Review: Shaun Of The Dead
(Originally reviewed in 2012)
Shaun of The Dead works because of two things. 1: It’s very funny, and 2: It’s characters are all very relatable. The titular Shaun is the lazy every-man, content with things just being the same and nothing changing, his best friend Ed is the mate you all have that does nothing but slow you down but without him your life’s a bore. Liz is the neglected girlfriend fed up of Shaun’s lack of ambition and David and Di are her two friends that you just hang out with to keep her happy. The audience can identify with at least one of the characters which helps immerse them into the film and actually care about the characters.
What’s truly brilliant about the film is that you get to learn about the characters and their relationships, aside from the fleeting moments that hint at something you don’t actually get any true zombie action until about 25-30 minutes into the film. By the time the zombies do arrive we know the characters well enough to understand them and their actions and to actually get upset when one of them dies which they will do. It also helps that several of the cast already knew each other so their relationships seemed more real, e.g. Simon and Nick being best friends in real life.
The film is the feature debut of the now great Edgar Wright and it’s hard to believe this is his first major film because he’s so good behind the camera. Utilising several zombie movie clichés to great comedic effect and a lot of references some subtle, some in your face and some you don’t even notice at first. There’s also a genuine amount of care that went into this film that you don’t notice at first, little details that pop up every now and again – I made a list about it earlier – which show this was a true creation of love, it wasn’t a quick cash grab the makers of this film were really behind it.
The film is also very funny which is a bonus, this is probably one of the first horror/comedy film and certainly the first to do it right. But while starting off funny it doesn’t stay that way, after all the sly comments and slapstick humour you’re lulled into a sense of security but when the third act rolls around this stops being a comedy film with zombies and becomes a zombie film with comedic elements and some truly sad and shocking moments. The sudden change is quite shocking but the brass balls they had to have this change in tone makes the film all the better and raises it above and beyond the usual horror/comedy.
In terms of acting, Simon Pegg is brilliant as Shaun, as mentioned above he doesn’t care about change but it isn’t until he’s dumped that he realises he needs to change. Of course the zombie outbreak is both a curse and a blessing as he’s giving a chance to prove himself. Nick Frost is the standout as the useless but loveable Ed with some great lines and hilarious moments, Dylan Moran – in a rare sober role – is truly unlikable as twat David and Kate Ashfield manages to keep Liz likeable even after her dumping our hero. There are no difficult roles here but everyone is great and can keep up with the light-hearted comedy and the more emotional moments.
Overall, an absolutely brilliant film with great direction, great comedy and great acting, everything about this is just fantastic, highly recommended.
9/10