“Shaun of the Dead” (2004) is not only the best zombie comedy of all time, but a case could be made that it uses zombies as a commentary device more effectively than straight horror films. As it puts Brits Edgar Wright (director and co-writer) and Simon Pegg (co-writer and titular star) on the map, the movie illustrates how zombies “are us, and we are them” (to quote “Night of the Living Dead” 1990) but without putting it in the dialog.
Instead, a lot of the comedy is dry and understated, although easy to notice – for a viewer, not Shaun. In an opening montage, a tired Shaun shuffles from his flat to the nearby convenience store, oblivious to his surroundings. The next morning, he repeats the routine, and we viewers see that everyone is a zombie and this area of London is a disaster zone.
Slow Zombies, but brisk comedy
In a story where people die – including Shaun’s friends and family – it’s hard to keep a balance wherein it’s both funny and emotional. Wright never wavers. “Shaun” doesn’t have jittery Aughts action scenes, and the undead are throwback Slow Zombies, yet the story and gags move briskly.
“Shaun of the Dead” (2004)
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield
Moments of quick, dry British humor have me laughing even more so than the broad premise of Shaun and friends trying to make it to their favorite pub to hole up. Shaun’s girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) asks everyone to try out their zombie impressions before they blend in with the crowd to shuffle to the pub. She’s impressed with the blank expression of Shaun’s mom’s (Penelope Wilton), but she had simply zoned out for a moment: “Sorry, I was miles away.”
When Shaun and flatmate Ed (Nick Frost, a regular Wright/Pegg collaborator) initially kill zombies by flinging vinyl LPs like the Predator’s deadly discs, they carefully pick through Shaun’s collection. They preserve some first pressings, but toss others, such as the “Batman” ’89 soundtrack.
“Shaun” offers extra treats for those familiar with zombie fiction, like when the duo calls Shaun’s mom to tell her they’re going to bring her to safety: “We’re coming to get you, Barbara.”
Back in George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) – the progenitor of modern zombie lore – we get snippets of information about the outbreak via spotty TV and radio news. In “Shaun,” our knowledge likewise comes in snippets, but it’s because Shaun and Ed – with modern short attention spans — flip through the channels rapidly, before newscasters’ sentences are completed.
Comedy for zombie fans and non-fans
But even if this is your first zombie film, you’ll be laughing from the start. Wright undercuts romance genre cliches starting with the opening pub conversation between Shaun and Liz that gets increasingly absurd as the frame expands. Everyone they’re talking about – Ed, plus Liz’s two friends (including “The Office’s” Lucy Davis) – is nearby and can hear them.
“Shaun” is shot using the language of comedy, and as such Wright and Pegg can actually use Romero’s zombie lore straight up. It becomes an absurdist backdrop for the personal interactions and daily-grind activities. Every common problem – like Shaun’s and Liz’s relationship strife – immediately becomes absurd when placed against the zombie hordes.
The movie can also be juvenile (Ed’s silent farts accompanied by an “I’m sorry, Shaun” as the smell arrives) and a product of its time (“Gaaayyyyy” is Ed’s response to every genuine feeling expressed by Shaun). But I actually like that type of humor, and I think it’s hilarious that Ed doesn’t change one bit even amid an apocalypse.
There’s always room for innovation in a genre, even one that’s (un)dead. But “Shaun of the Dead” is so easily confident and lands so many broad gags and dry zingers that it’s hard to imagine it will be topped among zom-coms.