Review by Hunter Miele
The horror-comedy genre has been booming in recent years, and “As We Know It” attempts to stand out among the classics. Relying heavily on the comedy aspect and much less on any scary imagery or themes, the film qualifies more as a buddy-comedy than as a horror-comedy. Ultimately, “As We Know It” gives a fresh dose of wholesomeness in a zombie-torn world, albeit not without a few hiccups and drags along the way.
In Los Angeles in the late 90’s, James Bishop (Mike Castle) is dealing with a traumatic breakup. His best friend Bruce (Oliver Cooper) provides the perfect amount of goofiness to contrast James’ depression. Since James hasn’t left the house in days, he has no idea that the world is coming to an end. Bruce, red-faced and exhausted after pedaling uphill on his BMX bike, delivers the dreadful news to James: Everyone’s favorite brand of soy milk has developed a pathogen turning them all into flesh-hungry killers. James- pretty nonchalant about the whole thing- reluctantly agrees to flee to Seattle with Bruce. After discovering that the gas was siphoned from James’ car, they stay locked up in the house and order 100 chicken wings while watching their favorite movie, Waterworld.
At this point, about 25 minutes into the film, we can tell that “As We Know It” is relying heavily on the buddy duo and their cute and funny dialogue, but the dialogue is neither cute nor funny enough to hold the film together. Instead, it takes on an almost improvisational quality with the actors seeming to always be searching for the next best line to deliver.
After a surprise visit from James’ ex-girlfriend Emily (Taylor Blackwell) the three characters team up to fight the zombie apocalypse, mostly from inside James’ home. Once their chicken wings are delivered, Bruce invites the delivery guy (Danny Mondello), an old friend of his, inside to hang out. We watch as a concealed bite wound is revealed and the delivery guy slowly transforms into a vicious monster. This transformation scene is arguably the most exciting in the film, with most scenes composed of drama between the three friends and slightly awkward banter.
A surprise ending gives “As We Know It” most of its credibility, including a few laugh-out-loud moments. All told, the film will be easily lost in its genre, with only a quirky ending and some impressive cameos to make it stand out. Its heavy dialogue and lack of action sequences make it drag on and on, with its humor not having the ability to carry it along. “As We Know It”’s premise is fun, especially its 90’s throwback style, but it required an extra dose of uniqueness to help it make its mark.
