Retrofix: Shaun of the Dead

Few films do a genre crossover well, and even fewer manage to do each genre well. Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, however, is one of those few films. Successfully combining comedy and horror to make a hilarious and gruesome zombie film/chick flick (or as some call it, a rom-zom-com), Wright’s film is a melting pot of visual style, fast-paced editing, and dark humor and wit.
Starring the always awesome Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead starts off with a bang. A lot of films make the mistake of having the setup last far too long, often introducing too many characters or showing too much back story for said characters. Wright skips as much of the back story as possible and chooses to show only what is necessary to the film. You understand from the start that Shaun and Ed are best friends, neither of which are going anywhere in life, and it is obvious that Shaun and Liz are having issues. You understand this because it’s all Wright shows you. It’s perfect and allows the film to move in a fast pace that flows so well with the comedy and horror. He skips out on the boring part because he knows we don’t care about it. The film was clearly made with the audience in mind, which is one of the reasons that it’s so likeable.
The editing is, without a doubt, one of the greatest elements of the film. Quick cuts piece the film together and allow it to flow so perfectly and smoothly without causing the audience to miss a beat. The fast-paced cutting allows us to see Wright’s visual style and it becomes obvious that he is a director unlike any other. He and his editors (gotta give credit where credit’s due) utilize the smash cut to cause an amazing and constant flow of scenes to fly by without the audience noticing. It’s said that good editing isn’t noticed, which makes Shaun’s editing perfect.

The film is also quite a breath of fresh air. As stated before, genre crossovers usually aren’t all too great, but Shaun is amazing. Easily one of the best comedies to come out in the last decade, the film is filled with actors with impeccable timing and fantastic performances. Pegg and Frost have the most believable on screen bromance in recent memory. In fact, theirs is so perfect that it has become the standard of comparison for me. I’ll see a movie and think to myself, “Well, they’re not Shaun and Ed but I guess they’re alright.” When I watch the film now I barely care about Liz and would honestly be perfectly content with watching a 90-minute film about Shaun and Ed just broing it up for a bit because their chemistry is just that good.
The gore factor in the film is also a great element. Wright kept in mind that he was making a horror film and reminds us whenever someone gets killed or shot. There’s not just a little blood here and there, there’s blood spraying out, arms and legs getting ripped off, and insides getting pulled out. What’s great about this is that it walks that line between too much and just enough so well that you stop caring. Watching David get ripped apart is still one of my favorite deaths in film history. He was an annoying little turd so it was well deserved, and Wright kept that in mind. He made sure that David got a proper death that the audience would appreciate. Even when a likeable character is killed it’s pretty gruesome, which is great. I don’t mean to sound twisted and sadistic, but I appreciate that Wright didn’t compromise his film to make it more of one genre than another. He kept it so well balanced and made sure that elements of all genres were accounted for. That’s brilliant filmmaking.
Wright has a clear talent for filmmaking, as all three of his major releases are incredible. Shaun of the Dead kick started his glorious career and it is obvious why. Seamlessly blending elements of multiple genres to make an incredibly funny and gory horror flick isn’t easy, but Shaun of the Dead proves that it is possible.


-Nick Yovino