Matthew McConaughey's First Movie Role Was In This Teen Romance Zombie Flick

Long before Matthew McConaughey teamed up with Bradley Cooper for Uber Eats commercials, he was just another young actor trying to catch a break. This meant occasionally starring in some disreputable horror flicks like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation," which sees the actor play a serial killer named Vilmer Slaughter. Still, at least horror fans remember his performance in that movie, unlike his outing in the romantic "My Boyfriend's Back."

Directed by Bob Balaban, "My Boyfriend's Back" tells the story of a teenage boy (Andrew Lowery) who returns from the dead to woo the most beautiful girl at school (Traci Lind). But can he stop his skin from deteriorating long enough to take her to prom? The concept is a literal play on the idea that true love never dies, and McConaughey has a small role as a guy who's puzzled by the unlikely romance.

McConaughey isn't the only future A-lister who shows up in "My Boyfriend's Back," either. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Matthew Fox also appear as background players, while Renee Zellweger – who also starred in the aforementioned "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" sequel — was originally included in a scene that got cut. "My Boyfriend's Back" had no problem attracting talented performers, but the horror comedy is a footnote in their respective careers. 

"My Boyfriend's Back" isn't one of the essential zombie movies fans should watch at least once. The film received mostly negative reviews following its release, as evidenced by its 13% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics taking issue with its tone and story. In a negative review for the Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas argued that the decision to make "My Boyfriend's Back" a lighthearted horror comedy works against the movie. "It's a premise that calls for pitch-dark satire to have a prayer of succeeding, but instead has a disastrous tone of sunny sitcom jauntiness," he wrote.

Rita Kempley of The Washington Post gave the film an even more scathing review, noting that it's sickeningly bad. "In terms of taste and sophistication, 'My Boyfriend's Back' is on a par with plastic vomit. A gross comedy about a teenage zombie's romance with the prettiest girl in school, it is cheaply made, thoroughly cliched and absolutely guaranteed to turn your stomach."

Fortunately, Matthew McConaughey's career didn't suffer from his name being attached to the critically reviled horror comedy. The actor has built a strong resume since then, lending his talents to one of the best sci-fi movies of all time and other acclaimed gems. However, fans might have fun hunting down "My Boyfriend's Back" to see where it all started for the acclaimed actor.