Burying the Ex

Quite possibly the worst film of Joe Dante’s far-from-spotless career, Burying the Ex follows Anton Yelchin’s affable Max as his efforts at breaking up with a controlling girlfriend (Ashley Greene’s Evelyn) are thwarted by her untimely death – with Evelyn’s eventual reemergence as a full-fledged zombie threatening Max’s new relationship with Alexandra Daddario’s Olivia. There’s ultimately not a whole lot within Burying the Ex for even the most ardent Dante fan to embrace, as the movie suffers from an oddly low-rent sensibility that’s compounded by relentlessly broad performances and an emphasis on thoroughly artificial elements (ie everything from the dialogue to the plot twists to the character relationships rings false and feels forced). Yelchin’s ongoing attempts at transforming his less-than-three-dimensional character into a wholeheartedly compelling protagonist generally fall flat, while both Greene and Daddario find themselves trapped within the confines of almost ludicrously one-note figures (ie their major defining trait seems to be a continuing desire to sleep with Max in the face of decidedly unsexy circumstances). The extent of Burying the Ex‘s rampant incompetence is ultimately somewhat impressive given the level of talent in front of and behind the camera, and one can’t help but wonder what drew folks like Yelchin and Dante to such substandard, subpar material.

* out of ****

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