By Alexander Wood

Within the ever expanding genre of zombie films, the undead are often classified as a mindless horde roving the landscape for their next fleshy meal. The idea of an eloquent and charming zombie with boyish good looks and a killer vinyl collection is far from the moaning people-eaters seen in most films. ‘Warm Bodies’ is a refreshing take on a post-apocalyptic world and provides a zombie protagonist that viewers can really sink their teeth into. By inverting the perspective of a typical brain eating villain, Jonathan Levine gives audiences an endearing and active snapshot of the undead that very few filmmakers in the genre have touched upon.

The sound of light, airy music opens the film as viewers follow R (Nicholas Hoult) as he shuffles through his routine of eating people and wandering. R’s internal monologue narrates most of the film and provides humorous commentary on becoming the undead. A self-reflexive zombie is far from the norm and it is through the inversion of this archetype that viewers are given a new and entertaining perspective. Despite George A. Romero’s ‘Land of the Death’, fans of the genre will find it difficult to nominate another film that attempts to capture the psyche of humankind’s most feared villain.

Blending R’s narration with a series of flashbacks, audiences are given a complete snapshot of the world that the zombie resistance never sees. These flashbacks show the potential causes of the crumbling world as well as the thoughts and grunting communication that R and his gang of undead buddies share. During one of his monologues, R states that it would be nice to have things restored to the way they were before the plague, with people actually communicating. The sepia tone flashback shows many people on their cellphones and game systems not to talking each other, successfully mirroring people’s overuse of technology with the zombie epidemic. This subtle, yet funny social commentary is evident throughout the film as flickers of machines and automated systems remind the viewer that technology can lead to our ultimate downfall. A series of flashbacks are also used as R eats the brains of Perry (Dave Franco) giving him a glimpse into his memories, affording R the only relief from the silence of being undead.

In a world filled with the roving undead, the lead character and zombie manages to save his love interest Julie (Teresa Palmer) and strike up some sort of relationship. Forged mostly through R’s awesome collection of vinyl and witty three word zombie interpolated sentences, their relationship begins to take shape, altering the lives of the undead and the future of the human race. Most would think that a relationship between a human and a zombie would be hard to believe, yet the film offers a lighthearted, virtually believable love story that is supported by a great soundtrack. R throughout most of the film, DJ’s moments on his turntable, providing an upbeat and classic feel to the film with tunes such as Bob Dylan’s ‘Shelter from the Storm’ and John Waite’s ‘Missing You’. R’s playlist and other music throughout the narrative adds a unique touch of humor, for instance, Roy Orbison’s ‘Pretty Woman’ is played by Julie and her friend Nora (Analeigh Tipton) as they are giving R a makeover to provide him with some human looking camouflage .

Visually, the film is clean and doesn’t deviate too much from the norm in terms of cinematography. However, the continual use of graffiti throughout the film adds a unique visual element that might grab the attention of viewers and street art enthusiasts. Furthermore, there are a few instances when the camera mimics the movement and pacing of the characters adding a playful element to the filmmaking.

The storytelling within the film is entertaining as it takes viewers through the very unconventional relationships fostered when Zombie boy meets human girl. Set in post-apocalyptic world R and Julie create a connection that is equal parts romance and hilarity. With Valentines’ Day around the corner, ‘Warm Bodies’ should provide an awesome and slightly more gruesome alternative to that romantic comedy date you may, or may not have been planning.

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