Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) User Reviews

5 risky prom dates

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 4 February 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. For those high school Literature teachers struggling to get their students to embrace the classics from writers like Jane Austen, this movie won't help much. However, chances are good that those same students will enjoy this blending of 19th century British class warfare with "The Walking Dead" – likely one of their favorite shows. The zombie apocalypse has landed in the middle of Austen's prim and proper story, including the repressed attraction between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

Anyone expecting the serious undertones of Ms. Austen's1813 novel will be disappointed … but the title should have provided a pretty solid hint. While her characters and general story line act as a structure here, it's really based on Seth Grahame-Smith's YA hit novel … delivering zombie battles and often zany humor. Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down) directs his own adapted screenplay and seems to really be having a great time – right along with his talented cast. The sets, costumes, dialogue and fight scenes work together to create an unusual movie experience that will generate plenty of laughs while not dwelling on the zombies or violence (it is PG-13). Expect most critics to destroy this one because it's made simply for fun, not for art.

Of course, any Pride and Prejudice spin-off (even one with zombies) must pay particular attention to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. It turns out that Elizabeth and her four sisters are highly trained warriors raised to survive against the undead. It's even clearer for Mr. Darcy as he is billed as a zombie hunter and protector of Mr. Bingley, the rich bachelor hooked on Jane Bennett. Things get muddled by the devious Mr. Wickham, a focused Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and especially the flamboyant fop Parson Collins. The interactions between these characters bounce between loyalty, romantic attraction, emotional turmoil and hand-to-hand combat … with enough comedic elements that most viewers will find plenty of opportunities to laugh.

The talented cast is all in. They play it mostly straight (with one major exception) to achieve the balance between somber and silly. Lily James ("Downton Abbey") and Sam Riley (On the Road, 2012) are both fun to watch as Elizabeth and Darcy. They are the film's best fighters … both with swords and words. Bella Heathcoate (Dark Shadows, 2012) is "the pretty one" Jane, who is wooed by Douglas Booth (Noah, 2014) as Mr. Bingley. Lena Headey ("Game of Thrones") makes an impression in her limited screen time as an eye-patched Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Jack Huston ("Boardwalk Empire") is well cast as Wickham. Screen veterans Charles Dance and Sally Phillips take on the role of parents to the five Bennett daughters, but it's Matt Smith ("Dr Who"), who turns the film on its ear with his unconventional twist on the oddball Parson Collins, who pretty much steals each of his scenes. He had those in the theatre laughing out loud more than a few times.

Pity is the word that comes to mind for any young man who takes these Bennett girls to the prom … or more likely to one of the societal balls. The weapons hidden under their formal gowns offer fair warning to zombies and handsy suitors alike. It's this element of strong women (physically and emotionally) that might even allow Ms. Austen to appreciate what's happened to her characters … were she alive to see it.

Even though the film offers plenty of fun with laughs and action and romance, let's hope it doesn't kick off a new zombie-adaptation trend. Here are a few titles that we hope never see the big screen: Sense and Sensibilities and Zombies, War and Peace and Zombies, Crime and Punishment and Zombies, The Old Zombie and the Sea, Wuthering Zombies, Romeo and Juliet and Zombies, and Alice's Adventure in Zombieland.

The clash of tone is admittedly peculiar, yet the cast manages to sneak in healthy chunks of humor and drama amidst the impending zombie apocalypse.

[quincytheodore · 7/10 · 14 February 2016]

Zombie infestation is spreading uncontrollably fast, they are literally everywhere, even in spin-off of Pride and Prejudice. It may sound bizarre at first, and it really is, but there's no lack of production value here. The presentation is top notch and the cast, mixed of actors from Maleficent, Cinderella, Doctor Who and Game of Thrones, deliver an air of seriousness beyond that expected from a zombie movie, also with unexpected degree of humor as well.

This is still the story of British aristocrats and their so troubled lives in 19th century, though some aspects have been altered to accommodate zombies, even as far as to present backstory with heavy monologue and narration. It doesn't deter the movie from going full drama as the cast essentially creates a drama while acting like zombie killing is as the norm as sipping afternoon tea. These fine men and ladies look astoundingly fitting in the outlandishly bleak universe.

Lily James, if born into different time, might be a legitimate princess. She looks comfortably convincing as Elizabeth Bennet, the zombie hunter version of the female lead at least. Sam Riley as Darcy is proper as well, he encompasses the awkward nobility with a fervent passion. These two have strange chemistry, especially when zombies are involved, yet it's weirdly adorably amicable. Matt Smith from Doctor Who fame, can singlehandedly delivers the humor, he's simply too versatile and endearing not to have in old style England.

The humor works splendidly, there are times when sarcasm is produced just right against the backdrop of the somber tone. Its playful romance, bantering and even cringe worthy moments are pleasantly delightful. However, the jarring tone can be too distracting at times. The movie screams too hard to set grim horror, a staple flaw in horror genre and on the other side of spectrum, it's occasionally overly zealous in the drama that it becomes wallowing or slow.

An odd bite of contrasting drama and comedy, yet surprisingly enjoyable, this seemingly crazy version of Pride and Prejudice can serendipitously attract audience of many different tastes.

Reference-heavy, hilarious, actually good

[evhkerr · 7/10 · 18 February 2022]

I love it. It's hilarious and entertaining. But I will say this. If you haven't read the book or seen the old P&P series or the movie, you're going to think the dialogue is weird and the character stuff comes out of nowhere. I still think you could enjoy it though. However, if you're familiar with the source material, then this is absolutely hilarious. The way the characters solemnly speak the classic, recognizable lines from the book and in equal solemnity tack on a bit about the zombie apocalypse or Chinese martial arts is just hilarious. It's a parody in the bast way, which is to say, it's not even a parody so much as a direct transposition of the drama and characters of the original story into a ridiculous situation. Bravo.

It is entertaining, if you can let go of the traditional story of Liz and Darcy.

[TxMike · 2 August 2016]

I saw this on DVD from my public library, it is well-made and takes the traditional "Pride and Prejudice" story with all its main characters and layers on top a story of Vampires that threaten to take over in the "in between" land surrounding London.

There will always be those who can't part even one iota with an established story and I suspect those hate this movie. But it immediately reminded me of a 2012 movie, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", which I enjoyed a lot.

Lily James is great as independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of the five Bennet sisters concerned with finding themselves a husband of means. As well Sam Riley is great as Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth has become quite the competent fighter herself.

I enjoyed it, I was entertained, and that is all one can hope for in a movie titled "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" could have been an instant cult favorite. But it still falls short of greatness

[ericrnolan · 7/10 · 5 March 2016]

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016) is a fun enough horror- comedy — maybe not quite as good as it could be, considering all of its excellent ingredients, yet still better than most new zombie movies out there. I'd give it a 7 out of 10.

It's a great genre mashup, and I don't just mean combining Jane Austen's 1813 classic book with horror's most grisly sub-genre. (This is a film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 eponymous satire novel.) It's also a detailed and thoughtfully constructed horror-fantasy. (That opening credits' alternate-history lesson was a nice touch.) Then it tries, with less success, to be a serviceable romance and a mystery.

The film has a lot going for it: a fun concept, good actors, mostly competent direction, and a creative team that obviously had a hell of a lot of fun with the source material. Science fiction fans should have fun spotting Matt Smith, Lena Headey and Charles Dance. The movie has outstanding sets, costumes and filming locations — this was shot on location at historic mansions throughout England. The fight choreography was decent enough, even if it was occasionally a little hard to follow. Finally, the zombies that we get to see are indeed creepy — they're not Romero-type zombies, but the livelier, chattier, brain-eating, sentient baddies similar to those of John Russo's "Return of the Living Dead" films. The makeup and digital effects for the monsters are pretty damn good.

Considering its unique idea, its zaniness and its high production values, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" could have been an instant cult favorite. But it still falls short of greatness with two flaws that I couldn't ignore.

The first is its seeming reliance on a single joke — the juxtaposition of Austen's proper ladies as badass, feminist heroines in a crazy, Kung-fu, bloody-and-guts zombie war. I believe that's funny and tickles the viewer for maybe 20 minutes. But it isn't enough to sustain the humor for the length of a feature film. It's fun, but badass, wise-cracking warrior women have been a common trope in mainstream horror film and television for a long time. Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" came to TV 19 years ago, for example; the film that inspired it was five years earlier.

Second, for a film with "zombies" in its title, the monsters are a little sparse. I'm guessing the script closely followed the 2009 book, which I have not read … but this isn't the actioner that horror fans might be hoping for. (And why not? The film falls under so many other categories.) The movie could have been better if there had been less banter and situational humor, and more zombie fighting. Its establishing shots and sweeping vistas were downright beautiful … I kept waiting for a major land engagement that would knock my socks off. But … there isn't really a final battle, and the story disappoints a little with its anti-climax. The action sequence that we are presented with is cool, and well executed, but the large-scale period battles you're probably hoping for occur almost entirely off screen.

Oh — one final quibble … who exactly were the Four Horsemen, outside their allegorical context? And what happened to them? They were nice and unsettling — one of the movie's few scary moments occurs when we wonder whether they've spotted a protagonist. Were scenes cut from this movie that would have explained their role in the story?

Decent enough but does have some flaws

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 5 February 2017]

During a ravenous zombie outbreak, a family of sisters trained in zombie eradication practices finds that their struggle is hardened by the constant need for them to settle down with an officer also fighting off the creatures and must fight their feelings to stave off the zombies.

This one was an enjoyable enough effort. One of the more impressive elements here is the fact that this one manages to effectively intertwine the actual story into the middle of a zombie outbreak. The facet of their search that drives the main story, complete with each of the behavioral outbursts of each of the sisters that's brought over without any changes or updates, makes the period setting and generally decadent Victorian-era setting feel much more lived-in and comfortable than what should be considered for such a film like this. The constant yearning for stability in terms of suitors and the need for their comfortable surroundings is taken from the book and gives this a decidedly decent framework upon which to set-up the zombie outbreak in that universe. Those are of far-more impressive work here with the film really shining with it's action scenes here as the fact that the period-setting forces hand- to-hand tactics and swordplay rather than more traditional gunplay which makes this one quite enjoyable. The first battles in the family house where they crash the reception and do battle against them in the dance-hall makes for a nice start, while the incidental battles throughout the woods surrounding their house make for a stellar lead-in for the finale which has all kinds of great fun. The battle in the cemetery where the dead are shown coming back to life gets in some rather fun pieces, while the main brawl in the church basement with the freed zombies running loose gives this one quite a fun battle, while the brawling out in the fields and down into the bridge makes for a wholly enjoyable spectacle that makes for a fine time here. These here do hold this one up enough, although it does have some minor flaws with it. The biggest issue is the fact that there's just not a whole lot other zombie action within this one, tending to follow along too closely to the situations in the book rather than the plot set-up which would require more action to come from this storyline, and that does make the film feel far more stretched out than it really needs to be because it's inclusion of these story set-ups creates quite a rather downbeat and altered set- up that doesn't achieve what it could've. As well, the fact that this one tends to be quite a rather close interpretation might be quite hard for some to follow, with the chaste and rigid society structure and romance angles makes for quite a troubling effort to get through, which is quite a problem here. Otherwise, this one wasn't quite as bad as it could've been.

Rated PG-13: Violence.

A mediocre hybrid which will please very few

[petra_ste · 5/10 · 25 June 2016]

I like zombie movies; I like Jane Austen novels. This doesn't mean I like them together - I also like both pizza and snorkeling, but I suspect trying them at the same time would be a less than satisfactory experience.

I am not as offended by this mash-up as many apparently are. Yes, it's a weaselly way to use someone else's (classic) work for money - but, when a book still inspires parodies and pastiches two hundred years later, it means it's still vital and relevant.

So, Jane Austen and zombies. Set in an alternate history England overrun by a zombie plague, the movie follow spirited, katana-wielding Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and proud zombie hunter Darcy (Sam Riley) as they meet, clash and fall in love while trying to survive the undead horde.

This could have been charmingly stupid, but it required a person of great talent at the helm to make the charming prevail over the stupid - say, Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright, a man able to milk every single opportunity for off-beat humour and to get a laugh even from the way he frames someone being offered a slice of cake. Director Burr Steers doesn't bring anything special to the table; set-pieces aren't exciting, horror isn't scary, humor isn't funny. The result is a badly stitched up Frankenstein monster barely limping through its 107 minutes.

Even social satire, a promising angle (think of the clash between formal, stuffy upper-class 18th century Britain and a zombie epidemic) is mostly overlooked.

Maybe producers expected this would be a perfect date movie, with romance for girls, zombies for boys and comedy for both - judging from its box office results, general audiences didn't take the bait. I guess we may be spared the likes of Wuthering Heights and Werewolves, War and Peace and Aliens, Great Expectations and the Mummy.

5/10

Good Story, Cliché's, Gore & zombies. Surprisingly good!

[comps-784-38265 · 7/10 · 7 February 2016]

I saw the trailer for this film when I went to see Revenant at the Cinema. The trailer looked so intriguing zombies in the 19th Century.So had to go see it. I've never read pride and prejudice so that side meant very little to me.

I had no great expectations.

What a good film! ( assuming you don't take anything with zombies in it too seriously.)

The acting was good, the story was believable, the characters were developed and there was even some humour (Matt Smith added a lot of this). Most amazing of all, it had lots of zombies in it. It really got the balance right of, story, clichés and gore.

If (like me) you like the look of the trailer, then you will almost certainly enjoy this film.

I've given it 8/10 but would add another point for being much better than expected.

Watch another adaptation

[jonahjg · 4/10 · 25 May 2019]

Although surprisingly true to Austen's book, the script does not take enough advantage of the potential in it's original take on the story - comically or otherwise. Hence, it remains mostly one more adaptation, and not the best one at that. However, Matt Smith's performance is one that calls for attention and praise as it is by far the best in the movie.

Silly but Very Fun Movie, Jane Austen would be Proud

[ryanmark-57919 · 7/10 · 8 February 2016]

This movie is a bit of a surprise to me since I wasn't really expecting much from it. The trailers looked alright but I didn't know if it would be something that I would get into. I wouldn't go so far to say that it's an excellent film or anything like that but I did have a lot of fun with this one. The story is straight up ridiculous but if you go into it expecting a silly story with a little bit of action then I don't see any reason why you wouldn't enjoy yourself. The movie is directed by a guy named Burr Steers who, to be honest, I have no knowledge whatsoever of anything he has done in the past. Still, he did a decent job in my opinion. Let's talk about the plot.

The title of the movie isn't just a reference to the time period. This story is literally a retelling of the original novel written by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and her sisters live in an alternate version of nineteenth century England where a zombie virus has forced the bulk of the populace behind a wall around London. Elizabeth and her sisters have trained in various styles of martial arts in order to survive in this world. Elizabeth is proud of her ability and refuses to succumb to the temptation of marriage unless her husband respects her wishes and allows her to continue to hone her skills. She soon meets a man named Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) who offends her pride and stands between a successful relationship between his best friend and Elizabeth's sister. Oh, and there are tons of zombies around that everyone occasionally fight against.

I wouldn't call this the best cast I've ever seen but they do a decent enough job. Lily James gives us the haughtiness required of any good Elizabeth and she can also show off the fighting skills necessary to survive the zombie apocalypse. I also enjoyed Sam Riley's Mr. Darcy. Once again, nothing too spectacular but he gives a decent portrayal of the character. I like that they made him a bit unlikable which is how I imagined Mr. Darcy when I first read the novel in high school (the original, I mean). One character that does stand out to me is Matt Smith's portrayal of Parson Collins. I found this guy hilarious with they way he was able to make those around him cringe with his actions or just by saying whatever came into his head. He might actually be one of the best parts of the film.

There are a lot of spooky looking forests in this movie that help to set the tone pretty well. I did find myself wondering why everyone keeps taking shortcuts through this ridiculously dangerous forest though. I really enjoyed the actual look of the zombies. The zombies that haven't eaten any human flesh yet actually retain the ability to speak which is really unsettling (and a bit comedic) from some of these creatures. The faces of some of them are straight up falling off the skull and they look surprisingly convincing.

One thing that I wasn't aware of at first but this movie follows the original story very closely. I thought the title was just a reference to the time period but a lot of this film is straight up conversations made from Jane Austen. They just tweaked the plot to allow for all the zombies and other mayhem going on. I was surprised by this at first but it actually works well. The movie is still silly and is a bit difficult to take seriously but it does have some really fun parts to it. This obviously won't be for everyone but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I do think it works even better to come into the film already having knowledge of the original story just so you can see how many things they changed and what they kept the same. I recommend it to fans of the original that just so happen to enjoy an average to good zombie flick. It kind of reminds me of that Victor Frankenstein movie that came out a little while ago. Not a fantastic film but still offers a fun time at the theater.

Most mindless rubbish i've ever seen

[hkashyapa-979-919361 · 1/10 · 18 May 2016]

Been an IMDb user for years but could not resist writing this first review. Watched Pride and prejudice (2005) and admired it. But this piece of junk here is a complete waste of time. Uncreativity at its best. One full boring hour(considering the last half hour to be somewhat stimulating). There was no point whatsoever in making this movie. The same pride and prejudice background with unconnected, irrelevant zombie twists. The zombie scenes look like ads in the main movie. The movie tries to touch multiple genres all at once and actually touches nothing. Sheer waste of time friends. Stay away from it for your own peace of mind. I still can't compose myself out of this terrible imposition in the name of entertainment.

Rated on pure entertainment factor

[razzel · 8/10 · 5 February 2016]

This movie is so fun and so campy. Is it winning any awards?...no. But the acting is good. It's got a great cast and they do a really good job. I was very pleasantly surprised with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

It's a romance. It's horror. It's comedy.

Go for the fun of it and don't take it seriously. This is not a classic Victorian novel and this is not a true tale of zombies like most die hard zombie fans think of them (ie. The Walking Dead or the more classic Night of the Living Dead). I am a true zombie lover. I loved "28 Days Later", "The Walking Dead", "Zombieland", etc. This is not one of those, so if you don't expect to see that when you go to this movie, I think you will enjoy it.

Twizard Rating: 72

[goolizap · 7/10 · 31 March 2016]

Most people are probably thinking, "If they pull this off, it could really be great!" And they're right. The unfortunate part is that it's fairly difficult.

My only true frame of reference is the 2005 film version of the Jane Austen classic. And while it's not my favorite film of all time, I can't deny its technical achievements.

This one has completely different achievements. If you're talking about special effects and makeup, then Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is accomplished, sure. But the problems lie in the story itself.

The film starts out as a true black comedy. Taking place in the early 1800s, you see quaint young English women preparing their weapons for battling the undead. But first they must brush each other's hair. It's that sort of humor that runs rampant throughout much of the first act of this film. And it's much appreciated. It's not two stories at once, but the classic Austen story featuring a zombie subtext.

Though, the irony is only entertaining for so long. Then it reaches a point where everything seems forced, and then the dialogue becomes rushed. It just goes through the motions in order to execute both ideas. The long runtime works for the 2005 version, but this one just tries to cover way too much ground in about 30 minutes less.

And it's as though the filmmakers realize that too. So they change it up a bit. 45 minutes into the film we finally get more of the zombie action that we've been wanting. It starts getting good, but then the whole love story suffers because of it. If you can look past the massively uneven tone, you'll tend to enjoy what makes this story unique.

The casting here is pretty good. The chemistry between all the lovers isn't quite there, but Lily James is more than acceptable as Elizabeth Bennet. Although, it's almost humorous to believe that she's supposed to be the less beautiful daughter between herself and Jane.

If you've never been exposed to the original Jane Austen story before, then you may not even get the humor or, better yet, the story in this one. However, the adjustments made to the classic tale in order to fit into this zombie adaptation actually cause parts of the story to make more sense.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies isn't a bad movie. It's actually quite entertaining at times. And It's not that they failed in what they set out to do, I just simply think it's not possible to accomplish the daunting task of combining the two stories. Perhaps it merely has too much to handle in order to have the freedom to be its own movie.

Twizard Rating: 72

Brains! Where are the Brains!

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 1/10 · 8 February 2016]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies marks a continuation of the on- screen joke started by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012). A joke that requires no punchline, nor wit nor effort, just a setup that coaxes you to laugh via hastily formed, idiotic, willfully infantile mad-lib. See I can do it too: Mansfield Park and Werewolves, Jane Eyre and the Golem, Lady Chatterley's Brood of Spider-Babies it's all part of the clever art of mashing things together like a toddler banging Legos with their off-brand counterparts. I encountered the quixotically titled book some years ago and reacted to the trailer much in the same way I did then; a brief moment of mirth followed by an eye-roll and a quick step to the left.

Elizabeth Bennet (James) lives on her father's illustrious estate with her four sisters and her mother (Phillips) whom aristocracy is still a big deal regardless of apocalypse. Her sister Jane (Heathcote) is smitten for the young Mr. Bingley (Booth) who has a considerable estate. Meanwhile Bingley's friend, the drab, rich and prideful Mr. Darcy (Riley) becomes enamored with Elizabeth but Elizabeth refuses to acquiesce given that Darcy questions the motivations of the Bennets to see their daughters climb that stringent British social ladder. There's also zombies; the blood- thirsty kind that amble around in search of human brains. They have taken over all of Britain save London and the wooded area known as the In-Between.

The original Jane Austen novel for which this entirely disposable piece of garbage is based on, intertwines its themes with cleverness and remarkable universality. Is it any wonder that two centuries after its release it is still among the most popular British novels of all time? The novel speaks of wealth, marriage and a sense of self within an imposing class structure. This movie expressly ignores such themes to shovel lazy fighting choreography in the audience's faces. There is some talk about lower aristocrats training in kung fu while higher classes training in Japanese swordsmanship but after a brief example of Elizabeth speaking Mandarin, the entire idea pretty much disappears amid the damp cellars and drawing room rumbles.

But "so what," I hear the rabble cry. It's a zombie movie not an English examination of the lives of landed gentry. How right you are, it is a zombie movie; a PG-13 zombie movie that neither delves into the psychological horror of a zombie apocalypse nor allows its audience the joy of submitting to lewd sensationalism. Its gore is tame, its gallows humor is rueful, its sense of dread, apparent yet constantly undercut by the supposed romance. The satirical possibilities embedded in the genre since George A. Romero are completely absent which is a shame because in my mind it is the only reason something this absurd would exist in the first place. Think about it; nobility and aristocracy constantly squabbling about the economics of marrying for class and stature, meanwhile literally an entire country of mindless, bestial hordes try desperately to take away their titles (and lives).

Yeah, nope there's nothing purposefully, subliminally, or even accidentally clever about this movie. Not even its endearing economy remains unscathed though I credit the gaffer for keeping the sets dimmed to cover up their shoddiness. By the third act, continuity is completely jettisoned though it's obvious director Burr Steers was much more interested in maximizing style over telling a story competently.

There are moments of attempted humor that go beyond the title, and the protagonists trying oh so hard to play the scene straight. Unfortunately those precious few moments resemble Mr. Collins's (Smith) character; dim, irritating and earnestly overdone. In one scene Mr. Bingley throws a prototypical round bomb at a gaggle of zombies right before a hand reaches for his ascot. He struggles to break free before the bomb explodes in a sequence that would have made Wile E. Coyote proud. That was literally the only moment I laughed; a moment so puerile I felt my I.Q. lowering to the number of my shoe size. See the reality is in the morose, unconscionably stuffy, painfully contrived world created by PPZ there is no need for pride or prejudice; there is only room for stupidity.

Great Mash-Up of Genres

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 5 February 2016]

I saw "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", starring Lily James-Downton Abbey_tv, Cinderella_2015; Sam Riley-Maleficent, Law & Order:Special Victims Unit_tv; Matt Smith-Terminator Genisys, Doctor Who_tv; Jack Huston-The Longest Ride, American Hustle and Lena Headey-Game of Thrones_tv, The Brothers Grimm.

This is a mash-up of 2 different genres, kind of like what they did a few years back with 'Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer'. This one is between a Jane Austen book and a Zombie movie. It seems that there is a zombie situation in London during the 1700's, that causes people to take there daughters to China to learn the martial arts and then come back to London so that they can fight the zombie apocalypse-at least that is what one guy does. Lily is the oldest daughter and unlike her 4 sisters, who spend their free time trying to find a husband, Lily enjoys being an independent woman. That is until Sam, a dashing zombie killer, shows up and she starts getting the flutters. Then another handsome stranger, Jack, shows up and her hormones really start going crazy. Of course, she does have to fight attacking zombies, even at fancy dances, so that helps keep her thoughts off love. Matt plays Lily's cousin and Lena plays a sort of famous zombie killer with only one eye-it was taken in battle. I think what makes this movie interesting is that it is humorous but it plays the non-zombie parts straight. You know, two different social classes trying to find love. As the end credits start, there is a scene that sets things up for a possible sequel- depending on how much money this one makes, obviously. It's rated "PG-13" for zombie violence and some sexual content-no nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 48 minutes. I enjoyed this one and I would buy it on Blu-Ray.

Few zombies, much Jane Austen!

[erikstuborn · 6/10 · 28 April 2016]

Surprisingly better than I expected, with few zombies, not too much blood and much Jane Austen. A fun (and quite accurate) adaptation of one of the iconic novels in English literature, with the variant of the threat of zombies, well-argued, and martial arts fights in which women are the protagonists. With good actors, actresses overwhelmingly beautiful, good settings, nice cinematography (beautiful atmosphere and lighting) and extraordinary locations —it seems that some of them are the same than the 2005's «serious version» with Keira K.— and an open end that promises more blood, more battles and more zombies (though I doubt that the history can be stretched more). Very recommendable, at least as a curiosity very well done.

This really is just garbage

[jvmastandrea · 4/10 · 14 February 2016]

I get that they did a nice job of incorporating pride and prejudice elements into the plot, but my goodness people. This movie is certainly undeserving of even 6 out of 10 stars. Please consider that I have a 4 star review, not a 1 star review. 4 is plenty for a film of this type.

I thought the humor in it was terribly unfunny, the acting was meh, and most importantly, the plot was simply stupid. The only real points I can give was that the action was decent.

If you are interested in his kind of film though, I just recommend waiting until it comes out to rent.

Not worth ticket price.

A Hilarious Parody Of Jane Austen's Classic Novel

[KalKenobi83 · 7/10 · 27 June 2016]

Watched A Parody of my favorite Period Romances Pride And Prejudice And Zombies a decent Performance by Lily James(Cinderella) as Elizabeth Bennet. Bella Heathcote(Dark Shadows) as Jane Bennet, Matt Smith(Doctor Who) as Mr.William Collins,Douglas Booth(Jupiter Ascending) as Mr.Bingley, Suki Waterhouse(Insurgent) as Kitty Bennet, Ellie Bamber(The Musketeers) as Lydia Bennet ,Sam Riley(Maleficent) as Mr.Darcy, Jack Huston(American Hustle) as George Wickham and Charles Dance(Your Highness) as Mr. Bennet , featuring Lena Headey(300 : Rise Of An Empire) as Lady Catherine De Bourgh. The film is very touching romance also its thrilling in a dramatic way also it was brilliant story of not passing opportunities when they are given also Amazing Production Design By David Warren(The Zero Theroeum),, Costume Design By Julian Day(In The Heart Of The Sea) and Screenplay/Direction By Burr Steers(17 Again) A Hilarious Parody Of Jane Austen's Classic Novel 7/10

my notes

[FeastMode · 3/10 · 26 June 2019]

Meh. I would normally be into this kind of weird movie. But it just wasn't very entertaining. Not funny, action wasn't good. Not intriguing in anyway (1 viewing)

In this digital age, reviews can be misleading

[dothancore · 7/10 · 30 September 2017]

I had very low expectations before I see this film, mainly because of the raving bad reviews, 5.7/10 puts this movie in between bad and horrible. When I was watching it, I kept expecting the movie turn bad or boring ... never did, I mean, it is not Oscar worthy, but fairly entertaining and at times convincing. The visuals are beautiful, action sequence decent, even dialogue was made in "Pride and Prejudice" fashion ... I really don't understand where such low rating comes from. This makes me wonder how many of the reviewers have actually seen the film. IMO truly one downside of this internet age is everyone just blindly follows everyone else. No one seems to have his own opinion, or it is subject to be influenced easily at any given time.

Gordon Bennett!

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 26 February 2019]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should had been a fun mash up but it takes itself too seriously.

Burr Steers seems to be overawed by the Jane Austen novel itself and was maybe too respectful.

It is love in the picture pretty 19th century England. The Bennett sisters have learned martial arts in the far east because surrounding them are zombies.

Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is fascinated by the humourless and disapproving Mr Darcy (Sam Reilly.) He is a dedicated zombie killer who uses flies to detect the undead.

Mr Wickham is one of the charmers of the Bennett sisters who has sinister intentions. He believes a breed of pig eating zombies and humans should be living side by side.

The action scenes are a bit of a disappointment. The tone is uncertain, it should had been bizarre and funny. Matt Smith gets it right as Reverend Collins, others are just too deadpan.

A very unexpected and entertaining movie.

[Phazed-101 · 9/10 · 20 March 2016]

Genreally, I like zombie movies a lot because of their post- apocalyptic vibe.

Normally though, I find the genre comes in 2 distinct flavours; serious stuff like "28 Days/Weeks Later" or campy B flavoured offerings like "The Scouts Guide To The Apocalypse".

This movie however defies the genre. The closest comparisons I could make would be "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" or "Penny Dreadful" but with more humour. It follows the story of Pride and Prejudice so closely I kept looking for Keira Knightly to appear.

The production quality however is what surprised me the most; it's incredibly high with great sets, realistic costumes, lighting and cinematography. There was a lot of attention to detail.

This is a very unique and interesting mash-up which I quite enjoyed. I am surprised it's not rated higher on IMDb but I believe it deserves a watch regardless.

Serving brains as Communion?

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 6/10 · 8 February 2016]

I have to admit that when I read the book, it was the first Jane Austen I had ever read. I found it to be a fascinating mash-up. I was curious to see how it played on the big screen and was not totally disappointed in the effort.

I must confess that I watched the Kiera Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice to get some feel for the story on film. That was a mistake as all the characters in this film suffered in comparison. Lily James (Lady Rose from Downton Abbey) gave a valiant effort, but Knightly was far superior in the lead role.

I did not find the violence to be excessive, but the idea of brains as Communion was gross.

Clever idea, but...

[rdrift1879 · 4/10 · 27 February 2020]

As a male who really enjoys Austen's fine novel, I thought this was a pretty clever idea for a whim. But a clever idea needs some thoughtful execution. This film tries, but it sinks fairly quickly. There are a few humorous moments, but it starts to really drag. At times, it was almost like watching a TV level version of Pride and Prejudice...the zombies only occasionally making an appearance. Keep your expectations low and you may find it amusing.

Lavishly filmed and admirably acted.

[johnmarklody · 7/10 · 25 August 2019]

I was greatly surprised by the impressive scope of this film. It really is a very good rendering of Jane Austen's novel-with zombies! Wonderful cast and marvelously acted. It will always remain one of the most memorable versions I've seen.