Review of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) by Maksim B — 21 Mar 2016

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a weird attempt for a mash-up that will confuse both fans of Jane Austen and her famous novel and the fans of horror movies. Neither funny, nor scary, this movie is a perfect example of the deliveries that sound much funnier and intriguing than they actually are. The nice costumes, settings and several fighting sequences are only good enough to keep this unorthodox adaptation watchable, but unable to rise above the level of mediocrity.

The initial concept of having a zombie story set in the beginning of the XIXth Century is actually a cool one. The decision to mash-up it with one of the most beloved British novels is a controversial one, but still intriguing. The inability, however, to deliver a proper horror movie almost destroys the whole behind Burr Steers' movie. If one is willing to sacrifice the bloody adaptation that Jane Austen's story undergoes for the sake of enjoying a proper funny and scary post-modern, costumes-based horror, he or she would be unpleasantly surprised by the fact that the horror element is literary non-existent. This leaves the delivery with only a cool concept, unconvincing leading characters, beautiful costumes and good fighting sequences. Unfortunately this is not enough to justify recommending it to everyone.

In conclusion, if you would like to enjoy a "scary", teen-friendly horror adaptation of classic novel, then Pride and Prejudice and Zombie is a watchable movie. If you are, on the other side a Jane Austen purist or a true fan of horror movies, you will probably be disappointed by the final result of Burr Steer's movie.