Life After Beth

Plot synopsis:
In the opening shot, a woman named Beth Slocum (Aubrey Plaza) is walking through the woods while looking at her phone. She looks back, thinking she heard something, then continues walking.Her boyfriend Zach Orfman (Dane DeHaan) is out at the supermarket looking for black napkins. He has to settle for beige napkins. He goes to Beth's funeral, as she has died from a snake bite. Everyone gives Zach their condolences. Later, he goes to Beth's home to play chess with her parents, Maury and Geenie (John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon). Maury takes out a joint and smokes it with Zach. Zach admits that he and Beth had some problems in their relationship before she died. Maury says that Beth's last words to him was to stop being annoying. He tells Zach that they shouldn't let things like that define the entire relationship they had with someone. Geenie gives Zach one of Beth's scarves as a keepsake.Despite his family's advice to move on, Zach is still a wreck. The Slocums stop contacting Zach and ignore his calls. He goes over to visit them, but they won't let him in. One afternoon, he peeks through the window and sees what he thinks is Beth walking through the halls. Zach freaks out and pounds on the door. His brother Kyle (Matthew Grey Gubler), who is a security officer, comes over and threatens to have Zach arrested. To fuel his suspicions further, he visits Beth's grave and sees a big hole in the ground.Zach finally manages to get into the Slocum house, even as Maury tries to push him away. He sees Geenie trying to push Beth into the closet, forcing them to come clean. Zach is both elated and alarmed to see his girlfriend alive. Beth has no memory of being dead, claiming that she has a test to study for the next day. She also mistakes Zach's questioning as thinking he believes she cheated on him or that he wants to break up. Against her parents' orders, Zach decides to spend time with Beth, swimming with her and going to the park to have sex. He does happen to notice the snake bite in her skin, and she later goes home with a blistering sore on her cheek.One evening, Zach takes Beth to the beach. He begins to serenade her with a song he wrote, but she hates it so much to the point where it pisses her off. She starts breaking off the lifeguard stand, causing it to catch fire. Zach tries to calm her down and takes Beth back to the car. He barely turns around for a second before she breaks the window with her elbow, thinking he was already trying to abandon her.People in town start behaving oddly, exhibiting similar mood swings and spaced-out behavior like Beth. Needing a break from Beth, Zach goes to a diner. There, he sees an old childhood friend, Erica Wexler (Anna Kendrick). She sits with him and she gives her condolences to him over Beth. Zach has a hard time telling her what's going on and that he has now preferred that Beth stay dead. After they finish their meal, Zach accidentally runs Beth over with his car. She is okay, but when people try and help her, she screams at them and scares them off. She even frightens Erica after thinking Zach has replaced her. Zach then takes her to her grave and tells the truth about her death. This makes her angrier and she steals his car.Zach walks home and sees Kyle and their parents panicking, since Zach's dead grandfather is sitting in their living room, now a reanimated corpse. Then enters the previous owners of the house. Kyle tries shooting at them, but they don't go down. In fact, they're not flesh-hungry zombies, just cranky undead people. Maury then comes to get Zach and tell him that it's his fault this is happening since he went and told Beth about her death. He wants Zach to lie to her and tell her he made up the story about her death. They resolve to have Maury call their former housekeeper, Pearline, to see if she may know anything about stopping zombies, purely based on the fact that Pearline is Haitian. They go back to the Slocum house, where Beth breaks through the window and comes back with her face caked in blood. Zach brings her in the car.Zach goes to a motel to find Pearline, only to find her cousin there, who thinks it's offensive that anyone would assume they know about voodoo or zombies because they're Haitian. The cousin says Pearline had nothing to do with what's happening and that she quit working for the Slocums because Maury wanted her to walk around naked. Zach is left without any answers. Maury shows up, knocks Zach out, and takes Beth home.When he returns home, Zach finds someone in his home, who then runs away. Outside in the backyard are burnt corpses, leading Zach to assume his family is dead. He packs his bags and prepares to get out of town, though he has a change of heart and goes back to Beth's home. She has officially turned into a mindless bloodthirsty zombie, having eaten Maury which led to Geenie tying her to the stove. Zach convinces Geenie to let him take Beth with him. He tells her they're going on a hike. Outside, Kyle shows up, shooting any zombies in his path. He tells Zach that their parents are alive and are hiding in a safe house. He gives Zach his gun and tells him he needs to let Beth go.Zach takes Beth on a hike, when they get to a cliff and stop to check out the view. He tearfully apologizes for not doing all the things Beth wanted to do when she was alive. He tells her he loves her, and Beth is able to mutter "I love you too." He shoots Beth in the head, and her body tumbles down the hill with the stove crushing her as it goes down with her.Zach finds the safe house, reuniting with his family, and he sees that Erica has joined them after her own mother turned into a zombie. She was forced to kill her, leaving her traumatized. The news comes on, with a report that although things look messed up, people seem to be going back to normal.Zach's mom takes him and Erica to the graveyard where he visits Beth's and Maury's graves. He leaves Beth's scarf on her grave. They leave, and Zach asks Erica out to dinner. She accepts and smiles as his mom drives them away.

Tags: dark, comedy, violence

Review:
Life After Beth is best described as a 'horror comedy', and yet it is completely different to other horror comedies I saw on the very same day.The comedy comes from the situation, not the characters, who are played pretty straight.
Beth (Aubrey Plaza) comes back from the dead, forcing her boyfriend Zach (Dane DeHaan) and parents (John C Reilly and Molly Shannon) to confront their grief and the conflicted feelings they have about her and their lives with her.
Plaza does a great job with her performance, slowly showing increasing signs of deterioration from ordinary teenage girl to mindless zombie, and each other character's reaction to the bizarre situation is shown to be ridiculous at one point or another.
Russell's surreal comedy 'I Heart Huckabees', and I think he should really be seen as a writer who has taken up directing.Lots of ideas are explored through Life After Beth, such as grief and the way our memories change as time passes.
If you want a different approach...Life After Beth is excellent.I wish the audience was a little bit more supportive to movies like this.I know that a 9 score is reserved for super awesome movies that are classics and that will stand the test of time, with awesome acting, photography, story telling techniques, music and the whole package.Regardless, I am going to give this movie a 9 because I loved watching it and given the ridiculous material they had to work with (a dude in love with a zombie) they did an excellent job..
DeHaan stars as Zach the ex-boyfriend of the title character Beth (Plaza) who is going through a rough time.
Life After Beth is a movie as confused as its main protagonist Zach Orfman, a movie that can't decide whether it's a laugh out loud comedy, a gross out dramedy or satirical runoff of the ever saturated zombie filled marketplace and as a result of its genre confusion, Life After Beth is a basket case of a film that at times becomes so bad you feel sorry for all the talented members of the cast who obviously saw some potential in this tale.Dane DeHaan, John C.
DeHaan is annoying as grieving boyfriend Zach, Reilly and Shannon get short changed with one note characters and the toughest gig of all in the form of Beth played by Plaza couldn't have been saved by any amount of great acting.
Beth is such a strange and unfulfilling character you begin to pity Plaza's plight and it's safe to say she gives it her all in a committed performance that deserved a better movie.A huge chunk of Life After Beth's failings can be attributed to director/writer Jeff Baena's failings to control the films tonal shifts.
It's a real shame that there are so many failings in this picture as you do get the feeling that there is a good film here, somewhere deep down amongst all the wannabe funnies or the romantic sentiments that don't resonate.Life After Beth is a strange event, from the outset you get the feeling something just isn't right and as you get further and further into this murky love story your vision becomes clear that this is just a lost film that didn't have a solid enough identity to make it succeed.
Just to save you the trouble, this movie is absolute garbage, not scary, not comedic, nothing, it's about a girl that comes back from the dead, and then she isn't the same girl, that's it, Basically, around the 60 minute mark, I was extremely bored, the only reason that I didn't go back home is because I was watching this with my family and it would have been inappropriate to leave them, I didn't give this is a 1 because I have seen much more boring and crappy movies, so a 2 is good enough, the acting was decent but not as great as my expectations were, If I were you, I would much rather buy some ice cream instead of the ticket price, this was less boring compared to a documentary about how snakes live, save yourself money and boredom and don't watch this..
Starts out decent enough, initially I thought that it was a good thing that the movie started straight away with Beth being dead so you wouldn't just sit and wait for her to die so she could finally come back from the dead.But really in retrospect, had there been any scenes of her life and her relationsship with Zach perhaps that would make the viewer understand exactly what it was that Zach fell for in Beth in the first place.Cause the "living dead" Beth has zero personality, and she doesn't seem to care much about Zach after her death (nor anything else for that matter) so it's hard to see why Zach would still be so deeply in love with her based on her personality after death, it surely must have differed a bit.But then again, most characters in this movie are one-tracked one- dimensional beings so maybe not, maybe she always was like that, which would just add more confusion as to why Zach (who is a fairly normal kid) would like her that much.But then again not much about this movie makes much sense.I guess it tries to be sort of a dark comedy but it's not dark enough, dark comedy is supposed to shock the viewer or be slightly disturbing at least, this movie just fails at that completely, and the horror aspect of the movie: forget about it.I don't know why John C Reilly who I like tons would appear in this movie, based on his performance I don't think he did either, hope he got a good paycheck for it at least.Molly Shannon plays the mother, at least on paper, there was nothing motherly about her character, and she wasn't funny either, just a very flat character.I dunno what to say more about this movie, it fails at being funny and scary and it also fails at being good and it even fails at being completely terrible, it's just a big soup of mehhh..
Life After Beth is a kooky take on the beyond exhausted zombie movie.Aubrey Plaza plays the Beth of Life After Beth – a recently deceased sorta ex- girlfriend of Zach, Dane DeHaan, who mysteriously rises from the grave.
It seems like the writers had a decent idea about having a kid's girlfriend killed and brought back to life as a zombie, but that's as far as they got and didn't know how to fill the scenes.
Life After Beth (2014) is the new indie film written and directed by Jeff Baena, starring Aubrey Plaza in the title role as Beth, who returns mysteriously from the grave, oblivious of her own death.This film follows in the footsteps of a recent spate of zombie stories that have more heart than guts, like the movie Warm Bodies, and the TV shows In the Flesh and The Returned.
That doesn't mean it isn't funny as hell, though.After the recent death of his girlfriend, Zach (Dane Dehaan) is despondent, and finds some solace in sharing his pain with Beth's parents (Maury and Geanie Slocum, played with priceless exuberance by John C.
A zombie epidemic is strictly background material and it begins with Zach played by Dane DeHaan, who does a good job here, grieving over the death of his girlfriend Beth.
Stalking around the house to find out why he thinks that he spots Beth inside – which makes him think that either the whole thing is a hoax, or that she is now a z-word.Beth, unaware that anything is different, and not being told by her parents or Zack that she is actually dead, decide to keep her a secret and hid her inside from anyone knowing Still in love and unable to tell or explain how she is here, Zack continues their relationship, but notices that she is extra-clingy and weirder that before (and also dead) - It is an interesting concept to say the least.Taking 'the loving parents' position, Beth's refuse to accept that she is a zombie, but rather that she has been resurrected.
What follows in Dehaan's first-ever comedy is quirky humour, apocalyptic freaking out, many WTF moments, plus Anna Kendrick co-starring and redefining the term awkward.Although Life After Beth causes frequent smirks, there are not any LOL-moments until the ending, where 'the world goes crazy' – and we see quite possibly the best zombie kill of the week.
Aubrey Plaza, whose starred in movies like Scott Pilgrim, Funny People and 10 Years, was a great choice for her role because of her striking dark looks and big eyes which worked as the scary girlfriend.
The main problem for me was the far fetched storyline was a bit weak and it needed the Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg touch.Budget: $2.4million Worldwide Gross: $250,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into their romance/comedy/horror movies about a boy who has to deal with the lose of his girlfriend who suddenly comes back as a zombie.
So I will say that the playing field for this movie was right there for a home-run.But the movie turned out to be just another mediocre zombie movie, and I will say that "Warm Bodies" was much, much better than "Life After Beth".
So there is a comparison for you right there.While "Life After Beth" started out alright, then director Jeff Baena set up the scenario for more than he could handle, and t he movie just fell to a heap of disappointing pieces.There wasn't a single moment throughout the movie that made me laugh, so for a comedy, then the movie failed to deliver.
so when I chose to watch "Life After Beth", I was looking for a ridiculously, over-the-top, cheeseball zombie movie with a thin story line and fake blood that consists of corn syrup and red dye No. 9.
I've had this strange crush on her since I saw her in "Funny People" and yes, I JUST looked her name up.This isn't your typical zombie flick, it's more of a dark rom-com about a hopeless romantic understandingly hesitant about falling back in love with his dead girlfriend.
It's too bad Beana didn't take notes from Edgar Wright's superior zombie romantic comedy, Shaun of the Dead.Focusing on the actors themselves, Aubrey Plaza's commitment to her role alone creates such a powerful screen presence that's definitely worth seeing despite the previously mentioned shortcomings.
And while this movie did not exactly meet my expectations (after all the good things that were written 6 months ago, it seemed to be a real hit), it isn't as bad as it is rated here on IMDb. Maybe people were really disappointed and voted that way, but maybe they just didn't like the way/humor this has.Whatever the case, it is uncomfortable and it is funny at times.
I definitely think this movie deserves more attention than it's gotten.Life After Beth tells the story of Zach Orfman (played by Dane DeHaan), whose girlfriend, Beth Slocum (played by Audrey Plaza), died after a hike that led her to a fatal snake bite.
In fact, I would say that Life After Beth is one of 2014's most underrated and best comedies I've seen to date.Much of what makes this film work is the "black" humor.
Like any good horror comedy, death is played up for laughs, and while some of the scenes, left me scratching my head, such as the one when Zach gets home and his brother Kyle tries to shoot him with a gun, having assumed he's become a zombie, as it is somewhat confusingly directed.What I think really think helps the film is the acting.
Even if you haven't seen the trailer for the film, the movie gives you hints that Beth is a zombie, such as a scene where Beth returns and they do a close-up on her eyes, showing that they have started to become red.
Cheryl Hines and Paul Reiser play Zach and Kyle's parents, and Anna Kendrick has a small role as an old childhood friend of Zach's who returns.The success of Life After Beth has to do with the film's genuinely crazy and silly tone.
Much like another recent horror comedy Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil, Life After Beth works because it plays with the typical tropes of a zombie, and uses it for dark laughs.
Misunderstandings cause arguments, made all the worse by the underlying problem of having a relationship with a zombie.Aubrey Plaza, who so impressed in the time-travel story 'Safety Not Guaranteed' (2012), here gives another fine performance in a very different role, in a very different film.
Miss Plaza does a very good job in her movements, and in her style of walking, as she progresses through the movie.'Life After Beth' is a rather adult-themed film, thus it is rated at 15 in the UK.
I liked it I really did ,it was not was I expected but I'm a fan of Audrey Plaza so if she is in it I'll watch it.It's a refreshing look at the overdone zombie movies lately, as this movie merged comedy, romance, and horror and it was done right using a unique look to it as it knows what it is and it's not over the top or forcing jokes it tries to tell a story using different genres , it's a fun movie to watch and as I said Audrey Plaza steals the show and makes it way more enjoyable, one of those movies that can become a guilty pleasure.Yes Shaun of the dead made it way better that I'll agree still I liked it and made me laugh and this was way better than the painful Warm Bodies.
I am not a zombie movie fan but I loved Shaun Of The Dead and thought Warm Bodies was really funny too.
I still think this is a movie worth watching but after the recent zombie comedies this is a little bit of a let down.
Zach Orfman (great Dane DeHaan) has just lost his girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza, what a comedian).While still mourning, he finds out that somehow, Beth is back from the dead.
To me good zombie movies are exactly that and this is one that does not provide anything useful or even funny new or what it is trying to accomplish a spark or romance between the two main characters and it is terrible.I really wanted to like it but prepare yourself for one dull comedy, thrill less horror film, and worst and romcom that fails on all level.
I had the good fortune to actually forget what the film was meant to be about and went in expecting a moving drama about the loss of a partner, a kind of film I love as well as being a horror genre fan.The way the story then developed for me was far from directionless and kept me guessing as to what was going on, an element that would admittedly be lost on anyone knowing what they're seeing and likely boring them.
this isn't one of the films id watch again,the film is about beth who dies in a accident ,shortly after she comes back to life,the shock of this happening has some funny moments with her boyfriend and parents of beth but then it slips into the film been just as dead as beth,the second half of the film seemed to get even more drab especially when more dead people come to life out of the cemetery,i gave this a three just for the first half of the film,,i was waiting for it to warm up but turned out to be as cold as death itself,this could have been a good film ,after seeing the trailer to this with a few crazy moments i believed this was going to be a funny crazy film,but i quickly realised that the few funny moments in the trailer were the few jokes i laughed at in the movie with not much more laughs,unless your a very serious fan of zombie/horror comedy i would give this a miss.
For, as of this point in her career, that is what she is good at, and in the film she tries to be your everyday girlfriend and she seems to be forcing herself so hard to seem convincing as a regular old love interest, that it makes her off putting demeanor rise to dangerous levels.Then, on top of that, you have a cast and story which tries to mix horror elements with odd comedic moments, which honestly rarely even works for veterans of the Horror/Comedy sub-genre like Child's Play and Nightmare on Elm Street when Robert Englund was Freddy.
LIFE AFTER BETH (2014) * Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C.
Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anna Kendrick, (Cameo: Garry Marshall) Laugh-free one-note joke 'rom-com/zom-com' with a very game Plaza (honey, fire your agent immediately) who returns from the dead as a smooth-jazz loving (!), anger management zombie who winds up causing all sorts of 'polite society' ills for her confused family and beloved boyfriend (DeHaan is the only one who really acts up a storm for an otherwise forgettably awful film).
Beth (Aubrey Plaza) dies and leaves us with her grieving family and boyfriend Zach (Dane DeHaan).
I personally liked it; very rarely do I find a movie from the 21st century that I like but Life After Beth was at least half-decent.The story is anything but typical, somewhat of a zombie romance comedy but not any of that popular dystopian garbage.
Whilst Beth's parents celebrate her "resurrection",Zach begins to fear that his girlfriend's return will cause the world to end.View on the film:Chewing the zombie scenery around them, John C.
Life After Beth is a Comedy/ Drama/Horror film about Zach Orfman ( Dane Dehaan) who just lost his girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza) .
Dane dehaan and Aubrey Plaza's performance helped to make this film great to watch.