Edgar Wright gets the most out of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2017)

I could have easily highlighted the performance of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in this review for how good they were - and to some extent I will - but I want to focus on Edgar Wright's direction, because I think that it, beyond the wonderful script and performances, is what makes this movie as funny and entertaining as it is.
I reviewed Scott Pilgrim vs. The World a little while back and in that review, I noted Wright's use of quick cuts to add comedic effect and speed up of the pace of the film. He continues to use that in Shaun of the Dead and to even better effect. The quick cuts and close ups of Pegg and Frost are often hilarious because of the way they move from action to reaction quickly. It doesn't give the audience to process any other reaction than the one we see on Simon Pegg's face at that given moment. Speaking of Pegg, his and Frost's performances add another layer to the already funny film. Wright puts Pegg and Frost in positions to show off what makes them hilarious. Their friendship is front and center in the film - even to the point of interfering with Pegg's character's other relationship. One scene in particular that I really enjoyed between the two friends is when the apocalypse first breaks out and they are trying to kill the zombies and realize that you have to aim at the head. Wright immediately cuts quickly to them in the backyard going through a vinyl collection, bantering back and forth, and trying to hit the zombies in the head with the vinyls. It's the combination of the absurdity of these two men trying to navigate something as serious as the zombie apocalypse in combination with Edgar Wright's direction that makes this movie absolutely worth your time.