Parents' Guide to

Life After Beth

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Deadpan "romzomcom" likely to have cult appeal for teens.

Movie R 2014 91 minutes
Life After Beth Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

dont waste your life

starts slow, interesting after 10 minutes, gets good for another 10 minutes then its time to stop watching this caca of movie
1 person found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

The directorial debut of Jeff Baena, who co-wrote 2004's brilliant (albeit polarizing) I Heart Huckabees, LIFE AFTER BETH is a terrific modern-day take on the classic "Monkey's Paw" story. It depends a great deal on sly, sustained deadpan humor and weird comic detours. Some viewers may tire of repeated jokes -- like the fact that smooth jazz music tends to calm the zombies, or the full-sized oven strapped to a zombie's back during a long sequence. But these jokes are actually timed to escalate in funniness.

Baena's real achievement is balancing the humor with a truly heartfelt central story. DeHaan does a remarkable job of playing it straight during his genuinely painful romantic conundrum, while Plaza finds new angles to her usual wry comic persona. The two make a powerful connection. The great supporting cast is also used to wonderful effect. It's unlikely that Life After Beth will catch on with a wide audience, but a handful of dedicated cult fans will adore it.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 15, 2014
  • On DVD or streaming: October 21, 2014
  • Cast: Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Dane DeHaan
  • Director: Jeff Baena
  • Inclusion Information: Bisexual actors, Latinx actors
  • Studio: A24
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 91 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: pervasive language, some horror violence, sexual content, nudity and brief drug use
  • Last updated: October 8, 2022

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