Shaun of the Dead is a Bloody Hysterical Time

How are we going to survive this zombie apocalypse?

Shaun of the Dead rose into theaters in 2004. Following the misadventures of Shaun and his best friend Ed, they didn’t expect to fend off a zombie apocalypse that unexpectedly descended on their suburban London town.

I am not fond of zombie films, but I am so glad that my friend introduced me to it. Shaun of the Dead is the best zombie comedy-horror film I have ever seen. Laughing in every scene, Shaun of the Dead puts on a new twist to the zombie trope, taking a more comedic route of a popular genre.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the best as Shaun and Ed. I love the way they played these characters. They aren’t the most reliable characters, often insulting one another and making bad decisions, that’s what makes them fun to watch. We don’t have enough films that represent male relationships. Though they’re sarcastic, their friendship is important to them.

Shaun of the Dead has a great team of comedic actors. Credits include Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Bill Nighy, Dylan Moran, and more. The interactions between the characters are important in their dynamic.

The actors playing the zombies had the most fun out of anyone. Moving in slow motions, groaning, and making strange faces, they had a fun time in this film. The makeup team dolled up actors into gruesome and disturbing zombies with bleak eyes and messed up faces.

Now to talk about the comedy aspect of the film because Edgar Wright excelled at it. The humor is a unique mix of dry British wit, clever visual gags, and well-timed one-liners mostly by Pegg and Frost.

Background comedy is my favorite and this zombie movie is filled with it. The filming technique contributes to the horror-comedy atmosphere. Taking advantage of that zombies move slowly, filmmakers incorporated this one humorous scene where Shaun and Ed find solutions as the zombies near closer to them.

The best example of comedy is when a hungover Shaun walks to the store in this neat one-shot as zombies prowl around him. It makes it funnier that he doesn’t notice them. Another favorite sequence is when Shaun sees if they are safe from the zombies. Only seeing his legs followed by him climbing down from the slide and his reaction is comic gold!

It’s a bonkers film that genuinely incorporates serious and heartwarming moments. Some of the emotional moments actually got me which I was not expecting. As much as the characters argue and share their true feelings, this is a movie about working together.

The soundtrack perfectly complements the on-screen action and overall tone. Songs like ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Electro’ are included.

Heads up (or off is a better term for this zombie film) the violence gets pretty gory. The zombies thrash apart characters in graphic sequences. If violence and gore are not your thing then it’s best to avoid this movie.

Shaun of the Dead is a parody of zombie films. Wright pays tribute to the genre's tropes while simultaneously poking fun at them. As I mentioned, I have not seen a lot of zombie films but this film may have changed my initial reaction to them. I deemed zombie films to be the same, but you have to enforce different tropes and do something different.

Horror comedies are the best. We don’t have enough of them. Shaun of the Dead is the perfect definition of comedy-horror so I highly recommend that you watch this entertaining zombie flick this October.