Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is interesting, to say the least. Not in terms of story, as that is rather lacking. Nor in terms of character development, as that is as transparent as an invisible man. Zombies is interesting for its concept, as throwing the classic characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice into the world of a zombie apocalypse is one of the most absurd spins you can put on the story. Yet that is what the movie does so well: you don’t question the randomness – you embrace it. Does it save the movie? No, but it certainly improves it beyond its numerous failures.

The good thing about Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is that its good parts stand out among the bad. Lily James is a great casting choice as Elizabeth Bennet, allowing for the complexity required for a role so beloved to truly shine. She truly becomes the character in her action scenes, with the ferocity in her face really showing as she kills numerous zombies. Matt Smith slides into the role of Mr. Collins very easily, bringing with him a humorous levity to the character. The sad part, though, is that the one role required to bring this movie from “good” to “very good” feels so sorely miscast – Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley).

Now, if this were not a reimaging of Pride & Prejudice, and Mr. Darcy was just a zombie killer aiming to prevent a zombie apocalypse, Sam Riley would be a great choice. He brings a stone-cold vibe to the role that I can’t picture anyone else bringing. However, this is Mr. Darcy, the other half to one of the most famous literary relationships of all time. Riley fails to bring the nuance and subtly required to make you feel as though these two characters should be together, robbing this relationship of the substance required and preventing his character from any development other than “I love you, Elizabeth Bennet.”

The film also manages to portray the role of women well without the necessity of making it a story beat. We don’t see women train to be on par with men – they already are. Do gender roles come into play? Yes, but only slightly. The concept allows for women to be who they are, not forcing them to play into the hands of the men around them.

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is not the best movie, by a longshot. However, it is a movie that you can look at and think, “What an interesting concept.” It may not do the characters of Jane Austen’s novel complete justice, but it doesn’t disservice them. Let’s just hope that, when the inevitable remake comes out, it pays a bit more attention to the characters it’s reimaging.

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies is playing in theaters everywhere. Check out the trailer below!