Zach (DeHaan) is bereft after his girlfriend Beth (Plaza) dies from snakebite during a solo hike in the California hillside. His family are blithe idiots so he ends up finding some consolation with Beth's parents, smoking dope and playing chess with her dad Maury (O'Reilly) and going through Beth's things with her mom (Shannon). One day, things get a little weird in the neighborhood, with a dude running scared down the middle of the street and a long-lost mailman showing up not really all there mentally. Zach doesn't think too much of it until he gets to Beth's house: Maury won't let him in and then Zach catches a glimpse of Beth, alive(ish) and well(ish). Her parents believe it was a miracle but Zach thinks she may be a zombie.
Of course Beth is a zombie, although it takes a little time for the zombification to really kick in. At first she is forgetful and a little vague, but still basically herself, and Zach can't help but love being around her again. Then she starts to deteriorate, with episodes of extreme rage, strength and panic, and a weird love of smooth jazz which comforts her. Then she eats a neighbor. The zombie apocalypse comes quickly, y'all.
Life After Beth is supposed to be a horror-comedy, ostensibly along the same lines of my beloved Shaun of the Dead because: zombies. But it is not really scary or gory - any zombie kills happen off-screen - and it isn't as funny as SotD or, say, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. It just doesn't go quite far enough in either direction. That being said, the smooth jazz gag is hilarious and Aubrey Plaza must have had a blast with this character. The reviews were not especially good but I thought it was okay.
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