Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ title screams B-movie, and this aesthetic is adopted with tongue firmly pressed through decaying cheek.

Period zombie is a bold proposition, laden with potential for world-building. From an introductory scratch-and-sniff history lesson to background architectural upgrades, P&P&Z offers just enough of a taste to leave you hungry for more.

Sadly there is no flesh on the bones. Flat and frigid characters – the zombies talk but you’ll wish that most of the non-zom characters would just shut the hell up – sap the romance and intrigue, and the fighting has too much glitz and not enough gutz.

The romance is heartless, the plot is brainless, and the action is gutless – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies survives purely on its spine.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Matt Smith, Lena Headey, Charles Dance

DIRECTOR: Burr Steers

WRITERS: Burr Steers (screenplay), Seth Grahame-Smith (novel), Jane Austen (source novel)

SYNOPSIS: Jane Austen’s classic tale set in 19th century England, about the tangled relationship between lovers who must face an army of undead zombies.