In the world of cinema, the modern comedy film has become a bit stale. Sure, you’ll always have your Anchorman‘s, your Superbad‘s, and your Neighbors. There will always be movies with witty (or stupid, depending on your taste) dialogue, perfectly awkward situations, and hilarious one-liners. And that’s completely fine. I may be a fan of experimental art cinema, but I can quote the entire script from Stepbrothers and I still watch it religiously with my friends. However, comedy films have devolved from an art from into something…well, something a little less impressive.
Shaun of the Dead is a fairly straightforward zombie flick. Shaun is a 29 year old who spends his days working a dead end job at an appliance store, and his nights drinking with his deadbeat friend at the Winchester Tavern. When the zombie apocalypse spreads through London, Shaun must save his family and friends from their gory doom.
What makes this movie different from so many other horror-comedies is the way that Wright is able to get laughs in so many different ways. He has the memorable and quotable one-liners (“Don’t forget to kill Philip!”), but he also has so much more. Take the first scene, for example. We see Shaun having a conversation with his girlfriend about his “loser” friend. It isn’t until halfway through the scene that the camera finally shows that his friend is right by his side, listening to the entire conversation.
Shaun of the Dead is a cult classic for a reason. It has the same quotability and hilarious jokes of any other comedy, but it’s the other, more subtle, ways of making the audience laugh that truly puts it above and beyond. Edgar Wright stands as an example to his peers, and hopefully other directors can take his lead in creating more engaging and original comedies.
My Personal Rating: 7.5/10
Shaun of the Dead is available for checkout at the Iowa City Public Library, and is available for download on iTunes