An underrated masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2019)

The fact that Shaun of the Dead has gone largely unnoticed by the masses is the biggest sin in the world of cinema to this day. Shaun of the Dead is renowned director Edgar Wright's best film to date - his passion of storytelling, intricate detailing, exciting direction, character building, world building, everything is at its most apparent here.
I think I've seen Shaun of the Dead more than any other movie and I still find things in it that I failed to see on the other viewings every time. Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's screenplay is nothing short of masterful and quite simply one of the best screenplays of all time. Nearly every line of dialogue, every shot, every action, acts as foreshadowing, or as part of a before/after structure that shows character growth and story progression. Every second of film here is put to good use, and there isn't a hair or screen-time you could remove - everything is made integral in the most tight-nit story I've seen to this day. Edgar Wright's direction makes everything fun and entertaining, from his visual comedy, to adding flare to the most mundane tasks such as making toast and tea.
Not to mention, every character is superbly written to be consistent and show growth, or provide the tools for growth in the other characters. Shaun has to be in my top 50 protagonists of all time for being incredibly relateable, likeable, and proactive even while being an Everyman. The performances help so much too, with Nick frost being the standout as he makes a character that could easily be annoying if not played right a charming and hilarious addition to the cast. These aren't your usual zombie movie stereotypes, there are characters the film makes you care and root for.
Speaking of the zombie genre, I believe this film is the best example of how to do a spoof of a genre, as while conventions are somewhat mocked and poked fun at, the story is still intense, the characters are human beings and not over the top caricatures, and most of all the threat is still very real - I first saw this film when I was 7 and some of the zombie moments haunted me for a couple years before I was brave enough to watch it again.
Charming, indescribably clever, and just simply a masterpiece - Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg deserve ALL the oscars for this triumph of film.