Submissive horror-fan Max (Anton Yelchin) is stuck in a relationship he can't get out of. His domineering but beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (Ashley Greene) re-decorates his apartment without his permission, won't allow him to drink milk and other such offenses. Quite frankly, Max would rather be with a cute ice cream shop owner (Alexandra Daddario) but doesn't quite know how to make the proper transition. As luck would have it, Evelyn gets hit by a bus and dies. End of story right? Wrong.
A zombie-comedy not unlike, say, "Warm Bodies," "Burying The Ex" is the latest offering from director Joe Dante, who brought such beloved genre fare as "Gremlins" and "The Howling" to the big screen. While not quite up to the standards of said halcyon era, Dante works well within a limited budget and with a capable cast. Yelchin plays the hapless Max perfectly (when will someone give this guy bigger and more prominent work?) while Greene plays the waspy, oppressive and yet irresistible counterpart to a T. Even when the film doesn't quite fire on all cylinders, it remains enjoyable thanks in no small part to its talented young cast.
Unfortunately, the film feels somewhat stagnant in other places. It doesn't quite riff on genre tropes as much as one would hope, working from a surprisingly pedestrian script. Originally conceived as a 15 minute short, "Burying The Ex" feels like a small-scale concept stretched too thin. To be frank, this would have made for a great "Tales From The Crypt" or "Creepshow" segment. As a feature- length film, however, it comes up short. Dante doesn't bring the anarchic spark he brought to "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" or the heart of "Matinee," becoming another in a long line of horror directors currently spinning their wheels.
It's not that "Burying The Ex" is bad, per se. But it all feels fairly pedestrian and, well, forgettable. You could bury this one in your subconscious and just forget you ever saw it altogether. And that's a shame. With a more than capable cast and a proved director, "Burying The Ex" should have added up to more than just a pleasant 90 minute diversion. Add it to your Netflix queue, have a drink or two and enjoy the silly shenanigans, but don't be surprised if you forget to call the "Ex" back in the future.
A zombie-comedy not unlike, say, "Warm Bodies," "Burying The Ex" is the latest offering from director Joe Dante, who brought such beloved genre fare as "Gremlins" and "The Howling" to the big screen. While not quite up to the standards of said halcyon era, Dante works well within a limited budget and with a capable cast. Yelchin plays the hapless Max perfectly (when will someone give this guy bigger and more prominent work?) while Greene plays the waspy, oppressive and yet irresistible counterpart to a T. Even when the film doesn't quite fire on all cylinders, it remains enjoyable thanks in no small part to its talented young cast.
Unfortunately, the film feels somewhat stagnant in other places. It doesn't quite riff on genre tropes as much as one would hope, working from a surprisingly pedestrian script. Originally conceived as a 15 minute short, "Burying The Ex" feels like a small-scale concept stretched too thin. To be frank, this would have made for a great "Tales From The Crypt" or "Creepshow" segment. As a feature- length film, however, it comes up short. Dante doesn't bring the anarchic spark he brought to "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" or the heart of "Matinee," becoming another in a long line of horror directors currently spinning their wheels.
It's not that "Burying The Ex" is bad, per se. But it all feels fairly pedestrian and, well, forgettable. You could bury this one in your subconscious and just forget you ever saw it altogether. And that's a shame. With a more than capable cast and a proved director, "Burying The Ex" should have added up to more than just a pleasant 90 minute diversion. Add it to your Netflix queue, have a drink or two and enjoy the silly shenanigans, but don't be surprised if you forget to call the "Ex" back in the future.