Eat Brains Love is a 2019 American comedy horror film about two high schoolers who are infected with a zombie virus and go on a road trip.
Directed by Rodman Flender (Scream TV series; Idle Hands; Leprechaun 2; The Unborn) from a screenplay written by Mike Herro and David Strauss, based on Jeff Hart’s novel of the same name. The movie stars Jake Cannavale, Angelique Rivera (Supernatural TV series) and Sarah Yarkin (Happy Death Day 2U; American Horror Story TV series).
Reviews [click links to read more]:
“Eat, Brains, Love is a tame, cartoon of a horror. It plays for laughs much more that it plays for scares, and it really wants you to root for Jake and Amanda’s love affair while they munch their way through the people they meet. Finding a cure seems like it doesn’t matter so much.” Britflicks
“Some sloppy structuring and an unfortunate lead performance notwithstanding, Eat, Brains, Love retains a fair deal of horror-comedy charm. Although the pieces that don’t fit are as noticeable as the ones that do, the film’s hectic nature works well with its glib tone.” Culture Crypt
“Eat Brains Love is the funniest film I’ve seen at Arrow Video FrightFest this year. The talented cast combined with Flender’s expert direction, and the incredible script, makes this an absolute must-see. The ending leaves things wide open for a continuation and I like that not everything is wrapped up in a big bow.” Entertainment Focus
“Flender’s overall production is unfussed and perhaps appropriately so, ensuring that much of the film feels as though tugged aggressively straight out of the 90s. But the charms of the two central lovers prevail more often than not, abetted by a script that’s just funny enough to paper over its lazier elements. Sexy, snappy, shamelessly tasteless fun…” Flickering Myth
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“It’s a good underdog story with well-rounded characters – even if they’re tweeny fixtures. Jake and Amanda are a joy to hang out with and undergo reasonable character journeys. Even if it sticks to the trope of her as a prize to be won by an immature guy, it’s delightful to watch them get closer.” Horror Cult Films
“Nodding with humour and respect to its influences on all sides, this is a well-cast, well-paced comedy that knows to rely on voice and storytelling to make the most of the gore, rather than the other way around. With so very much going for cast and story, it’s frustrating to have a beginning and ending that play against these strengths.” Horror DNA
“Eat, Brains, Love is entertaining, with some genuine belly laughs, but there are too many missed opportunities and seemingly unpolished pieces to the story and script. It could have been… should have been… and would have been a “sit, back and simply enjoy” flick – if it had made more solid choices on so many different fronts.” Horrorfreak News
“It has the feel of the first of a series … (indeed, it could be lumped in with iZombie or Santa Clarita Diet in its take on the zombie/cannibal genre). It’s not as explicitly retro as many recent attempts to evoke ’80s or ‘90s VHS era horror, but it has more of the sense of fun of that era than most – and there’s a wicked, satiric streak that applies well to the present day.” The Kim Newman Web Site
” …at times the film touches on some rather uneasy subjects (such a clown prepping for a kids party by putting lube in his bag) but this is completely offset by the bright and cheerful manner in which everything is shot. For a zombie movie, this feels more like a teen road movie. It’s that dichotomy between content, style, and story the makes Eat Brains Love so refreshing…” Nerdly
“As a crass, mindless comedy—some of EBL works thanks to its sheer momentum, total disregard for proper plotting and one or two jokes that actually land. If you’re in the mood for an undead distraction before Zombieland 2 arrives, Eat, Brains, Love might satisfy a quick and dirty craving…” Rue Morgue
“Eat, Brains, Love might not be the re-invention of the wheel as such, but it does offer a new approach to the zombie genre, combining it with elements of road movie and high school romance, and in approach it’s actually rather hilarious, delivering the scares with as many laughs, without ever going for moronic or purely gross-out humour.” Search My Trash
A play on words from the title of Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel Eat, Pray, Love, Jeff Hart’s bestseller was followed by a sequel in 2014 titled Undead with Benefits.
Release:
Eat Brains Love has played at festivals such as FrightFest, Screamfest and Slash; a release date has yet to be announced.
Cast and characters:
- Jake Cannavale … Jake Stephens
- Angelique Rivera … Amanda Blake
- Sarah Yarkin … Cass
- Jim Titus … Tom
- Ty Headlee … Chazz Slade
- Kristin Daniel … Grace
- Kym Jackson … Summer
- Alex Stage … Kyle
- Joseph Poliquin … Adam DeCarlo
- Mason Beauchamp … Johnny Morris
- Alan Abeyta … Mr Stephens
- Ethan Airhart … Zombie Victim
- Anja Akstin … Tough Female Agent
- Conner T. Allen … Traumatized Boy
- Ron Blanchard … Franklin
Technical details:
87 minutes
More rom-zom-com movies:
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Warm Bodies (2012)
The Coed and the Zombie Stoner (2014)
Life After Beth (2014)
Night of the Living Deb (2015)
Burying the Ex (2015)
Nina Forever (2015)
Shed of the Dead (2019)
