Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - Film Review

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield & Penelope Wilton

Screenplay: Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Certificate: 15

 

Despite starting out as a relatively small British film, the popularity and acclaim received by Shaun Of The Dead has exploded. The first film in The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, Shaun Of The Dead is a mix of a romantic comedy and a horror film. It is well regarded by filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, and audiences alike - being voted the third best comedy film of all time in a Channel 4 poll. So does Shaun Of The Dead deserve all these glowing reviews?

 

Shaun is a 29 year-old shop employee who currently has little direction in his life. While Shaun does have things he wants to do in life, he is held back by various things around him, including his crude flatmate Ed. However, following a break-up with his girlfriend Liz, Shaun becomes motivated to get his life back on track. At the same time, the dead start to return to life. This gives Shaun the chance he needs to prove himself to his friends and to his girlfriend by getting everyone to safety. This is a fairly simple yet funny plot, but it's the execution of this story that takes Shaun Of The Dead from being a good film to a masterpiece.

 

The titular Shaun is easily my favourite character here. He is incredibly relatable to many in the audience, and I know that myself and others have gone through similar phases in the past. We know that Shaun's idleness doesn't make him a bad person, rather someone with unclear goals. His character is also one of the funniest in the film, particularly in the first act and how long it takes for him and Ed to see the zombie apocalypse happening around them. Even when the two do learn of this, Shaun's plan to save everyone is ridiculous yet hilarious. We also have Nick Frost as Ed. Ed is a character that must have been very difficult to get right - having to make sure that the more adult comedy is delivered in a way that doesn't make the character unlikeable. For the most part, Nick Frost manages to pull it off, and while some of his actions may make him come across as selfish, the last scene that he and Shaun share in The Winchester redeems him completely. 

 

The supporting cast are also really strong. While they might not get as much focus as Shaun or Ed, they all contribute to the film, and each actor does a fantastic job. Firstly, we have Shaun’s girlfriend Liz. As the love interest of the film, Liz is a really good multi-layered character. She's tough, but fair to the people around her, especially Shaun. Simon Pegg and Kate Ashfield also share some of their best moments of the entire film, particularly towards the end. We also have David, who is essentially the straight-man of the group. He may follow the most practical route, but he is intentionally unlikeable, as he is made to look during the scenes in the Winchester. Meanwhile, Dianne mainly brings a lot of manic energy to the group. However, she still has her part to play, particularly in teach the group how to blend into a zombie hoard.

 

We also have Shaun’s mum and step-dad, Barbara and Phillip. Barbara, is easily one of the nicest and most likeable characters ever seen in a film and Penelope Wilton is perfect casting. This only serves to make her demise at the end of the film all the more tear-jerking. Meanwhile, Phillip may not be one of the deepest or most developed characters, and certainly not one of the most impactful, but Bill Nighy does a great job. Initially it seems that he and Shaun will never get on, but once the group start escaping zombies in the car, Phillip’s words to Shaun really prove this to be wrong. 

 

So while the cast are terrific, for me, the best thing about Shaun Of The Dead is the screenplay from Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. It’s probably one of the best scripts ever written. While the second and third acts follow the zombie chaos, my favourite act of the film is definitely the first. This is simply because of how fantastic it is at setting up character arcs, introducing the zombie threat, while also foreshadowing future events. The character arcs of Shaun Of The Dead are truly wonderful, especially Shaun’s. For example, at first Shaun can’t climb up to the window of David and Dianne’s flat. Later, he’s able to climb up to the window and get in, without much hassle. This might be a tiny thing, but it helps to show how his character really changes over the course of the film.

 

The dialogue here is near-perfect. Just look at the scene where Ed tries to comfort Shaun after his break-up with Liz. Here, Ed pretty much tells Shaun the plot of the film:

 

 “Have some Blood Mary’s at home, stagger back here, and do some shots”.

 

Pick this apart, and you’ll see that having some Bloody Mary’s at home translates to Simon and Ed having to defend themselves at home from a zombie called Mary. Staggering back to the pub is something they literally do, whilst having to blend in with the zombies. Having shots there foreshadows the shootout they’ll have with the zombies in the pub. The zombies and the zombie apocalypse also manages to blend perfectly with the romantic-comedy plot. Whilst Shaun and Ed remain oblivious to the zombie apocalypse as it begins, we see numerous tiny hints at what’s going on in London. Whether it be brief snippets of TV programmes, blurred out zombie-looking figures in the background, or traffic disruption around them. In fact, there are so many, that I wouldn’t hesitate in saying that every time you watch Shaun Of The Dead, you’ll discover something new about it. This is something that makes it infinitely re-watchable.

 

While the horror aspects are nailed, Shaun Of The Dead is also a hilarious comedy throughout, from the first act of everyday humour, to the third act, where the humour mainly stems from the chaos caused by the zombies. Throughout the film, the extras playing the zombies are eerily convincing, and the makeup effects look great. As Shaun Of The Dead is a romantic comedy with zombies, it could have easily fallen into the trap of having the threat being goofy, silly and pointless. However, it doesn’t do that. The zombies are a constant and very real threat, managing to kill nearly all the supporting cast, and often in very gruesome ways. The third act descends into chaos with broken glass, huge fires, blood, guts, and hundreds of zombies. However, it’s still really funny, especially when Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" starts playing through the speakers and the characters start arguing about what the word “exacerbate” means. Whilst Edgar Wright’s direction was spectacular in the first two acts, the third act is where it shines even more. Edgar Wright makes use of fantastic shots and camerawork to make Shaun Of The Dead better still. In fact, the production values all around look amazing and I struggled to believe that it was all made on the low budget of $4m.

 

In conclusion, Shaun Of The Dead is a timeless masterpiece of film, and is often and understandably regarded as the best of the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. While Hot Fuzz will always hold a more special place in my heart, I can understand and support people’s opinions in rating it so highly. With some of the best screenplay writing I’ve ever known in film, a fantastic cast, managing to be constantly funny yet scary throughout, and incredibly high production values, I can't recommend this film enough.

 

 

Shaun Of The Dead



10/10