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Boy Eats Girl
Boy Eats Girl
Boy Eats Girl
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Boy Eats Girl
Unrated DVD cover
Directed byStephen Bradley
Written byDerek Landy
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBalazs Bolygo
Edited byDermot Diskin
Music byHugh Drumm
Production
company
Element Films
Distributed byOdyssey Distributors Ltd.
Release date
  • 27 June 2005 (2005-06-27) (London UK Film Focus)[1]
Running time
80 minutes
Countries
  • Ireland
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$130,051[2]

Boy Eats Girl is a 2005 horror-comedy film directed by Stephen Bradley and starring Samantha Mumba, produced and shot in Ireland.[3] The plot tells of a teenage boy who comes back to life as a zombie, similar to the plot of the American film My Boyfriend's Back.

Plot

[edit]

While working in the church, a woman named Grace finds a hidden crypt. While exploring she discovers a voodoo book; however, she is soon sent away by Father Cornelius. Grace's son, Nathan, attends the local high school with his friends Henry and Diggs. Nathan likes his long-time friend Jessica; however, he is too scared to ask her out, for fear of rejection. Also in the school are popular girls Charlotte, Glenda and Cheryl. Cheryl pursues Nathan, despite already having a boyfriend, Samson, who confronts Nathan along with his womanising friend Kenneth after seeing Cheryl talking to Nathan. Meanwhile, Henry and Diggs, fed up with Nathan not asking out Jessica, force the pair to meet after school.

While Nathan waits for Jessica, he writes a note about what he will say to her to ask her out. Meanwhile, Jessica's over-protective father forbids her to leave, but she sneaks out. Nathan becomes impatient due to Jessica's lateness and leaves before Jessica arrives; she reads the note, however, through a misunderstanding, Nathan believes Jessica is with Kenneth. Nathan goes home and contemplates hanging himself in his room. Just as he dismisses the idea, Grace enters and knocks over the chair Nathan is standing on, causing him to be hanged. Grace returns to the church and performs a ritual from the book, which brings Nathan back to life. The ritual seems to have gone well, despite Nathan not remembering what happened, however Father Cornelius soon warns Grace that the book was damaged and those who are resurrected by it have the urge to eat human flesh.

At school, Nathan hears Kenneth lying about what happened with Jessica the previous night to Samson and another friend, Shane. As Jessica attempts to ask Nathan out, he turns her down, thinking what Kenneth said was true. As the day progresses, Nathan slowly succumbs to the symptoms of the book. At night, everyone heads to a school disco, where Nathan soon becomes more zombie-like and bites Samson before returning home. As Samson becomes a zombie, he attacks Shane and infects him. Jessica goes to Nathan's house to sort things out, but Nathan warns Jessica away from him, realising something is wrong with him.

The next morning, Grace tells Nathan what happened. Nathan realises that Samson is infected and tries to get the police to help capture him, but he is ignored. Returning home, Grace locks Nathan in the garage and starts to search for something to help him recover. Meanwhile, Charlotte has also become a zombie and infects Kenneth. Cheryl and Glenda go to a local bar, where they witness a zombie attack. Henry and Diggs also witness a zombie attack in the video shop. Henry and Diggs hide, and see that most of the town have been infected. They phone Jessica and tell her to lock herself inside her house. Henry and Diggs travel to Nathan's house and free him, before setting off to Jessica's. However, on their way they crash their car and have to continue on foot. Jessica is attacked by zombies in her house, including Samson, but she overpowers them and manages to escape.

Grace goes to the church, but is attacked by an infected Father Cornelius. He is soon bitten by a snake in the crypt, revealing the snake's venom is the cure to the infection. She takes the snake and leaves. Outside, Cheryl and Glenda are hiding in the graveyard. They encounter the infected Charlotte, who bites Glenda, allowing Cheryl to get away. Nathan finds Jessica in a barn beside her house, where Jessica tells Nathan that she never did anything with Kenneth. Meanwhile, Henry and Diggs arrive at Jessica's house, followed by Cheryl, who is being chased by a group of zombies. They hide in a cupboard in the house until night time, when they try to escape. As they go outside they are saved by Nathan, however a group of zombies close in on them. Jessica manages to kill them with the aid of a tractor.

The survivors hide in the barn, but Samson and Shane get in and infect Cheryl. The others manage to escape to a platform, but are now trapped. They pour gasoline onto the barn floor, before Grace arrives with the snake. However, the snake escapes and the zombies begin to attack Grace. Nathan saves Grace, allowing her to escape, and also kills Samson. Nathan soon completely succumbs to the ritual, and becomes a zombie. As he is about to attack his friends, the snake bites him. The zombies quickly attack Nathan and he is caught in the fire that Jessica has ignited. Jessica, Diggs and Henry leave, and soon discover Nathan survived the fire. He finally asks Jessica to go out with him, to which she answers yes.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The film was shot in six weeks. Director Stephen Bradley cast Deirdre O'Kane, his wife, over her objections that she was too young to convincingly play the mother of a teenager.[4] The film was shot in Dublin and the Isle of Man. The special effects were done by Bob Keen.[5]

Release

[edit]

The film was the first non-pornographic film for some years to be banned by the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO), due to a depiction of suicide. While the scene was not cut from the film, the IFCO appeals board overturned the ban, issuing a 15A rating.[6] Boy Eats Girl premiered at the London UK Film Focus.[1] It was picked up for theatrical release by Optimum Releasing, and it received its Irish theatrical premiere on 23 September 2005.[7]

Home media

[edit]

The film was released on DVD on 18 December 2007.[8]

Reception

[edit]

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that Boy Eats Girl received positive reviews from 80% of five surveyed critics; the average rating was 5.7/10.[9] Joshua Siebalt of Dread Central rated the film 3/5 stars and called it "fun, plain and simple."[10] Felix Vasquez, Jr. of Film Threat rated the film 3/5 stars and called it "a pretty kick ass rom-zom-com that deserves at least a viewing."[11] Bill Gibron of DVD Talk rated the film 2/5; Gibron stated that the film "looks really good" and has moody, atmospheric shots, but the film itself is too derivative of Shaun of the Dead.[12] David Johnson of DVD Verdict called it "Funny, gory and just flat-out entertaining".[13] Mike Bruno of Entertainment Weekly called it "kinda stupid and riddled with plot holes" but "a pretty good time."[8] Bloody Disgusting rated the film 3/5 stars and described it as "an OK zombie film that plays on teen love antics".[14]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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Boy Eats Girl

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Boy Eats Girl is a Irish horror-comedy directed by Stephen Bradley and written by . The follows a teenager who, after a failed romantic , is resurrected as a by his mother, leading to an outbreak among his high school friends. Starring and , it explores themes of teenage and in a suburb setting. The movie was produced by companies including Lunar Films and the Irish Film Board, with taking place in Ireland. It premiered at the and received a in Ireland before expanding to international markets, including a U.S. DVD release in 2008. With a runtime of 80 minutes, Boy Eats Girl combines elements of and zombie horror, drawing comparisons to films like for its humorous take on the genre. Upon release, the film garnered mixed to negative reviews, praised for its energetic cast and Irish production values but criticized for uneven pacing and predictable plotting. It holds an audience score of 33% on and a 4.9/10 rating on as of November 2025.

Synopsis

Plot

Nathan, a shy high school student, harbors a deep but for his best friend Jessica, whose overprotective father complicates their interactions. Encouraged by his friends Henry and Diggs, Nathan plans to confess his feelings to her during a disco, but a misunderstanding arises when he believes she is romantically involved with the school bully Samson. Devastated and intoxicated, Nathan attempts himself in his bedroom, only for his mother Grace to accidentally complete the act by startling him and knocking over the chair beneath him. Grief-stricken, Grace, who works restoring old churches, discovers an ancient book of voodoo rituals hidden in a and performs a spell on Nathan, inadvertently transforming him into a with no pulse, enhanced strength, and an overwhelming urge to consume human flesh. Upon reviving with amnesia about his death, Nathan initially suppresses his cannibalistic impulses while grappling with his altered state, which serves as a metaphor for the uncontrollable angst of adolescence. At the school disco, tensions escalate when Samson threatens Jessica, prompting Nathan to bite him in a defensive rage, thereby transmitting the zombie infection. The virus spreads rapidly through bites among students and teachers, turning the event into a chaotic outbreak where infected individuals exhibit feral hunger and aggression, forcing survivors including Nathan, Jessica, Henry, and Diggs to barricade themselves and fight back against their former peers. As the group navigates the infested school and town, Nathan's heroic instincts emerge despite his deteriorating control, protecting Jessica and revealing his enduring love, while his friends' motivations shift from teenage banter to desperate survival. Grace, driven by maternal desperation, researches the voodoo tome and discovers a reversal ritual involving snake venom as a cure for the zombie plague. The survivors flee to a barn for a climactic standoff against a horde of zombies, including infected bullies and authority figures, where they use fire and improvised weapons to eliminate many of the threats. Administering the antidote saves Nathan and his surviving friends, restoring them to humanity just as the outbreak is contained. In the resolution, Nathan fully embraces his feelings, sharing a romantic kiss with Jessica, symbolizing closure amid the horror of their transformed lives.

Cast

The cast of Boy Eats Girl consists primarily of Irish and British performers, blending emerging talents in a horror-comedy ensemble.

Principal Cast

  • Samantha Mumba as Jessica, Nathan's love interest and a popular, resourceful classmate grounded by her strict father.
  • David Leon as Nathan, the shy protagonist teenager harboring a secret crush on Jessica.
  • Tadhg Murphy as Diggs, Nathan's loyal, tech-savvy friend who provides comic relief as the group's enthusiastic sidekick.
  • Laurence Kinlan as Henry, Nathan's sarcastic best friend and another source of humor in the group dynamic.
  • Deirdre O'Kane as Grace, Nathan's overprotective mother and a restorer by trade.

Supporting Cast

The film also features notable supporting roles that enhance the small-town school setting:
  • Ziad Absi as Claude, a student.
  • Marie Mullen as Mrs. Brendan, a teacher at the protagonists' school.
  • Tom Reilly as Father Murphy, the local priest.
Additional minor roles include portrayals of fellow students, townsfolk, and authority figures by actors such as Sara James as Cheryl, Mark Huberman as Samson, and Paul Reid as Shane, contributing to the ensemble's depiction of everyday community life.

Production

Development

The screenplay for Boy Eats Girl was written by Derek Landy as a horror-comedy that blended zombie tropes with elements of teen romance, drawing inspiration from earlier films like My Boyfriend's Back (1993), which featured a similar resurrection narrative in a high school setting. Landy's script emphasized a "rom-zom-com" genre approach, incorporating general zombie genre conventions such as undead resurrection while focusing on themes of suicide, reanimation, and the absurdities of adolescent life in a high school environment, all presented without excessive graphic violence. The film marked director Stephen Bradley's second feature following his 1995 debut , with production handled by Element Films in collaboration with Lunar Films as an Irish-UK co-production. Key crew included producers Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, cinematographer Balazs Bolygo, and composer Hugh Drumm, whose score contributed to the film's comedic tone. Backing came from Odyssey Distributors Ltd., alongside funding from the Irish Film Board, Isle of Man Film Ltd., and the Section 481 tax incentive scheme, which facilitated low-budget Irish productions by offering significant financial relief. Principal photography commenced on July 26, 2004, in . This production leveraged Ireland's co-production incentives to support its genre-blending ambitions.

Filming

for Boy Eats Girl took place over approximately six weeks from July 26 to September 4, 2004, primarily in Ireland and on the Isle of Man. Filming occurred mainly in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland, where urban and interior scenes, including high school settings, were captured using local studios and facilities. Exteriors for rural sequences, such as those evoking an isolated small town atmosphere, were shot on the Isle of Man, including specific periods from August 16 to September 3, 2004. The production emphasized practical effects for its horror elements, with special effects supervisor Bob Keen overseeing zombie makeup and gore designs, drawing brief influence from the script's voodoo resurrection motif to enhance the undead transformations. Limited computer-generated imagery was employed for crowd enhancements in zombie outbreak scenes. During production, director Stephen Bradley cast his wife, comedian , in the key role of Grace, Nathan's mother, selected for her ability to bring authenticity to the character's emotional depth despite the age proximity to lead .

Release

Theatrical release

Boy Eats Girl had its world premiere on 27 June 2005 at the second UK Film Focus, an industry event organized by Film London, the , and Film Export UK, which attracted over 140 international buyers. The film subsequently screened at other festivals, including the Galway Film Fleadh in July 2005. The faced initial regulatory hurdles in Ireland prior to its theatrical rollout. The (IFCO) withheld certification unless a scene depicting a realistic by a teenage was removed, marking the first such ban on a non-pornographic since 2001. On appeal, the Censorship of Films Appeal Board unanimously overturned the decision on 25 July 2005, granting the a 15A rating, which allows viewing by audiences aged 15 and over or those under 15 accompanied by an adult, without requiring cuts to the scene. It received a in the on 23 September 2005 through Optimum Releasing, with screenings primarily in select cinemas. , the film opened nationwide the same day via distributor Abbey Films, positioning it as the fifth Irish production to hit cinemas that year. Marketed as a teen blending horror and humor, the 80-minute English-language feature targeted young audiences with its story of adolescent romance amid chaos, though it saw no significant theatrical distribution in the United States, focusing instead on and the markets.

Home media

The film was released on DVD in the on 13 February 2006 by Optimum Releasing in a format with English subtitles. In , the DVD edition by was released on 18 2007 and rated 18 without cuts, following the uncut theatrical approval. This edition included presentation, subtitles, audio commentary by director Stephen Bradley, and deleted scenes. A DVD release by Lionsgate Home Entertainment occurred on the same date, 18 2007, in with audio and a making-of as the primary extra. Limited editions were available in the UK and prior to the DVD rollout, primarily through rental chains, but these have since become scarce. No Blu-ray edition has been produced, leaving the film absent from high-definition physical media. Internationally, European home video releases utilized the PAL format, with region-specific packaging emphasizing the zombie comedy aspects, such as cover art highlighting undead school scenarios. As of November 2025, Boy Eats Girl is accessible digitally for rent or purchase on platforms including Amazon Video, Apple TV, and at Home, priced typically at $3.99 for rental and $9.99 for purchase in the . It streams for free with advertisements on , Plex, and Fandango at Home in select regions, including the and , though availability varies by location. No 4K UHD or anniversary re-releases have been announced.

Reception

Critical reception

Boy Eats Girl received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its energetic gore and romantic elements tempered by criticisms of its derivative storyline and uneven execution. No Tomatometer score is available on due to limited critic reviews. The audience score is 33% based on over 2,500 ratings as of November 2025, reflecting a general sentiment of mild . As of November 2025, no Metacritic page exists for the film due to insufficient reviews from major outlets. Positive responses highlighted the film's fun gore sequences and its charm as a teen-oriented rom-zom-com. awarded it 3/5 stars, commending the "choice gore" and quick pace that build to energetic zombie attacks, making it suitable for a lighthearted midnight viewing. Similarly, gave it 3/5 stars, appreciating its appeal to younger audiences through relatable teen dynamics and zombie antics. Entertainment noted Mumba's standout performance as Jessica, praising how she effectively embodied the role alongside , adding emotional depth to the chaos. also found value in the story's exploration of teen love, describing it as cheesy yet relatable and fun despite occasional lapses. Critics were more vocal about the film's shortcomings, particularly its unoriginal plot, pacing problems, and shallow character development. DVD Talk rated it 2/5 stars, calling it lazy and overly derivative of films like Shaun of the Dead, arguing it fails as both horror and comedy by prioritizing after-school special themes over genre thrills. Reviews frequently pointed to plot holes and sluggish pacing in the early acts, with RTÉ highlighting awful dialogue and a lack of suspense that undermines the horror elements. The uneven tone—shifting awkwardly between romance, comedy, and gore—was another common complaint, leaving characters underdeveloped and the narrative feeling rushed in its brief 80-minute runtime. Overall, the consensus positions Boy Eats Girl as a lighthearted but flawed addition to the Irish zombie genre, entertaining for fans of gory, low-stakes romps but lacking innovation or depth to stand out among better rom-zom-coms.

Box office

Boy Eats Girl earned $130,051 worldwide at the , with all revenue coming from international markets. The bulk of these earnings stemmed from limited screenings in the , generating $63,780, and the , which contributed $66,271; there were no notable grosses from or broader international distribution. Produced as a low-budget Irish film, Boy Eats Girl received €895,000 in funding from the Irish Film Board (now ), reflecting its reliance on national incentives for a total budget estimated at $500,000 to $1 million. This financial scale positioned the project for modest returns, primarily realized outside theaters through ancillary channels rather than domestic or global success. The film's theatrical performance underperformed expectations, hampered by its niche horror-comedy and an initial controversy in Ireland over a graphic depiction, which led to a temporary ban and delayed premiere despite eventual approval with a 15A rating. This limited audience attendance and broader promotional momentum during its short run. In the long term, Boy Eats Girl left a negligible mark on theatrical earnings history, with any sustained revenue uplift coming from its 2007 DVD release, for which precise sales data remains unavailable.

References

  1. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1187732-boy_eats_girl
  2. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415679/
  3. https://www.moriareviews.com/horror/boy-eats-girl-2005.htm
  4. https://horrornews.net/87081/film-review-boy-eats-girl-2005/
  5. https://sciencefiction.com/2019/02/21/throwback-thursday-boy-eats-girl-2005/
  6. https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/4145/boy-eats-girl-dvd/
  7. https://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/reviews/boy-eats-girl/
  8. https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/boy_eats_girl/
  9. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415679/plotsummary
  10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415679/fullcredits
  11. https://irishgothicjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/kim-newman.pdf
  12. https://sdgi.ie/directors/stephen-bradley/
  13. https://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=688&tpl=archnews&force=1
  14. https://www.screendaily.com/ireland-production-listings-june-1-2004/4018894.article
  15. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415679/locations/
  16. https://www.iomguide.com/manx-films/boy-eats-girl.php
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415679/fullcredits/
  18. http://mjsimpson-films.blogspot.com/2013/01/boy-eats-girl.html
  19. https://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=1126&tpl=archnews&force=1
  20. https://www.galwayfilmfleadh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2005-gff-programme.pdf
  21. https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/irish-film-censors-cut-bans-monty-python-catholicism-hhhxchfrs
  22. https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/news
  23. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2005/?area=GB&grossesOption=totalGrosses&sort=rank
  24. https://www.screenireland.ie/news-archive/view/363
  25. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boy-Eats-Girl-Samantha-Mumba/dp/B000CBEWZQ
  26. https://oak3.the-numbers.com/news/178850830-DVD-Releases-for-December-18-2007
  27. https://www.ebay.com/itm/146831750955
  28. https://www.blu-ray.com/Boy-Eats-Girl/321977/
  29. https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/boy-eats-girl
  30. https://tubitv.com/movies/339873/boy-eats-girl
  31. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/boy-eats-girl
  32. https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/movie-reviews/2005/0922/446944-boyeatsgirl/
  33. https://bloody-disgusting.com/reviews/109602/boy-eats-girl-v-2/
  34. https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/31861/boy-eats-girl/
  35. https://moviesandmania.com/2016/11/07/boy-eats-girl-reviews-movie-film-comedy-horror-2005-overview-cast-plot/
  36. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr3340390917/
  37. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/month/september/2005/?area=GB
  38. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2111669249/?ref_=bo_md_table_12
  39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27805198
  40. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/why-boy-couldn-t-eat-girl-at-fleadh-1.468740
  41. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/boy-will-get-to-eat-girl-after-all-1.476854
  42. https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Eats-Girl-Samantha-Mumba/dp/B000WEVGGQ
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