One of the best British romantic zombie comedies ever made

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2004)

As a lover of sublime sitcom Spaced, like millions of fans waiting for Shaun of the Dead, i never imagined writer and star Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright could repeat their magic for the big screen. Thankfully i was wrong. SOTD is one of the freshest, most enjoyable British films i've ever seen and boasts more inventive one liners and set pieces staged for a low budget British movie. Pegg is on fine form as the hopeless electrical store salesman who finds his authority threatened by a surly teenage co-worker, his love life is on the rocks and he doesn't get on with his step dad. His housemate is a loveably offensive drug dealer who spends all day lounging around the house playing computer games, while Shaun's entire social life seems to consist of going to the pub. When zombies appear in London, Shaun rises to the occasion and leads his band of friends and relatives in a full on battle again the living dead. Familiar faces from Spaced, the excellent Nick Frost, Peter Serafinowicz, Julia Deakin (in a brief cameo) and some from Black Books (also a Nira Park production) Dylan Moran and Tamsin Greig, make this a delight while Lucy Davis and Martin Freeman from the office also appear. Bill Nighy has a short but memorable appearance as Pegg's screen stepfather Phillip and while the first half of the film is hilarious, the second half turns into a genuine horror film as Shaun and friends tackle an army of excellent zombies. An instant cult classic which some will find disturbing. However, despite the modest budget, Wright and Pegg have done a fantastic job of delivering one of the best films of the year, and indeed the decade. The fact that i couldn't wait for it to finish so i could watch it all again is testament to its quality. More soon please. 10/10