100 Finest Films - Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead – 2004, Edgar Wright
The best thing about ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is funnily enough the thing I didn’t really notice until watching it for this review. It’s very British. It seems obvious, but I’m so used to living in Britain, all those little “British” things don’t seem unusual. Things like Cornettos, football and the local pub all feel very natural, not shoved in to make the film ‘feel’ British like a lot of films meant for abroad, but unavoidably are unique to this country. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ works so well because of this familiarity, this is a story of a guy I could easily know, and what most people would do if one day, for some reason, the dead walked the earth. The majority of British films to get noticed in mainstream cinema are romantic comedies and such, and that’s exactly what ‘Shaun’ is. It’s a sweet, well written and acted rom-com. It’s funny but quirky; it feels a lot like ‘Spaced’, which is natural considering all the talent involved. Its very much part of the new comedy culture we’ve seen on Channel 4 for the last few years. The script is inspired: What if, in the middle of a good rom-com, there were zombies? The zombies are legitimately gory, scary and threatening. The characters are ignorant of what’s going on for a long time, and its this juxtaposition that makes it funny, not the creatures themselves. Once things get a little worse for the group, we see the zombies as genuine horror. The film is directed with a distinct, snappy flavour that keeps a pace going throughout. Some shots are very impressive, the repeated following of Shaun to the shop and back in one take, before and after Z-Day, or the shot of Shaun’s feet going up a kiddie slide to look over a fence, coming back down, announcing the news, then panning up and moving back to show us what he saw, all in one, look fantastic. The well chosen costume of Shaun’s red tie and white shirt will probably be iconic when the film gets older, just one example of the good costumes and set design. The cast is fantastic, and there are many cameos from major British comedians. Music plays a major part; it’s so great to hear ‘Zombie Nation’ again after a few years, and in such a memorable way. The film also has the best use of any Queen song ever. There really aren’t any problems with the film, only missed opportunities with the characters and concept that leave the film feeling like its not all it could be, which I guess is up to the viewers imagination as to what they’d like to see, but overall the best zombie jokes are here, without stuffing the film so full it becomes a spoof. It’s not a spoof, its just a Zom-Rom-Com, and the film will date far better for it.

Best Moment: While holding up in the pub, the landlord returns, looking for a tasty bit of brain. The music choice and the method of attack are hysterical, and the best line in the film comes right here.