Life After Beth
| Life After Beth | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeff Baena |
| Written by | Jeff Baena |
| Produced by | Michael Zakin Liz Destro |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jay Hunter |
| Edited by | Colin Patton |
| Music by | Black Rebel Motorcycle Club |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85–89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.4 million |
| Box office | $274,717 |
Life After Beth is a 2014 American zombie comedy film written and directed by Jeff Baena. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, Molly Shannon, Cheryl Hines, Paul Reiser, Matthew Gray Gubler, and John C. Reilly. Appearing in a cameo, it was one of Garry Marshall's final film appearances.
Inspired by the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, it follows Zach (DeHaan) after his girlfriend Beth (Plaza) has died and been reanimated as a zombie; Zach struggles in trying to grieve the Beth he knew while also trying to prevent the zombie Beth's deterioration by maintaining the appearance of a happy relationship they did not have. Rather than focusing on the zombie apocalypse happening, the film follows Zach navigating his relationship in suburbia.
It premiered in competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014, and was given a limited release on August 15, 2014. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for Plaza's performance; opinions differed on Baena's writing, particularly in terms of zombie tropes and the film's ending, and management of genre and tone.