It’s Zombieland Meets Cloverfield in the First Trailer for Love and Monsters

As the ongoing pandemic continues to wreak havoc with the release calendars of major Hollywood studios, we continue to see films that were once bound for theaters showing up on VOD with relatively little fanfare. The latest: Paramount’s Love and Monsters, a creature feature love story that could clearly boast a budget considerably bigger than most streaming horror comedies. Originally intended to release in March of this year, it will now hit VOD on Oct. 16, 2020, and you can catch the impressive first trailer below.

Love and Monsters stars The Maze Runner and Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien as Joel Dawson, a young man who lost his family and girlfriend during a sudden outbreak of monster attacks that sent humanity into hiding. Seven years later, he learns that his girlfriend is still alive in a community 80 miles away, and decides to make a life-or-death journey to reunite with a young woman who surely must have a different boyfriend by now, don’t you think? Standing in his way are a veritable cornucopia of impressively realized CGI monsters, which he must navigate or defeat with the help of two survivors he meets along the way: Clyde (Michael Rooker) and Minnow (Ariana Greenblatt).

It’s impossible to avoid comparisons in this particular premise, especially given that Rooker is channeling his inner Yondu once again while simultaneously stepping into the comedic shoes vacated by Woody Harrelson after Zombieland. That zombie series feels like the single most relevant touchpoint here, although the romance angle also recalls Warm Bodies, while the insectoid monsters themselves have more of a Cloverfield vibe. Regardless, Love and Monsters isn’t a film you’ll be watching for storyline originality.

Once again, we must note: The action and CGI look pretty damn impressive, especially for a film making its debut via CGI. So too does the sense of humor feel in the right place, with O’Brien quipping at the end that he “feels like Tom Cruise” after blowing up a monster and exulting in his momentary victory. Check out the full trailer for Love and Monsters below.