Before Superman, Lex Luthor Actor Nicholas Hoult Starred In One Of The Best Zombie Movies Ever

Nicholas Hoult has made a name for himself by building an eclectic acting career spanning over twenty years, from his breakthrough as a child star in 2003's "About a Boy" to his Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of the mad Emperor Peter III in the Hulu television series "The Great." Hoult's star reaches new heights in 2025's "Superman," where he plays the legendary comic book supervillain Lex Luthor. Hoult is the latest in a long line of iconic actors who have portrayed Superman's archenemy, but fans looking to sink their teeth into another excellent Nicholas Hoult movie should check out the 2013 zombie romantic comedy (or zom-rom-com), "Warm Bodies."

In "Warm Bodies," Hoult plays "R," a hoodie-clad zombie who doesn't remember his name or his previous life but still holds onto a sliver of consciousness — and a fondness for Bruce Springsteen records. When R encounters Julie (Teresa Palmer), a gun-toting survivor from the last human territory on Earth, she jumpstarts his cold, dead heart. And it's not just love at first sight — R begins to return to life.

Directed by Jonathan Levine, "Warm Bodies" is the rare zombie movie told from an undead character's point of view, with Hoult's fantastic voiceover adding humor and heart to his grunting ghoul. A genre monster mash-up with teeth, "Warm Bodies" is now considered one of the best zombie movies of all time.

"Warm Bodies" begins eight years after the zombie apocalypse left the world overrun by "Corpses," fresh zombies who retain vague attachments to their human lives, and "Boneys," walking skeletons who have no traces of humanity left. R is a Corpse who is bored with his aimless undead existence — wandering around an abandoned airport, groaning at his zombie friend, M (Rob Corddry), and occasionally eating the brains of unlucky human scavengers.

R's afterlife changes forever when zombies ambush a group of humans hunting for medical supplies. Seeing the tough and beautiful Julie, R's heart beats for the first time since his death — but that doesn't stop him from killing and devouring the brains of her boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco). Suddenly and unexpectedly infused with Perry's memories of Julie, R helps her escape the carnage. The pair evade the Boneys to return to Colonel Grigio (John Malkovich), Julie's father and the leader of the human resistance. But even if the unlikely duo manage to bridge the distance between humans and zombies, can Julie forgive R for eating her boyfriend?

As the names R and Julie winkingly suggest, "Warm Bodies" is a modern, pulse-pounding update to William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." (The two even share a romantic moment on a balcony.) By embracing its offbeat romance, "Warm Bodies" abandons the nihilism that has long infected the zombie genre, proving there's still life in it yet.

Nicholas Hoult's filmography boasts an array of colorful, unconventional characters, including but not limited to Nux the War Boy in the post-apocalyptic thrill ride "Mad Max: Fury Road," the furry, blue, intellectual mutant Beast in "X-Men: First Class" and its superheroic sequels, and the tormented Jonathan Harker in 2024's haunting remake of "Nosferatu."

R fits right in with this motley crew – he is a flesh-eating zombie, after all. But "Warm Bodies" is more than just quirky; it's also the rare example of the latest Lex Luthor playing the romantic lead, and Hoult imbues R with vulnerability and charm — even when he's choking on a mouthful of gray matter.

While "Warm Bodies" knows not to take itself too seriously, what really makes the film work, either as a zombie movie or a "Romeo and Juliet" pastiche, is having Hoult as its anchor. There have been many memorable ghouls running and shambling on film, but Hoult's R gives the zombie back its soul, making "Warm Bodies" a must-see.