“You haven’t lived until you have loved.” Whether or not “Warm Bodies” author Isaac Marion heard this quote before publishing his book in Nov. 2011 is irrelevant. What is intriguing is how this twisted “Beauty and the Beast” like tale made its way to the silver screen in rather surprisingly successful fashion.

Nicholas Hoult plays a zombie by the name of R. While eating brains still fits into the mold, the rest of his character doesn’t fit the stereotype of any zombie predecessor. Viewers catch a quick insight into the depth of R during his opening voiceover monologue, and before long it’s noticeable that this genre mash-up’s lead character is one of unique complexity.

The first visible and tangible altercation to the blood hungry protagonist happens when his black zombie eyes bestow themselves upon the lovely Julie. Teresa Palmer plays the part of this damsel in distress at the onset of “Warm Bodies.” Before long, though, she is seen as strong and rationally rooted with immense footholds in the idea that there is a possible cure to help these reanimated corpses. Without even knowing it, she is the answer to her own hopes.

Watching Hoult and Palmer work together on screen is easy, and audiences should credit their obvious fluidity to director and screenwriter Jonathan Levine. Using a combination of cute quirkiness along with strangely accurate real life inner-dialogues, Levine explores the depths of the dead soul of R at a brisk and comfortable pace. The character’s actions are never rushed or short-changed. Instead there is a well-executed parallel between the transformation of R in both the physical and emotional state.

Throughout the film, there are constant symbolic moments. The most obvious form of symbolism comes at the end of the film when R and Julie fall into a pool of water in the midst of terrible peril. While it’s a cliché in itself, the idea of a rebirth or baptism into a new life is blatantly apparent. “Warm Bodies” uses water, whether it is rain, a shower or a pool, to hint at a turning point on numerous occasions.

The film has a strong cast of supporting characters and Rob Corddry anchors it. The man linked to some very unflattering comedies delivers knockout moments playing R’s zombie best friend. His character, M, undergoes the same changes as his zombie buddy, he defends his undead pal to the end, bringing memorable one-liners along the way. Dave Franco, John Malkovich and Analiegh Tipton performed other notable minor roles.

“Warm Bodies” deserves credit for its ability to embrace the oddity of its story and deceptively deep characters. Audiences will find themselves connecting with R, and while the movie may seem unattractive or off-putting, just remember “what wonderful thing didn’t start out scary?”