Warm Bodies (2013)

After R (a highly unusual zombie) saves Julie from an attack, the two form a relationship that sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

Director:

Jonathan Levine

Writers:

Jonathan Levine (screenplay), Isaac Marion (novel)

Stars:

Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicholas Hoult	...	R
Teresa Palmer	...	Julie
Analeigh Tipton	...	Nora
Rob Corddry	...	M
Dave Franco	...	Perry
John Malkovich	...	Grigio
Cory Hardrict	...	Kevin
Daniel Rindress-Kay	...	Solder #1
Vincent Leclerc	...	Perry's Dad
Clifford LeDuc-Vaillancourt	...	Boy at Airport
Billie Calmeau	...	Girl at Airport
Adam Driscoll	...	Young Man at ATM
Chris Cavener	...	Solder #2
Jonathan Dubsky	...	Berg
Alec Bourgeois	...	Perry (11 years old)

Storyline

With much of the world's population now an undead horde, R is a young and introspective zombie. While fighting with and feeding on a human scavenger party, R meets Julie and feels an urge to protect her. What happens next is the beginning of a strangely warm relationship that allows R to begin regaining his humanity. As this change spreads through the local undead population like a virus, Julie and R eventually have to face a larger issue when the very nature of their friendship is challenged. Caught between the paranoid human forces and the ferocious "Bonies", zombies who are a mutual threat, R and Julie must find a way common bond bridge the differences each sides must overcome so that they all fight for a better world no one thought possible.

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Plot Keywords:

zombie | post apocalypse | zombie apocalypse | girlfriend | living dead | 

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Taglines:

Bros before brains

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for zombie violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Concorde Filmverleih [de] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mi novio es un zombie

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$20,353,967 (USA) (1 February 2013)

Gross:

$66,359,959 (USA) (3 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Make Movies, Mandeville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character Nora was originally described as having brown skin and being half Ethiopian, but they instead decided to go with a Caucasian actress (Analeigh Tipton).

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Goofs

As R and Julie talk on a highway, behind R, there are two jet contrails visible in the sky.

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Quotes

Julie: You remember your name yet?
R: No.
Julie: Well you know you can just give yourself one. Just pick one...
R: I like R.
Julie: Really?... Just R huh?
R: Just R.

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Connections

References Zombie (1979)

User Reviews

They're Coming to Get You, R

Greetings again from the darkness. It's been 45 years since George Romero introduced us to Night of the Living Dead, which he followed 10 years later with Dawn of the Dead. In 2004, humor was injected into the zombie genre by Shaun of the Dead, and then in 2009 Zombieland kept it alive, so to speak. Now, thanks to the success of The Walking Dead, zombies are the new vampires in Hollywood. Writer/director Jonathan Levine (50/50, The Wackness) turns Isaac Marion's young adult novel into the first true Zombie Rom-Com ... or Zom-Com, if you will.

Many of us were introduced to Nicholas Hoult a decade ago when he was the youngster alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy. In his latest, Mr. Hoult plays "R", a self-admitted conflicted zombie in a post-apocalyptic society. In this new world order, there are three distinct groups: Humans, Corpses, and Bonies. Humans are the paranoid types who build a wall and aggressively hunt down the two non-human groups. Corpses are the traditional zombie types who sniff and slog their way through while trying to avoid deadly shots to the head. Bonies are those corpses who have given up all hope and now are indiscriminate in their search for meals.

So all of that sounds quite typical and expected, but what gives this movie its charm is the manner in which we as the viewer connect with R the zombie. His narration provides insight into his ever-present optimism, despite his need to feed on humans. In the film's turning point, he actually rescues Julie (Teresa Palmer) during a corpse-human battle. Taking her back to his jet liner-condo, they communicate through simple gestures and R's vintage vinyl collection.

A romantic comedy through the POV of a zombie is a bit unusual, and so is the wit and humor displayed by R. There is minimal actual gore in the film, though you should be prepared for R's keeping a brain-snack in his pocket in a manner not unlike Napoleon Dynamite's tot stash. The tip of the cap to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is obvious in the character names, and the similarities to Twilight are inescapable. Still, there is quite a bit new here and most of it is quite enjoyable.

Hoult and Palmer's on screen dynamics are key to the story, and there is excellent support work from Rob Corddry, John Malkovich and Analeigh Tipton. It would be easy to give away too much here, but instead let's say that it is surprisingly clever, funny, witty, sweet and entertaining ... especially for a Zom-Com that features tunes from Springsteen and Dylan. www.MovieReviewsFromTheDark.wordpress.com