This film should be the staple of any movie-goer.

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2011)

As a normal movie-goer, I feel as though it's rather difficult to find a quality modern horror film. A lot of the films you buy tickets to watch today lack originality, they don't grip you like some of the classics would, they feel void of meaning. "Shaun of the Dead" blasts through all of these barriers, providing its own unique approach to the genre, engaging you in the plot, and provides a meaningful theme that even a lot of classics don't have.
It's hard to sustain anything other than adrenaline when the focus is on horror alone. This is why it's not uncommon to see horror films paired with comedy -- it induces a little thought into the movie. "They Live," "American Werewolf in London," and the Holy Grail of the combo (at least for me) "Army of Darkness" all employ this tactic successfully. Extreme cheesiness the likes of which we see in "Re-Animator" sometimes works out great, and one might expect that in a self-described romantic comedy-horror. Strangely enough, the cheese is absent. So what does "Shaun of the Dead" provide that is unique? The Pegg-Frost force plays out great, and the subtlety, the one-liners, the goofiness, all fit together perfect and complement the horror. The movie delivers on its promise. It is a >romantic comedy< with horror coming second. You'll get a kick out of the way the issues of basic survival take back seat to the characters' concerns for their relationships.
It is these relationships which illustrate the characters above the two-dimensional. It is a contradiction. As a horror movie, you're waiting for these characters to be food for a ravenous horde of zombies. By the end, you're on the edge of your seat to see how the characters' relationship problems work themselves out. It's not enough to scare the crap out of you (wouldn't be very funny if it was), but it is enough to keep you concerned.
By the end, you can see how the plot works full circle. It speaks to the mundaneness of life. The main character was not fond of the cycle (implied by the banal routines of himself and those around him) he was trapped in because it was pushing him away from the person he loves. Small changes did not help him. It required a huge change in order for him to break this routine and possibly reestablish his relationship, and this change is practically forced upon him by the disaster he and his friends experience. This is true for all the characters, as they are able to speak their minds and resolve conflicts in relationships as the movie carries on. In a parallel fashion, we can look at ourselves and find aspects of our routine that we dislike and can't seem to break out of. Maybe you tried to quit smoking by smoking fewer and fewer cigarettes each day. Did you fail? Try quitting cold turkey, taking up exercising, and reforming the relationships you have. Keep those routines that you are fond of, and move away RIGHT NOW from all of those which bother you.
"Shaun of the Dead" is an excellent, funny movie. If you haven't seen it yet, you're seven years behind.