Grief makes people do strange things, but few movies literalize that quite like "Life After Beth," a zombie comedy in which a man's dead girlfriend comes back to life. He decides, perhaps stupidly, to just go with it.
This 2014 A24 movie is the directorial debut of the late Jeff Baena, and it premiered at Sundance with a stacked cast. Aubrey Plaza plays Beth, who dies on a hike and then inexplicably turns up alive at her parents' house days later. Dane DeHaan is her grieving boyfriend who gets the second chance he's been praying for. He wasn't quite expecting to have to date a zombie, though.
John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon play Beth's cagey parents, with Anna Kendrick and Matthew Gray Gubler as a supporting cast. It's a bit uneven and more than a little strange, but it's worth it for one of Aubrey Plaza's most unhinged performances. If you want something offbeat to stream tonight, you're in luck because "Life After Beth" is streaming free on Pluto TV.
What is 'Life After Beth' about?
Zach Orfman (Dane DeHaan) is falling apart. His girlfriend Beth (Aubrey Plaza) just died from a snakebite while hiking alone, and he can't move on. The only people who seem to understand are Beth's parents, Maury and Geenie (John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon). Zach starts spending his days with them, bonding over the girl they all lost. Then, out of nowhere, they stop answering the door.
When Zach finally forces his way in, he finds Beth alive, sitting in her parents' house as if nothing happened. There's just one problem: She has no memory of dying. Maury and Geenie are hiding her, and they beg Zach to keep the secret. He's thrilled since he gets to be with the woman he thought he'd lost, and this time he swears he'll do everything right. But Beth is different now. She's clingy, then volatile, unnaturally strong, and her skin is starting to rot.
As Beth's condition worsens, it becomes clear she isn't a miracle so much as the first sign of something much bigger. She isn't alone. More people around town are coming back too. It's a full-blown zombie apocalypse, and Zach has to face the thing his grief kept him from admitting that the girl he loves is already gone and she's not coming back.
Why I recommend you stream 'Life After Beth'
Anyone who's lost someone knows the impossible ache that comes with grief. You just want one more day, one more chance to get it right with the person you loved. "Life After Beth" takes that longing literally. Sure, it's a zombie comedy, but it's really about how hard it is to let go of a person, even when every part of you knows you should.
It uses a secret weapon to get this message across: Aubrey Plaza. She throws herself completely into Beth's decay and plays it completely straight. It's a physical and very funny performance, and she almost single-handedly makes the whole thing worth watching.
Her parents are on point in terms of casting, too. John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon are funny but heartbreaking as parents who would rather have a monstrous version of their daughter than no daughter at all.
"Life After Beth" is a weird, messy, oddly moving little movie that lingers longer than a zombie comedy has any right to. If you want something offbeat and darkly funny to put on tonight, and you're up for watching Aubrey Plaza go completely for broke, put this on and be ready to add it to your list of favorite A24 flicks.
Stream 'Life After Beth' on Pluto TV
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow Tom's Guide Entertainment on TikTok and Instagram.
