Jane Austen and zombies are not elements most would think to combine. But somehow, it works. With outstanding acting, romance, violence, and comedy, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” mixes two of the best tropes in screenwriting, love and zombies, to create an unforgettable story.

The movie mirrors the basic plotline of Austen’s book, “Pride and Prejudice,” with a twist: the characters find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. However, the characters are all the same. The five Bennet sisters take on the same roles as they did in Austen’s book, with Jane the sensible eldest and Lydia the uncontrollable youngest, along with their pushy mother desperate to find suitable husbands for her daughters.

“I thought it sounded terrible and then I read it and I thought it was wonderful. It’s bizarre how it works and it’s rare that you get a script that you love that much,” said Lily James (Elizabeth Bennet).

Matt Smith shines particularly bright as the awkward and awful Mr. Collins, a rich man who Mrs. Bennet wishes to marry Elizabeth. Smith’s outrageous acting bring his character to life, and gives the movie additional comedy relief. When the Bennet sisters are fighting a band of zombies, we see Smith trotting around, looking both uncomfortable and disgusted, highlighting the abilities of the women as well as his own hysterical incompetence.

“I think because there are zombies in the film, certainly that allows you to make bold choices because the laws of the universe are slightly heightened, and the characters that exist in it can therefore be slightly heightened,” Smith said.

Although Smith’s acting is superb, the rest of the cast is only mediocre. Sam Riley, as Mr. Darcy, competently portrays his character’s obnoxious and superior attitude, yet he isn’t as captivating as hoped.

James seems quite comfortable in her role as Elizabeth Bennet. Her abilities shine particularly when she is angry or fighting, whether it be against zombies or her mother. The role is unfortunately similar to ones she has played in the past—a strong-willed and fairly well-off young woman, the same kind of character seen in Downton Abbey. Despite the fact that the role was well-suited to James, it failed to give her the space to demonstrate a broad range of acting skills.

The best attribute of the movie are the recurring scenes of the Bennet sisters saving the men’s lives, whether it is Mr. Collins, Mr. Bingley, or Mr. Darcy. Twenty-first century cinema takes the strength of Lizzie and Jane Bennet and transforms them into warriors.

What makes the movie truly hilarious is the use of Jane Austen’s original language to reference zombies, such as when Jane Bennet is warned that “the zombies spring easily from the wet earth.”

Despite a strong script, the special effects make little impression—there is plenty of blood splatter, but nothing too gory. However, the movie did a superior job of contrasting the beautiful scenery of England with the grotesque undead.

The character adaptation from the original book to the zombie apocalypse is surprisingly fitting. The change in roles for all characters, especially Mr. Wickham, is an appropriate development.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is more than a classic story with a band of the undead chasing after the characters. Instead, the movie effectively uses the zombies to demonstrate the themes of the book, such as the complicated relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and the character (and physical) strength of the Bennet sisters.

“What we all found was kind of crazy―that if you take something so so surreal and strange of zombies and Pride and Prejudice, somehow it’s almost like the themes and relationships in the book become heightened, become really clear,” James said. “It was just sort of interesting how the zombies kind of contributed.”

“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” successfully combines sweet romance with shocking jumps. Moments between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy are simultaneously heartwarming and hilarious. As soon as the audience is completely absorbed in their relationship, however, a zombie’s head is blown off. There were numerous moments when the audience jumped collectively at a sudden attack, which kept us at the edge of our seats.

Despite a strange combination of two seemingly opposite topics, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” was a strong movie. It is set to release on Feb. 5, 2016.