Cinema Reviews
Life After Beth Review
Zach (Dane Dehaan) is mortified at the sudden loss of his girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza) to a snake bite. He warms to her family at the funeral and even returns to them a place to open up about his feelings. That is until they stop answering the door and his calls – leading him to suspect something.
That something turns out to be Beth returned (inexplicably) from the grave. Not exactly quite herself, but enough of her seems to be there for Zach and everyone to rejoice – yet perhaps start to worry for her health and safety a little too much.
Beths father (John C Reilly) steals scenes as the over protective father fully intent in locking up his daughter away from the cruel world. But Zach has other ideas!
Aubrey Plaza with her naturally sulky expression makes a career move with this role that literally relies on being there, but seen by or through others perspectives. Her slow decline towards zombiehood is well delivered, and not without a little heartbreak along the way (amid some of the dafter tomfoolery). Dane Dehaan proves himself in yet another genre and another role (Another one of these “Do they ever not work?” actors).
The film does have a bit of an awkward tone between the comedy and the darker moments of the film and does require slight alterations in course as the plot develops. It is worth noting though that Life After Beth does features the funniest visual gag involving a large cooker/oven in cinema history.
With the above moment in mind, the film isn’t perhaps as funny as it could have gone, but the filmmakers wanted to give it a little warmth as well and with everything melded together it’s a pesky little heart of darkness.
Steven Hurst