Review of Warm Bodies (2013) by A A — 21 Dec 2013

I had a lot of problems with this movie before it was released. I don't like passing judgment on a film before I see it, but the very idea of this one just got under my skin. Surprisingly, they take what could be a catastrophically bad idea and manage to make it work. The way they integrate their new ideas (evolution of zombies, slowly losing their humanity and being able to regain it) within the existing zombie mythology is actually quite interesting, and works well. The only part that I was still iffy on is the inherent creepiness that this presents. For example, lead zombie R eats the lead girl's boyfriend, and learns about her by eating the boyfriend's brain. Not only is this sort of stalkerish, it seems like it would create awkwardness for the relationship down the line, as well as horrid memories for R once he regains his humanity. They go into the gray areas this conflict creates a little bit, but not as much as I would have liked, and not enough to appease my discomfort from it.

The rest of the movie works very well. At its worst it can be a little campy, but far more often it holds the elements of any great indie rom-com, just with zombies thrown into the mix. The romance builds in a believable manner, the apocalyptic landscapes are beautifully created, and it provides a lot of moments of quirky comedy. The characters aren't terribly distinct, but they're likable, and Nicholas Hoult does a great job in the lead, displaying a lot of personality in the mostly non-verbal R.

This movie took what could have been an atrocity and turned it into something charming and enjoyable. Yes I have my issues with it, but some of those issues are really inescapable with this material. It's shocking that this movie works, and mind-blowing that it works well.