SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)

In Shaun of the Dead, our eponymous protagonist is stuck in a rut. Shaun (Simon Pegg) ambles through life like a zombie (figuratively, at least). While this sentient way of living seems to be draining him of his energy and optimism, not only does Shaun not deviate from going through the motions, he is so locked into this lifestyle that he shows no ability to change. Shaun is the perfect everyman character, oafish but relatable, underachieving in life and lacking self-discipline and motivation. Even when he resolves to make more of an effort with his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) to spice up their humdrum routine, his promise to book them a table at “the place that does all the fish” falls flat when he gets so absorbed in his day-to-day activities that he forgets to make a reservation.

I can’t think of a more perfect representation of a zombified existence than his. Co-writers Edgar Wright (who also directs) and Pegg understand this well, with a humorous opening credits sequence that shows how people wander through life like the undead, stumbling forward or going about their tasks aimlessly with a glazed-over look in their eyes. Even amongst strangers in the background of some of the early scenes, one can see the parallels between going through the motions of a monotonous schedule and the typical behaviour of a zombie. There are also some really fun moments where Shaun and his best mate Ed (Nick Frost) mistake zombies for pissed-up late-night revellers.

More humour is found in the everyday, with fast-paced montages for the most mundane of activities, like getting ready in the morning. As a toilet is flushed and jam is spread on toast, the VFX and harsh zoom-ins in these sequences would have you think you’re watching a group of bank or casino robbers preparing for a grand heist. What could make for a bland scene instead finds a clever way to poke fun at its banality. These montages propel the story forward and make it feel as if it’s constantly buoyant, with tight plotting and expertly-timed jokes ensuring that the film’s runtime, at just under 100 minutes, never drags.

These are just some of the many ways that Wright uses his impeccable comic timing to create one of the best pieces of visual comedy ever produced. Eschewing humour that is solely depicted through generic shot-reverse-shot sequences and the words and noises articulated by the characters, Shaun of the Dead manipulates its environment to strike comedy gold. As just one example, sometimes an object being moved will reveal a character lurking in the background, with Shaun closing a mirror in his bathroom on two notable occasions to suddenly see Pete behind him. The first time we see that Pete is looking livid, while the second time only his silhouette can be glimpsed from behind the shower curtain.

Knowing exactly how to extract humour from these moments, it’s the jump scare of Pete standing behind Shaun that’s more striking than his roommate’s silhouette, even though this latter example should be far more terrifying since it confirms that Pete has become a zombie. Shaun and Ed’s total obliviousness is so pronounced that any upset to their slacker routine, like Pete’s no-nonsense attitude, is more alarming than the world being in disarray.

While absent-mindedly flicking through programmes on TV, Shaun inadvertently learns of the incoming influx of zombies through the words spoken on different channels, forming an illogically coherent sentence that spells out humanity’s doom. Wright and Pegg cleverly stitched together lines from newscasters, reality TV presenters and Morrissey lyrics to craft this message, all for Shaun to be so oblivious that even while channel-hopping he fails to pick up on what’s calling out to him.

Shaun of the Dead also features one of the most exhaustive amounts of callbacks in a feature film. Shockingly, almost all of them are seamless, where the joke stands on its own merits or a passing comment is organic enough that you don’t expect it to resurface again. Shaun is told on numerous occasions that “you’ve got red on you”, which indicates the ink from his pen spilling in his shirt pocket, and then is a reference to him being doused in zombie blood. Pete’s anger about Shaun and Ed constantly leaving the door open is also a brilliant reincorporation, as even when the two hapless friends decide to pay attention to the news, it’s only when they’re instructed by a newscaster to lock all doors that they even think to check theirs. And voilà, the door is open, with zombies invading their home.

In a heated argument with Shaun about how much Ed is holding him back, Pete says that Ed should go live in a shed if he wants to behave like an animal. That he does. When Ed says that the next time he sees Pete he’s dead, his threat technically comes true. And when Shaun directs Ed on where to shoot in Ed’s videogame, the inverse of this occurs during the shootout at the Winchester just before the film’s climax. These references feel endless, with these three examples simply being a teaser of the treasure trove of callbacks in this film.

What’s truly astonishing is how these moments never feel as if they’re setting up any reincorporation, or that they need to be referenced again to be worthwhile. Pete’s outburst to Ed is funny on its own merits, while also being easy to relate to given that Pete is the only sensible adult in this conversation. Ed’s threat of violence is hilariously pathetic given that his only comebacks to his roommate are snide comments uttered under his breath. The detail of Shaun advising Ed on what move to make in his videogame highlights both men’s obliviousness to their negative qualities: Shaun is meant to be listening to Pete but allows himself to become distracted, while Ed knows he is being disparaged but is so committed to being a slob that he couldn’t care less.

Such traits are consistent with these two characters, whose endearing friendship doesn’t make up for how frustrating it is to watch their lack of ambition. Ed becoming a more productive member of society is too far-fetched to believe in, but Shaun, for all his faults, recognises that he needs to improve in some areas. He’s an easy character to pity, especially when this leads to heartbreak after Liz is fed up with his behaviour (rightly so), and dumps him. This results in a drunken night of revelry with Ed, where Shaun drowns his woes in drink and returns to his wayward life.

It’s no wonder that this general malaise causes them to be so woefully ignorant of society falling to ruin around them, with an excellent one-take tracking shot of Shaun walking to the local corner shop. In the first iteration of this scene, he passes, amongst other things, a man jogging. Minutes later in the second version, this man is running for his life. Yet despite the hilarious repetitions on display, Shaun ambles forward without a care in the world or thought in his brain.

For as much as Shaun of the Dead is a raucous comedy, it nails its dramatic moments, with a layered protagonist at the helm who you genuinely want to succeed. Shaun starts as being relatable in quite a depressing way, where a lot of the audience’s insecurities or anxieties are summed up well in how downtrodden he appears in life. By the end of the film he’s still relatable, but now we seek to emulate his heroism. Though Shaun has had to overcome extraordinary pain, he still ambles on, and no longer in a pathetic way.

Shaun finally comes into his own and takes responsibility for his life (hilariously, only because the world has effectively ended), showing that he can be the better man that Liz and his father-in-law Philip (Bill Nighy) always hoped he would become. But that doesn’t mean that he morphs into an infallible caricature of his former self, as he still exhibits fear in the face of danger and occasionally makes errors. That said, he is a bona fide genius compared to the total fecklessness of Ed and David (Dylan Moran), Liz’s roommate who desperately pines for her. Both men’s selfishness and desire to look on mindlessly from the sidelines is hilarious, with David being a delightfully aggravating character in how he criticises Shaun’s industriousness.

David can barely conceal his adoration of Liz even around his girlfriend Dianne (Lucy Davis). Davis, best known for her grounded portrayal of a smitten receptionist in The Office (2001-03), is cast against type as a flowery, pretentious actress. It works wonderfully, though all of the acting here is fantastic, with Philip and Simon’s mother Barbara (Penelope Wilton) fitting their archetypes perfectly as two older Brits who handwave the breakdown of society. But it’s Pegg who provides the stand-out performance, with the entire film’s emotional appeal and funny insights into the human condition resting on his shoulders.

As Shaun gradually ascends to the hero role, he must make some tough decisions about what he wants out of life. Ed correctly asserts towards the end of the film that he is holding Shaun back, and one gets the sense that he finally understands that this applies in more ways than one. Ed might be a gormless waster who spends more time scratching just above his genitals than thinking about changing his life, but Shaun of the Dead doesn’t seek to cynically minimise Shaun’s friend by removing his humanity. (Fun fact: Nick Frost kept his genitals shaved throughout the movie’s production to create a genuine need to scratch there.)

Even with this film’s tight pacing and constant humour, there’s plenty of room for drama in its latter half, where even the most unsympathetic of characters are fleshed out. Shaun of the Dead remains a masterclass in screenwriting, as well as in using the full extent of its visual and audio elements to enhance the film’s comedy, with constant references to other movies and reincorporated lines of dialogue that make it a joy to rewatch. As it’s set to be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 27 September 2024 for its 20th anniversary, this is as good an opportunity as ever to sink back into this hilarious take on the undead.

UK • FRANCE • USA | 2004 | 99 MINUTES | 2.35:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

director: Edgar Wright.
writers: Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright.
starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy & Penelope Wilton.