Movie Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Hello there! Today, I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on a movie, which is a romantic movie but with elements of horror☠️😂. Please forgive me if I include any spoilers… So, let’s get to it.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a 2016 action comedy horror and romantic film based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which parodies the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The film is directed by Burr Steers, who wrote the adapted screenplay, and stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith, Charles Dance, and Lena Headey. The film follows the general plot of Austen’s original novel, with elements of zombie, horror and post-apocalyptic fiction incorporated. Running for about 108 minutes, the movie is shot in the United Kingdom and the United States of America with English language as the only language used.

Lily James

Sam Riley

Douglas Booth

Bella Heathcote

Jack Houston

Sally Philips

Early 19th century England is besieged by zombies; the Bennet sisters—Elizabeth, Jane, Kitty, Lydia, and Mary—have all been trained in the art of weaponry and martial arts in China at their father’s behest so they can defend themselves. Mrs. Bennet only wants to see her daughters married off to wealthy suitors. At a country dance they attend, Elizabeth’s (Lily James) beautiful older sister, Jane (Bella Heathcote), becomes romantically involved with the handsome and obscenely wealthy Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth) who also attends the dance. When zombies attack the ball, the Bennet sisters fight them off, and Colonel Darcy (Sam Riley), a skilled zombie-killer, who was trained in Japanese martial arts is attracted to Elizabeth, although his behavior is outwardly aloof. Elizabeth finds him arrogant and develops hatred for him. Social classes clash and sparks fly. Misunderstandings arise but eventually clear up, characters are forced to admit to both their pride and their prejudice, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Alright.. Thats it for the plot summary. The fact that something takes place in the zombie world doesn’t necessarily mean the zombie is the forefront of the story and that’s the case in this movie. It only takes place at the time of the zombie apocalypse and is more of romance and marriage characterized by pride and prejudice. Now, mind you, I’m discussing this movie on its own as i’ve watched just this movie. I’ve not read the 1813 Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice novel or watched the movie neither have I read the 2009 Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies novel. Okay🙂.

As usual, I’ll discuss the positive side before the flaws. First off, the cast in this movie are so wonderful especially the lead actress, Lily James who acted the character of Elizabeth Benett. She literarily captured my heart. Elizabeth Benett in the movie displays so much guts, courage, and boldness. She also seems like the strongest and bravest among her sisters as she always leads them in the fight against the undead. She doesn’t allows anybody to intimidate her as she says her courage always arises at any attempt to intimidate her.

Elizabeth Benett (Lily James)

Another thing that makes the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies heroine, Elizabeth Benett so enduringly charming is the mastery of Witty wordplay and even more adept swordplay. She is at the same time haughty, reserved and deadly which although are alive to the potential for parody are presented with a straight face. Her co-star , Colonel Darcy Fitzwilliam (Sam Riley) is also good but cannot match the wonderful screen presence of Lily James.

Elizabeth and Darcy are combatants of a kind whose primary weapons against each other are their witty, wounding and deeply meaning words. Both parties possess pride and prejudice and this is what sparks off the misunderstandings which remain unresolved until one of the two, which is Darcy is compelled by love to clear the air and everything is resolved. Their Chemistry is decent as several of their key exchanges take place within the context of some physical fight, either with each other or with the zombies which detract from the romantic tension rather than enhance it. The 19th century costume and setting of this movie is another thing I like very much.

Social strata and class difference is also shown in this movie as the Benett daughters, the daughters of a noble middle class man are trained in China, the Shaolin way to be warriors, while Colonel Darcy Fitzwilliam, a skilled zombie killer who owns property that pays him about £10,000 (£660,000 today) is trained in Japan. It’s Japan for the rich and China for the middle class people.

To the negative side, I have many questions in my head. Why does only Darcy know how to test for zombification? If warrior skills are so valued and a noble sends his daughter to study martial arts, why is marrying a rich man still important? If Jane is that skilled and strong, why does a simple cold leave her bedridden for a while? and why do the Benett sisters have to wear corsets? Questions! Apart from these questions in my head, I also do not really like Darcy’s voice. This should be all in my opinion for the negative side of this movie. You think there are more negative sides to this movie? Please feel free to share your thoughts through your comments.

This movie is one of my favorite, not my guilty pleasure kind of movies but it’s one of my favorite. So personally, I’d give this movie a B+ grade and well, I’ll say this movie may only excite romantic and maybe action movie fans but not zombie movie fans. I doubt the zombie content here in this movie will be satisfying to zombie movie lovers so I won’t recommend it to them, but for romantic movie fans of all ages, I’d say please go watch this movie. You’ve watched the movie and your thoughts are either totally different or slightly different than mine? Please let me know through your comments. I’d be happy to hear them. Any comments on my review? Please feel very free to say them but do ensure you mind your language as you do so.

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