Shaun of the Dead

Returning to theaters 20 years after its initial release, Edgar Wright's horror comedy Shaun of the Dead still entertains. Written by Wright and star Simon Pegg, the film gloriously celebrates and mocks both zombie films and romcoms alike in this tale of a zombie apocalypse descending on London while many people are too busy to notice until it's too late. Who best to survive? Bet you didn't have your money on a group led by two of the laziest men in Crouch End. I'll also note that viewing this in a post-COVID world also adds a different flavor to the film (as does viewing any zombie film highlighting humanity's stupidity).

Pegg stars as recently dumped twenty-something Shaun who remains a bit too comfortable in his life and friendship with the boorish Ed (Nick Frost) to take things to the next level with Liz (Kate Ashfield) who dumps him in the film's first 20 minutes before either is aware just how much their world is about to change.

The film has quite a bit of fun pointing out the zombie nature of current society (which, if anything, is even more true today) with multiple examples of the oblivious Shaun missing the zombies around him. Once realizing what has happened, Shaun makes a plan to get Ed, Liz, and his mother (Penelope Wilton) to their local tavern and hole up until things blow over.

Complications occur with the addition of his father-in-law (Bill Nighy) already bitten by a zombie and Liz's friends (Lucy Davis and Dylan Moran) who have mixed reactions to Shaun's plan all joining them. And of course, there the zombies which our group will fight off with records, shovels, cricket bats, and whatever else they can find handy. They'll also use guile at times such as pretending to be zombies themselves to get past a horde of them and into the temporary safety of the Winchester.,

While I prefer Pegg and Wright's similar collaboration Hot Fuzz, mostly because I'm a bigger fan of the action genre than horror (and Frost's character in Fuzz is far more tolerable), Shaun of the Dead has a special place for me along side of films such as Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness which so well mix horror and comedy together (along with some genuine dramatic moments buried under all that cheese). Genuinely funny and creepy, with more heart than you might expect, anyone who never had the opportunity to see the film in theaters should give this one a chance.

Watch the trailer

• Title: Shaun of the Dead
• IMDb: link