’t class this film as an out-and-out comedy, but it gives the audience plenty of laughs. Along with a few scares. The horror action can get gruesome as Warm Bodies features two types of undead. The run-of-the-mill slow moving zombies like ‘R’ and the super scary ‘Boney’ zombies. These creatures move much faster than the regular zombies and humans.
As the feelings between Julie, played by Teresa Palmer (Point Break 2015), and her zombie boyfriend grow, ‘R’ slowly starts to become more human. If our two lovers can survive long enough, they might give the undead another chance at life.
Overall, Warm Bodies is a fantastic movie and a novel twist on the zombie genre. The mix of romance, comedy and horror make it the perfect film for a Halloween date night.
