Warm Bodies (Jonathan Levine, 2013): USA
Reviewed by Mallarie Stevens. Viewed on Blu-ray Disc.
Is it possible to love the dead? Of course. But what about the undead? Maybe. In the trendy tween world of Twilight (2008), True Blood (2008), and Teen Wolf (2011), a vicious monster boyfriend is not only acceptable; it’s practically mandatory. Young, beautiful, and tantalizingly dangerous, these vampires and werewolves are not exactly reminiscent of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) or Dr. Frankenstein’s monster (Shelley 1818), the more classic monsters of the literature world. Instead, they are the new wave of the teen bad boy love interest – romantic, desirable, and every parent’s worst nightmare. Surprisingly witty and original, Warm Bodies (2013) is the next installment in the film world’s still-evolving monster romance genre.
R (Nicholas Hoult) is an uncommonly contemplative zombie in a post-apocalyptic world overcome by “corpses” (zombies) and “boneys” (further decomposed and far more frightening zombies). Living humans must stay confined within a walled-in portion of the city or risk being attacked and killed. When Julie (Teresa Palmer), the hardened yet hopeful daughter of the city’s military-centric leader (John Malkovich), ventures out on a seemingly routine run for medical supplies she and her friends are ambushed by a group of hungry corpses, R among them. Though most of her group is killed, including her then-boyfriend Perry (Dave Franco), Julie is saved by R, who promises; “keep you safe”. As Julie, and subsequently the audience, develops an unexpected endearment to R while in his care, she wonders “why me?” In the true spirit of the monster romance, Warm Bodies brings humanistic qualities to the creature that would otherwise inspire only fear and disgust in the film’s heroine. Can a zombie be overcome by compassion and emotion? Can he fall in love with the human that would otherwise be nothing more than food?
Though this monster-versus-human approach has seen much success in the vampire subgenre of the sci fi world, Warm Bodies is the first film to, not only utilize a zombie as the lovable monster character, but to also tell the story from his perspective. The use of R’s internal monologue as voice-over provides both important background information and allows the audience insight into the complexities of his thinking, which is obviously more human than zombie. He, along with Julie’s best friend Nora (Analeigh Tipton), provides much of the film’s clever and relatable comedy. Additional outstanding performances by Teresa Palmer as Julie and Rob Corrdry as R’s best zombie friend, M further contribute to a convincing plot development from the seemingly inevitable deterioration of the world into a zombie wasteland to the atmosphere of hope mutually forged by R and Julie. Director Jonathan Levine even goes so far as to represent the lead characters as embodiments of Romeo and Juliet (where R is Romeo and Julie is Juliet), existing on opposing sides of an ongoing, perhaps senseless, battle. From Guns ‘N Roses to Springsteen, Dylan, and even “Rock you like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions (1984), Levine further delights with a soundtrack that’s hard to beat.
Of course, the film is not without its moments of not-another-teen-movie idiosyncrasies and minor plot holes. There is the quintessential awkward young man hoping to win the heart of the beautiful young woman. The young woman’s father is overbearing and protective. Undoubtedly, it is a bit unlikely that a smart, self-assured young woman would develop a relationship, romantic or otherwise, with her boyfriend’s killer. If these trivialities (the film does explain them, at least) can be overlooked, however, Warm Bodies is an admirable addition to the film libraries of both the zombie apocalypse movie aficionado and the casual rom com viewer. Is the rampant virus-like spread of the zombie apocalypse inevitable? Is love the cure? Is there a deeper meaning for society here? Maybe. In any case, it Warm Bodies is another example of why sci fi is not just for nerds anymore.
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