Film

Life After Beth

Name: Life After Beth
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Horror
Released: 2014
Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines

A romantic zombie comedy that treats undeath as a relationship problem. Aubrey Plaza shambles back to her boyfriend as a freshly-risen corpse, and what follows is less horror-movie than sitcom premise gone beautifully weird. It's charming and funny in the way only a film that doesn't take itself seriously can be. For people who like their genre mashups genuine and their love stories slightly off-kilter.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy deadpan, slightly awkward comedy that treats a zombie-romance premise with a straight face, and you like grief played as absurd, uncomfortable and oddly tender at once.

Skip it if you want the horror to land hard or the jokes to come fast, since it moves at a loose, meandering pace and often lingers on awkward silences longer than you might like.

What it asks of you: Under ninety minutes, it keeps a low, rambling rhythm, so you need patience with its stretches of quiet bewilderment before the tone finally finds its footing.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Warm Bodies2013

A zombie falls for a living girl and everything gets complicated. Like Life After Beth, it's a genuine romance wrapped in undead absurdity, with real chemistry and humor that doesn't punch down.

But It's a Romeo and Juliet retelling, which means some of the plot beats are predictable. The tone can feel uneven if you're not in the mood for tonal whiplash.

Shaun of the Dead2004

The gold standard for zombie comedy. Smart, funny, and surprisingly moving about friendship and purpose. It earns every tonal shift and never mistakes satire for story.

But It's more horror-comedy than romance-comedy, and the humor skews British and specific. If you want character warmth over genre cleverness, it might feel a bit cold.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil2010

Two hillbillies mistaken for killers by college kids. Like Life After Beth, it's a premise-driven comedy that loves its characters too much to let the premise destroy them. Genuinely inventive and kind-hearted.

But The humor leans hard into body horror and slapstick. If violence—even cartoonish violence—bothers you, this won't charm you past it.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Life After Beth

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Dark Song2016

Both films understand that the desire to undo death or change the past is the truest source of horror—not monsters, but love that won't accept loss.

A woman hires an occultist to perform a dangerous ritual. It's a two-person chamber piece about grief so profound it becomes supernatural. Like Life After Beth, it's about reaching across impossible distance for someone you've lost, but it treats that yearning as the real horror.

But It's slow, quiet, and spiritually demanding. There are long stretches of ritual and silence. If you need plot movement or external action, it will feel like it's not happening.

What We Do in the Shadows2014

Vampire roommates in New Zealand, filmed like a mockumentary. It has Life After Beth's commitment to treating the supernatural as mundane domestic comedy. Hilarious and weirdly touching about found family.

But The mockumentary format doesn't work for everyone. Some people find it gimmicky instead of funny, especially on first watch.

The Night House2021

Grief and horror blended with genuine affection for the person grieving. Not a comedy, but it understands that darkness and tenderness can occupy the same room. Rebecca Hall is extraordinary.

But It's a slow, meditative haunting film. If you're looking for plot momentum or scares, you'll be disappointed. It's more about atmosphere and loss than narrative satisfaction.

Fido2006

A suburban boy and his zombie pet. Canadian, quirky, and surprisingly touching. It shares Life After Beth's willingness to treat the undead as family members rather than threats.

But The humor is very mannered and the pacing drags in places. If you need a film to move quickly or be consistently funny, this will feel precious and slow.

Zombieland2009

Fast-paced, funny zombie comedy with genuine character work underneath the action. Good ensemble chemistry and a lightness of touch that lets you enjoy the premise without irony-overdose.

But It's louder and more action-heavy than Life After Beth. If you prefer intimate character comedy to set pieces, this will feel overstuffed and obvious.

Dead Ringers2023

A twisted soap opera about twin gynecologists. It shares Life After Beth's commitment to dark comedy and affection for damaged people. Brilliantly odd and richly detailed.

But It's genuinely unsettling in ways that go beyond genre fun. The body horror is not cartoonish. If you want lightweight comedy, this will be too uncomfortable.

Scream1996

A horror film that loves horror films and lets its characters be smart and funny without losing stakes. It's the ur-text for mixing comedy and genuine scares, and it works on both registers.

But It's quite bloody, even by modern standards. The humor comes from character and self-awareness, not silliness, so if you're in the mood for pure fun, the violence might jar you.

The Adam Project2022

Both use the fantastic—zombies, time travel—not as an end in itself but as a way to ask: what would you change if you could? What doesn't work about that fantasy?

A man teams up with his younger self to save his family. It's a high-concept action film that's genuinely about paternal love and second chances. Like Life After Beth, it's a genre premise in service of real emotional stakes—you believe these people matter to each other.

But It's a big-budget streaming film, which means it sometimes prioritizes spectacle over subtlety. If you prefer small, intimate stories, the scale might feel exhausting.

Evolution2016

Both films let their premises—undeath, alienation—become almost beside the point. What matters is how two people look at each other across something that shouldn't work but does.

A French art-house film about a boy and a young woman on an island. It sounds abstract but it's actually intimate and strange and deeply, oddly tender. Like Life After Beth, it finds gentleness in the grotesque and romance in things that don't make sense.

But It's deliberately paced and the plot resists easy interpretation. If you need narrative clarity or conventional storytelling, you will find it opaque and frustrating.