Burying the Ex (2015) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story unfolds primarily in Max's apartment, which becomes a central battleground reflecting the turmoil in his relationship. Other key locations include Olivia's ice cream shop, where Max finds connection and eventual hope, and a park where tragedy strikes. These settings move between the intimate space of Max's home and public venues that mark emotional turning points.

Foreshadowing: The apartment's transformations throughout the film mirror the evolving dynamic between Max and Evelyn.

• max apartment
• olivia shop
• park setting
• locations

The film takes place in present day, featuring modern relationships, contemporary aspirations, and current cultural conversations around environmentalism. This modern setting allows the story to explore themes of identity and individuality within partnerships against a backdrop of relatable, everyday scenarios.

• present day
• modern era
• contemporary settings

Burying the Ex examines how love persists even after death, as Max grapples with his deep feelings for Evelyn long after her untimely demise. The theme highlights the painful choices characters face when dealing with overwhelming emotional challenges, exploring whether true connection can survive loss and supernatural transformation.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish Max and Evelyn's intense relationship before tragedy strikes, setting up the film's exploration of love beyond death.

• love
• beyond death
• emotional connection
• grief

The film explores what happens when the boundary between life and death is violated. Max must confront Evelyn's return as a zombie, raising questions about existence, autonomy, and the horror of losing control over life's choices. The supernatural element creates chaos that forces characters to redefine their relationships with mortality.

• zombie
• supernatural
• death
• reanimation
• existence

The film blends horror with humor to create an absurd premise that lets viewers laugh while confronting darker themes of loss and desire. This tonal balance allows the story to explore serious emotional territory, the grief of a breakup metaphor, the fear of losing oneself in a relationship, while maintaining a genre-appropriate lightness that prevents the material from becoming truly heavy.

• horror comedy
• genre blend
• tonal balance
• absurdism

Max is an ardent horror enthusiast who struggles with Evelyn's dominant personality while yearning for his own identity and desires. He prioritizes his romantic relationship but feels suffocated by Evelyn's control. After her death and return, Max must navigate his conflicting feelings, his love for her versus the terrifying reality of what she's become, while finding the strength to claim his own independence.

Foreshadowing: Max's horror fandom is established early, hinting at his comfort with the fantastical events that follow.

• max character
• horror fan
• identity
• relationships

Evelyn is an intense environmentalist whose strong commitment to sustainability creates tension in her relationship with Max. After her death, she returns as a flesh-eating undead creature, bringing both tragedy and horror to the story. Her transformation complicates the dynamic with Max, as he must confront not just the loss of the person he loved, but a terrifying version of her that embodies control and consumption.

Foreshadowing: Evelyn's dominant personality and intensity plant the seeds for her possessive post-mortem behavior.

• evelyn
• zombie
• transformation
• environmentalism

Travis is Max's laid-back half-brother who provides comic relief throughout the chaos. He offers quirky advice that often leads to unexpected outcomes and evolves into a pivotal character as events take a dark turn. His relationship with Max illustrates the struggles of brotherhood set against the horror backdrop, and his own fate adds a whimsical, bittersweet element to the ending.

• travis
• brother
• comic relief
• supporting character

Olivia owns the ice cream shop and shares Max's fascination with horror, making her a natural connection amid the chaos. Initially caught in the emotional turmoil of Max's relationship with Evelyn, she evolves into a source of hope and new beginnings. She represents creativity and resilience, ultimately becoming a key figure in Max's journey toward healing and a fresh start.

• olivia
• ice cream shop
• new love
• healing

Burying the Ex has a dark tone centered on death, reanimation, and a possessive zombie girlfriend, but this is frequently undercut by comedic elements and romantic comedy structure. The intensity is medium, high-stakes moments exist but are balanced with humor, creating an overall experience that is more whimsical than truly dark, especially given the happy ending.

• tone
• dark comedy
• horror romance
• genre blend

The film ends happily, with Max finding new love with Olivia and achieving business success. However, the presence of the undead Travis adds a whimsical, bittersweet edge to the conclusion. The ending suggests that Max has finally found a balance between love and independence, though the lingering supernatural element keeps the conclusion grounded in the film's horror-comedy universe.

• ending
• happy ending
• bittersweet
• new beginning