Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
Ari Drew
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Starring Lily James, Sam Riley, Douglas Booth
Directed by Burr Steers
In the wake of the zombie craze that descended upon popular culture in the late aughts, Seth Grahame-Smith’s parodical novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies saw Jane Austen’s classic tale of love and marriage in Regency era England infused with zombies, ninjas, and apocalypse-themed passages. While some Austen purists were not too keen on the gimmick, the novel soon became a widespread sensation, praised for its comedic spirit and absurdly creative interpretation of the source material. Needless to say, a film adaptation was almost immediately announced after the book’s release, though it would be plagued with production woes for almost five years following the announcement.
After being passed through the hands of multiple directors and screenwriters, and even at one point seeing Natalie Portman accept the lead role (she remained on board as a producer after her departure), Igby Goes Down director Burr Steers ultimately took hold of the writing and directorial reins, vowing to retain many of the original beloved turns in Austen’s classic. While behind-the-scenes conflicts and multiple belly-up deals rarely bode well for a big studio project like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, fans who have been following the tumultuous saga will be pleased to find that Steers ultimately manages to deliver a riot of a cross-genre ride that, though flawed, wholly owns its ludicrous premise — and has a great time in the process.
Expanding significantly upon Grahame-Smith’s method of simply inserting original zombie-laden material amidst Austen’s prose, Steers’ film presents a surprisingly genuine and fully realized alternate reality. In this world, Elizabeth Bennet (James, “Downton Abbey”) and her sisters attempt to traverse the rigid societal expectations placed upon them as women, while also keeping up on their martial arts and weapons training as warriors amidst a country overrun with the undead. As the well-being of the land begins to come into question after a string of increasingly intensified attacks, Elizabeth realizes that she must ultimately set aside her pride and join forces with famed, but egotistical monster-hunter Mr. Darcy (Riley, Maleficent) — with whom she often clashes — in order to save the people she loves from a brain-hungry zombie army.
The best thing about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is that, despite the trappings of its inherent Regency era refinement, it knows exactly when to lighten up. The screenplay and performances exude just enough stone-faced earnestness to give weight to the looming threats and romantic entanglements in the story, but ultimately, everyone on board here knows that this is a movie about strong women kicking zombie ass. Austen’s built-in quips about gender roles and social commentary uphold this sentiment and translate well to this latest adaptation, but the additional energy brought in with Steers’ own overarching themes of very modern female empowerment really gives an extra jolt to his film. While some of these thematic elements are not always the most subtle, they are certainly no less effective.
Even despite years of developmental shakeups, it feels like the studio still managed to get it right with its cast, particularly in regard to the film’s leads. Lily James is magnetic, imbuing the timeless heroine of Elizabeth with a commanding grace, while Riley quite succeeds in conveying Mr. Darcy’s conflicted pomposity and reluctant longing. Elsewhere in the cast, Booth, Bella Heathcote, and Charles Dance turn in solid supporting performances as the familiar roles of Mr. Bingley, Jane, and Mr. Bennet, respectively. The film’s breakout performance, however, belongs to Matt Smith (Dr. Who), who charismatically bumbles his way into the lives of the Bennet sisters as the socially inept Mr. Collins — a cousin and potential suitor (!) of Elizabeth’s. Smith is a true delight here, anchoring the film with non-stop hilarity in just about every scene he graces, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is exponentially better for it.
On the technical side, the action and visual effects in the film are handled with more care than would often be expected in a February genre release. The zombies are comedically gross at some points and outright creepy at others, with the usage of CGI remaining much less distracting than I was personally anticipating. However, if there is any source of complaint for genre fans, it will likely be in the film’s lack of outright carnage. The opening scene establishes the type of PG-13 action that can be expected from the remainder of the film, most notably when it showcases an almost bloodless decapitation from the perspective of a zombie. I was not particularly bothered by this approach, as I felt that the overall style of the film’s action sequences didn’t necessarily merit a gore-fest, but there will undoubtedly be an outcry from horror fans who require a healthy helping of viscera with their zombie flicks.
Though Steers primarily succeeds as he adds his own flare to even Grahame-Smith’s narrative direction, the film stumbles somewhat in its final act — what is admittedly the least Pride and Prejudice-y section of the movie. There is one particular twist involving the antagonist that failed to pack the intended punch, muddling up the finale’s momentum more than I liked. I was also left wanting to see more action out of Lena Headey’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who most certainly could have been granted a greater role in the finale since Steers veered into his own direction at this point.
These gripes certainly do not detract too much from the film though; the action is consistently engaging, and the humor sticks, making Pride and Prejudice and Zombies quite an unrelenting blast. It offers an unseasonably exciting movie-going experience for genre fans in a February, boasting non-stop thrills, laughs, and likable heroines that are gracefully badass. In a nutshell, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is arguably the best kind of popcorn flick, delivering substantial entertainment with a more than generous helping of well-placed wit.
Have you had a chance to catch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? Sound off in the comments below, or tweet me (@TheAriDrew) and share your thoughts!
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
