[Movie Review] ‘Burying the Ex’ is shallow but entertaining

Olivia (Alexandra Daddario) and Max (Anton Yelchin). (Yahoo)
Olivia (Alexandra Daddario) and Max (Anton Yelchin). (Yahoo)

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like horror-comedy films.

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.

Secret ending? Sort of.

Running time: 89 minutes (~1.5 hours)

“Burying the Ex” is a horror-comedy film that centres around a man’s abusive girlfriend who dies. But she comes back from the head to continue plaguing him, and proves to be unkillable. It stars Anton Yelchin (Max), Ashley Greene (Evelyn), Alexandra Daddario (Olivia), and Oliver Cooper (Travis). It is rated NC-16.

“Burying the Ex” is a rather strange film that crosses two genres. It’s funny, but not the laugh-a-minute kind of comedy you’d expect. There are some gory moments, but not quite severe or scary enough to qualify as horror. It does spin a good story between the two leads however, and has many moments which are quite relatable to anyone whose significant other has been a nightmare.

Evelyn (Ashley Greene) terrorises Max.  (Yahoo)
Evelyn (Ashley Greene) terrorises Max. (Yahoo)

Highlights

Anton Yelchin plays a charmingly naive Max

Max is the quintessential, even stereotypical nice guy. Despite his blandness as a character, and general compliance with everything, he still manages to exude a sort of well-meaning charm. Perhaps it’s because he’s startling good-natured, or perhaps it’s because we can identify with the terrible situation he’s in. Part of this appeal comes from the horrible girlfriend he has in Evelyn, who’s the overbearing maniac that everyone has met before.

 

Olivia and Max are a sweet couple

They are so tentative, shy, but disarmingly genuine with each other. It’s also, again, because of Evelyn’s presence that their relationship takes the roundabout turns that it does. Nevertheless, they possess compatible on-screen chemistry that makes you want to root for them to be together. After all, there’s no real reason why these two shouldn’t be together.

Evelyn is a character you’d love to hate

Ah, the central antagonist of the film. Evelyn possesses all the traits of the selfish ex-girlfriend, magnified to a comic extreme. Paired with the doormat that is Max, and you can immediately identify with the frustrations that come along with having an unreasonable partner. Her comeuppance is well deserved, and a sought after catharsis after all the pain and annoyance she’s brought to Max.

Alexandra Daddario, who plays Olivia, at the red carpet. (Yahoo)
Alexandra Daddario, who plays Olivia, at the red carpet. (Yahoo)

Letdowns

Travis is annoying

Truth be told, Travis doesn’t actually need to be in the film. He’s the token sidekick that every protagonist needs, and he’s really more of a meddler to pad the film out, rather than a critical character. Still, he provides the sounding board and support that Max needs. It’s just that he’s so shallow and one-dimensional, he comes across as an unwanted annoyance.

Slapstick humour doesn’t always work

The jokes are generally hit or miss, but if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that the visual gags don’t work. They’re often too ludicrous to be funny, and you’re left wondering what’s the point rather than guffawing in amusement. It could have been better implemented, or smarter, sharper jokes could have been used instead.

Anton Yelchin, who plays Max, at the premier. (Yahoo)
Anton Yelchin, who plays Max, at the premier. (Yahoo)

“Burying the Ex” is an amusing and entertaining film, even if it isn’t one of the most sophisticated movies around. Take it for what it is, and it’s a good way to wind down and end your day. Best of all, its short running time means that you don’t have to invest that much into catching this film on a weeknight.

“Burying the Ex” opens in cinemas 9 July, 2015 (Thursday).

This review was also published on Yahoo

 

 

 

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