absolutely brilliant

Rating: Null/10 (2 October 2004)

I'm not particularly a fan of British humor but I am a fan of zombie movies and I thought this one was a unique and entertaining example of the genre. On the surface this is a funny movie that plays on all the conventions of the zombie genre. There are lots of inside jokes and references to other zombie movies from Night of the Living dead up to 28 Days Later (with a news caster commenting about "Rage infected monkeys"). On a slightly deeper level there is a lot of social commentary about how the citizens of the modern, industrialized world are increasingly difficult to tell apart from zombies. But even the social commentary in the movie comes across as very self conscious because it is commenting on the same themes that Romero did 20 years ago. On a technical note, I think the lighting was very effective for a lower budget movie and the editing was exceptional (especially the intro sequence with the seamless wipes across the screen from one shot to the next while Shaun goes about his morning routine). Overall I would say that any fan of zombie movies will really enjoy Shaun of the Dead but it's also entertaining enough that it will appeal to people who aren't fans of horror, zombies or British humor.