Some films become cult classics. Shaun of the Dead is richly deserving of this fate, and I’d love to watch this film several times more, on a regular basis. Generally funny, with occasional unexpected-and-all-the-more-impactful-for-that bits of drama, this tale of a London loser in his late 20s trying to get his life together against the backdrop of an unexpected zombie plague is a wonderful gem of a flick. “A romantic comedy … with zombies,” one of the film’s tag lines, is spot on.
The audience’s awareness of the growing horror faster than Shaun’s is part of its charm; the later part of the film as Shaun becomes the kinda-leader of a coterie of friends, family, and hangers-on becomes a bit more forced, but is still entertaining. I saw some bits of the film at the San Diego Comic-con this summer, and am glad it’s finally getting an American outing.
I found the inevitable zombie gore not as off-putting as some, and you can even consider the movie a somewhat thoughtful commentary on how our internal dramas sometimes override our dealing with reality around us. Whatever. It’s funny, bloody, gut-wrenching (sometimes literally), quirky enjoyment.
Funniest line with didn’t get a laugh from the sadly under-educated audience: “We’re coming to get you, Barbara!”
Two slightly gnawed thumbs up.