Behind a revealing title Burying the Ex hides an entertaining but ultimately forgettable zombie comedy. This is one of those movies good for one or two viewings and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just when you thought that the zombie-mania is over, here they come again. This time directed by the great Joe Dante (The Howling, Gremlins, Innerspace) they are dead set on ruining poor Anton Yelchin’s love life. I don’t know how, but for a couple of decades now, Joe Dante is able to hit that teenager vibe with impeccable precision. Surprisingly, there’ve been already a couple of movies with a similar combination of zombies and romance. Warm Bodies was barely watchable while Life After Beth is a quite solid zombedy.
This time, Dante made the perfect movie for today’s generations featuring: strong independent (and deliciously sexy) female characters, music, updated love problems, and obscure hobbies. Plus all the right nods to the greats and many more gimmicks that will make hipsters go wow. And not just them, because I also found Burying the Ex to be intelligent and funny. It has this appealing B-movie vibe despite its commercial and safe approach. I just wish the production values were a tad higher. The toxic relationship between Max and Evelyn adds another, very important layer to the story. It makes the movie feel relatable, especially if you’ve been in a similar situation. On the other hand, the term toxic is just relative and Evelyn is the girl from your dreams. I personally would go for the threesome. Hey, it’s worth a shot.
Max is one of those guys who does everything by the book. He’s working a dead-end job and in a relationship with an overbearing girlfriend. One day Max decides that enough is enough and decides to break up with his girlfriend. Something that has nothing to do with the superhot girl he just met. However, this is where his troubles begin.
Easygoing and familiar, Burying the Ex is a decent zombie comedy with a great cast. Apart from the usually good Yelchin we also have the opportunity to see captivating Alexandra Daddario. I’m sure you remember her from the first season of True Detective or as a star of Texas Chainsaw 3D. Ashley Greene was also great as the annoying ex and quite funny too. I just can’t help wondering wouldn’t someone other than Yelchin be better for the lead in this one. It’s like they’ve overdone with the whole cliched and formulaic approach and he’s the last straw. A guy like Devon Sawa (Idle Hands) would be a much better fit. So, if you’ve seen all the other great zombie comedies maybe it’s time to transition to the decent ones. And this movie is a good place to start. Enjoy.
Director: Joe Dante
Writer: Alan Trezza
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, Alexandra Daddario, Oliver Cooper, Erica Bowie
Fun Facts: Near the beginning of the film, a moving truck appears with the name Romero & Sons. A reference to George A. Romero who is the father of zombie movies.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3339674/
