Burying the Ex probably could’ve been one of the better surprises of 2015 but instead it’s bitten with a half-baked screenplay that doesn’t take advantage of the fun story. Even so, Joe Dante and company do pay homage to horror of old which will certainly satisfy fans of the genre and even beyond that, the core cast all turn in good performances and make something mundane and average to be somewhat entertaining, flaws and all.
Burying the Ex
(2015)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Comedy, Horror, Romance
RLJ Entertainment | R – 90 min. – $27.97 | July 28, 2015
 |
MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Joe Dante Writer(s): Alan Trezza (screenplay) Cast: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, Alexandra Daddario, Oliver Cooper DISC INFO: |
** Click Here to Purchase Burying the Ex on Blu-ray from BestBuy.com **
** Click Here to Purchase Burying the Ex on DVD from Amazon.com **
THE MOVIE – 3.0/5
Every year there are a few movies released that don’t quite measure up to their potential, the latest is Burying the Ex which combines horror and comedy relatively well but doesn’t reasonably mesh the two genres together. It also doesn’t help that there were a couple others like Warm Bodies and Life After Beth, but for all that doesn’t gel, I still found this to be an entertaining flick.
Plot Synopsis:
Max (ANTON YELCHIN) is a nice fellow working a meaningless job at a Halloween shop with dreams of opening his own business where he sets the rules and what to say. But it appears not all is bad in Max’s life. He has a hottie environmentalist girlfriend, Evelyn (ASHLEY GREENE), at home with the pair having sex on a regular basis. Of course, Evelyn isn’t the most tactful gal with a nasty jealous streak such as when the two walk into a malt shop and becomes covetous seeing Max and owner Olivia (ALEXANDRA DADDARIO) appear to make a connection on their love of Halloween-themed cereal.
This bitchy side of Evelyn continues to show itself and soon Max thinks the relationship has come to an end. With the advice of his brother… half-brother… Travis (OLIVER COOPER) he decides to make a clean break but when Evelyn arrives, she’s hit by a bus and killed. Hit by the tragedy, since she was there to get dumped, Max goes into a depression stupor but when he runs into Olivia after a movie, sparks fly between the two and it would seem Max just might be over Evelyn. Problem is, Evelyn has risen from the grave and resumed her role at Max’s apartment and wants to resume their relationship, even to the point of her killing him so they may spend eternity together.
Now Max must deal with his zombie girlfriend who, as the days go on, becomes a bit… for the lack of a better word, ripe. Not only must he consider killing her but on balance pursue what could be his soul mate in Olivia.
Quick Hit Review:
Burying the Ex actually isn’t half bad though not so much with the screenplay, written by Alan Trezza marking his feature debut adapting his own 2008 short film (starring John Francis Daley, Mircea Monroe and Danielle Harris), but due to some half-decent make-up effects and the actors, mainly Yelchin, Greene and Cooper. No, director Joe Dante doesn’t make the most of the plot’s potential but on par it’s at least an entertaining, breezy horror-comedy where the comedic elements mostly land.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 0/5
Sadly, no features were included. However, for the niche crowd out there, this does come with a title-embossed slip cover…
VIDEO – 3.5/5
Burying the Ex rises from the dead courtesy of RLJ Entertainment. The 1080p high-definition transfer, presented with a 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio, looks fine though the detail isn’t terribly sharp due maybe to a limited budget; that said, it still looks fine just it’s nothing that has pop. Colors appear to be well balanced staying more in neutral tones save for Max’s apartment where the green walls are especially bright.
AUDIO – 3.75/5
The movie includes a robust if not above average 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio track. Considering the film is primarily dialogue driven, the bulk of the audio makes use of the center channel while the others, especially rear speakers, are mostly relegated to ambient noises and/or the score/soundtrack. It’s nothing especially noteworthy but still satisfactory enough considering the mix of genres.
OVERALL – 2.5/5
Overall, Burying the Ex probably could’ve been one of the better surprises of 2015 but instead it’s bitten with a half-baked screenplay that doesn’t take advantage of the fun story. Even so, Joe Dante and company do pay homage to horror of old which will certainly satisfy fans of the genre and even beyond that, the core cast all turn in good performances and make something mundane and average to be somewhat entertaining, flaws and all.
The Blu-ray released by RLJ Entertainment unfortunately is rather basic with no bonus material while the video/audio transfers are above average.
Published: 07/27/2015
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.