Shaun of the Dead - The Perfect Film to Watch Whilst You Are Waiting For All This to Blow Over

I thought with all this free time on my hands I would do a deep dive on a few filmmakers that I absolutely love and who else would I start with than the absolutely incredible Edgar Wright, starting with the way too relevant 'Shaun of the Dead'. There's a reason his Cornetto Trilogy is held in such high regard from just about anyone, I have watched these films with so many friends and I am yet to meet someone who doesn't enjoy these films. Wright is living proof that hard work and dedication to filmmaking is what makes genuine pieces of art and 'Shaun of the Dead' is a fascinatingly well constructed and entertaining film that I can rewatch so many times and indulge in something new every time. It is a film that is a rom-com character piece first and a zombie apocalypse action homage second and from the opening Wright makes his intentions clear, focusing on his very well planned out and relatable characters and then letting the apocalypse creep up on the audience afterwards. I love this film so much and could happily watch it on repeat if the apocalypse does come any second.Wright and Pegg have made it clear that his films aren't 'satires' of the genre's they are in and I think that is due to the amount of love and dedication in every frame. It is very firmly a zombie film that revels in being a zombie film whilst simultaneously paying attention to its characters more than most apocalypse films or satires do at all. So many satires just point out the tropes we are familiar with and give up there, anyone can name the hundreds of tropes of zombie films but that isn't as compelling as creating a real proper homage to these films putting the focus on just creating a genuinely entertaining zombie flick. It avoids the 'wink and nod at camera' approach that so many satirical films make nowadays and instead creates comedy out of stakes and characters in the situation. No one is just there to be a trope or poke holes, instead, we have a set of believable characters in a believable apocalyptic setting paying homage to the film's we love. I have said time and time again that comedy needs to come from the characters first because anyone can tell a joke but it works so much better when we get to know these characters. So many jokes here are quotable and memorable because of how brilliant these characters are and that is a testament to Wright and Pegg's screenplay.The first shot of the film is a close up on a broken, drunk and almost zombie-like Shaun staring directly down the barrel of the camera and Wright doesn't waste any time making this character a brilliant starting point for the film. There's something so messy about Shaun which makes him one of my favourite protagonists of all time, he is in such a rut and basically before the first act is over he hits complete and utter rock bottom. It takes a literal apocalypse for Shaun to 'get his life together' as well as he can, a bit of stakes and moments that require him to step up results in a fantastic character arc. He learns to prioritise and to stop taking so much of his life for granted and to actually grow up from his lazy immature life to making a plan for his life. He makes so many mistakes in the first act due to Pegg playing him as this bumbling man with absolutely no social awareness (to the point he almost misses the apocalypse entirely) and then the second the apocalypse arrives he almost becomes an action star and is the only one out of the group that actually takes agency. And of course, the absolutely incredible Nick Frost as Ed plays of Pegg's Shaun wonderfully, as a ridiculous slob of a human, with no ambition and no regard for anything. Ed works as this metaphor for which Shaun must leave behind, literally in the third act as he says goodbye yet the film acknowledges that their friendship is still very important. I just love their dynamic so much and it is so satisfying to watch Shaun stand up for himself and leave behind this life that is going nowhere.I've talked so much about the characters without really acknowledging how ridiculously hilarious this film is. I think it proves how versatile Wright and Pegg are when they work together as they clearly both add very special individual comedic qualities. Pegg is the master of dialogue writing, there are so many hilarious one-liners and conversations that I quote endlessly (Dogs can't look up is comedy history). Combined with a hilarious supporting cast such as Kate Ashfield as Liz, an understated character who is fantastic at seeing through Shaun brilliantly. Dylan Moran as one of the most hateable characters in cinematic history, he plays this arrogant obtuse hypocrite who never owns up to his mistakes (his death scene is hilariously disgusting) and he plays off Lucy Davis' failed actress Dianne who steals so many scenes. So many fantastic actors in relatively small roles such as Penelope Wilton as Shaun's Mum, Bill Nighy, Jessica Hynes and a collection of ridiculously good cameos. The cast offers such diverse comedic moments and it would not work half as well if it wasn't for these performances.And then Wright himself offers his signature impressive skill in ridiculous attention to detail and commitment to constantly fresh editing techniques. When you rewatch it you realise just how many jokes work solely on how Wright frames and cuts his scenes together. I can't get over how he manages to make things that would normally be treated with no comedic value into hilarious moments throughout the film. Things entering and exiting frames can be a punchline, syncing a sound effect to a cut can make a transition land with style and comedy. I don't quite have the technical prowess to fully understand how on earth Wright gets so much out of every scene but it is so impressive. The first act is my favourite for his style as Wright makes an apocalypse happen in the background of every scene, there is so much incredible set up that makes the film feel rewarding to those paying attention and yet the film still has the personal narrative to hold it up. And when the film goes full apocalypse he shoots action really impressively, just look at the Queen sequence is a brilliant example. He is a director that far too often gets called 'style over substance' which I frankly find insane. Look at this fantastic character piece that is an ode to British life, meandering adulthood and our messy relationships and tell me this film is nothing but style.I had a lot more to say about this film than I expected, considering I prefer a lot of his other work to 'Shaun of the Dead' which seems insane because I struggle to criticise this film. If anything it is a bit rough around the edges, they are working on a limited budget but still manage to do a fantastic job with that and it is only a couple moments where this shines through. Everything from the opening credits to the soundtrack choices to the zombie performances is cinematic bliss. I love Edgar Wright's work so much and I am beyond excited to look into his other work! Thanks for reading!