- Directed by Edgar Wright
- Written by Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
- Stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 39 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIfcaZ4pC-4
Spoiler-free Judgment Zone
This is straight-up comedy horror that still held up really well during our second viewing of it. The writing is excellent, and the cast are perfect in the roles.
Spoilery Synopsis
Liz talks to Shaun about his annoying friend, and he talks to her about her annoying flatmates. And all three people are right there with them. She wants to do more than hang out at the pub every single night. He promises to change– tomorrow night. Credits roll.
Pete, Shaun’s roommate, wants to get Ed out since Ed is worthless. Shaun walks to work, and we see his neighborhood. We hear a radio report about a deep space satellite that broke up over land. He works in the appliance store, and we see some concerning things on the news program playing behind him.
Shaun’s creepy stepfather comes by to remind Shaun about his visit tomorrow. There are many jumpscares in the workplace, all of which are fake-outs. Shaun fails at basic reservation-making, and Liz doesn’t want to see him anymore. As the pair argue, we hear continuous sirens outdoors. The argument goes badly for Shaun, so he goes back to the pub with Ed. Ed points out, “It’s not the end of the world.”
The two leave the pub, completely drunk, and ignore all the zombie-happenings going on all around them. They get home and Pete chews them out for being losers; his hand has a bite on it.
Morning comes, and the streets are deserted except for the wreckage, damaged cars, people running, trash everywhere and closed shops. Shaun goes to the grocery and pays no attention to the blood everywhere. He is completely oblivious, and he makes it back home. Ed points out that there’s a weird girl in their garden. They assume she’s drunk. When she gets impaled but doesn’t die, they think something may not be right.
The newsman reports that zombies can be killed by destroying the brain or removing the head. Shaun and Ed find out that doing so is harder than they expected. Armed with a shovel and a cricket bat, they figure it out. The newsman reports that bitten people change, so they remember Pete, who’s upstairs. Shaun calls his mom, who says stepdad Philip isn’t feeling well. “We’re coming to get you Barabara!” shouts Ed.
They run out to the car and yes, it’s a full-blown zombie apocalypse. Shaun arrives at his parents’ house and he goes after Philip, who isn’t a zombie. They all go outside and Philip does get bitten immediately. They drive to Liz’s place to rescue her from her apartment. Basically everyone gets into the little car and heads for safety at the Winchester pub.
Stepfather Philip makes a confession to Shaun because he thinks he’s dying. Then he becomes a zombie and tries to eat them all. The group runs into Yvonne’s very similar group going a different direction. They find that they can’t get to the Winchester pub, which is surrounded by zombies. “We’re not going to get anywhere by moaning.”
Or maybe they will. They all pretend to be zombies and walk right down the street. Shaun gets loud and draws all the zombies away from his group. Liz, Ed, David, Diane, and Barbara wait and argue in the pub for Shaun to return. When Shaun returns, they try to watch TV, but all the stations are down.
Liz notices that Barbara’s been bitten. The zombies surround the place, and Shaun finds a gun with 29 shells. They all have a standoff over what to do about Barbara until she does, in fact, turn.
David gets literally torn apart by the zombies, and so does Dianne. And Ed falls to the hoard. Soon, it’s only Shaun and Liz and a heavily-bitten Ed. Shaun and Liz make it outside just as a busload of soldiers arrive and start shooting. Yvonne and her group made it out and got help.
Six months later, we watch news reports about the “mobile deceased.” Zombies are on comedy shows, contests, and reality shows. Shaun and Liz are still together; he’s got zombie-Ed outside in the shed, and they still play video games.
Commentary
The restaurant that Shaun tries to make reservations at is “Fulci’s.” Nice zombie reference.
I love how most of the people in town look and act like zombies even before the incident takes place. Between that and all the mundane jump-scares, it’s amazing anyone survives normal life.
Ed is one of those characters you’d like to have with you during a thing like this; he’d be eaten within the first five minutes.
It still holds up pretty well, even though many funny zombie films followed. .