Pride + Prejudice + Zombies (2016): Mash-up Heaven

Written and Directed by Burr Steers (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days)

Story by Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)

Starring:

Lily James (Cinderella)

Sam Riley (Maleficent)

Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows)

Douglas Booth (Noah)

Matt Smith (Doctor Who)

Charles Dance (Game of Thrones)

Lena Headey (Dredd)

Jack Huston (American Hustle)

Suki Waterhouse

Sally Phillips (Galavant)

Ellie Bamber

Millie Brady

The novel, based on an idea by Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak that yielded similar titles such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, was begging to be adapted the moment Seth Grahame-Smith released it in 2009. Since then, the process has been nothing short of tumultuous. Not only shuffling between multiple directors and stars (Natalie Portman was cast as Elizabeth Bennett but left, staying on as producer), it also suffered through the release of the much-maligned, mishandled adaptation of Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012). PPZ, however, does not meet the same fate.

L to R: Bamber, Heathcote, James, Brady, and Waterhouse. (via BBC)

The book’s charm is largely intact and at the center of it all is PPZ’s stellar cast. Steers directs a collection of talent that would fit perfectly into any straightforward adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. By mixing modestly well-knowns with relative unknowns, the characters manage to hold their own in a film that understands just how odd a concept it is. Zombies and fight choreography are interwoven into the story through the characters, which are, in turn, capably brought to life by the cast. The lives felt lived even if each character wasn't afforded the time they may have deserved.

On that last point, it’s more a testament to how well the cast performed than any knock on the film itself and the underselling of the characters shows an understanding on the filmmaker’s part on how their joke has a runtime shelf life. Any longer and it plays with the idea of overstaying its welcome. The commitment to standing alone as a single film is also commendable. The ending is reminiscent of The Cabin in the Woods (2012) whereas a sequel is not the primary focus, telling the joke is.

The leads, Lily James’ Elizabeth Bennett and Sam Riley’s Mr. Darcy, display wonderful adversarial chemistry despite James' dripping saliva and Riley’s gnarly rasp. They bring a grounded sense of emotion to such a fictional setting to life. But the real champion here should be no surprise. Matt Smith as Mr. Collins reigns supreme. He may not be front and center but he can’t help himself to being the center of attention when he’s on screen.

Burr Steers accomplishes something truly remarkable. He makes a better Gothic horror-romance than Guillermo Del Toro could with last year's disappointingly stale Crimson Peak (2015).  The violence here is laced with creativity by anchoring itself in the world. Instead of being misplaced it proves to be as captivating as the story is timeless. We get an array of exciting camera angles and gleeful brutality while mixing in the properness of Austen's original foundation. Steers never overplays any one tactic and in doing so, lets them all stand out in their own little way. The opening features a rather exceptional beheading while the finale boasts an excellent sword fight. And again, all of the violence is in service of that basic joke. 

The tone throughout is carefully controlled, blending horror with romance and just the right amount of humor that tells us the idea is being sold wholeheartedly. You'll barely notice the mid-conversational sparring. The set design aptly mixes the expected period piece aesthetics with an apocalyptic grit to make for a world that feels natural despite ungodly circumstances. The costumes look rather comfortable, too. 

However, the oddness of it all would certainly be easy to find unappealing. This is a movie made for those with a particular blend of tastes. It’s a wheelhouse movie. (I've found that my wheelhouse films tend to score around 40% on the tomatometer.) The romance is nothing new (obviously) and the zombies are more in line with Warm Bodies (2013) than The Walking Dead so a hardcore zombie fan may be disappointed as well. 

This movie delivered everything you should be expecting from a mashup of this nature. Great performances, decent frights, and bloody violence that makes you forget that it’s not even rated R.