Film Analysis: Shaun Of The Dead

Shaun of the Dead takes the typical tropes and stereotypes associated with them and turns them on their heads. Simon Pegg, Shaun, gives us male characters who are oblivious to their surrounding, women who are the heroes, and a laugh while viewing this movie. Instead of anxiety-stricken action scenes and other oh so typical zombie movie cliches, we are given a refreshing new take on the end of the world. Shaun of the Dead takes on the typical zombie movie and gives it a new twist. Just like other zombie affiliated entertainment that critiques the decline of humanity, Shaun of the Dead critiques humanity and zombie films simultaneously. An example of this sort of mockery is the scene where Liz and Diane begin to beat the zombie while the male characters stand around dumbfounded. The two female characters assume the role of the heroines who protect the male damsels in distress. In a typical zombie movie, we would have the male character protecting the female characters who are the stereotypical damsels in distress. Take the first season of the Walking Dead, the female characters are almost useless. In the beginning, the female characters are only alive because of the men who kill the zombies. It is not until later in the series when we see the

The film not only critiques the formula used to create zombie movies but also critiques humanity and how we are our own inevitable downfall. To go further with this claim let us look at how other zombie related entertainment do the same. The Walking Dead shows us the decline of humanity through the “walkers.” That at one point there was hope for civilization and a future, but sadly that idea is becoming more of a pipe dream. Shaun of the Dead shows what could have happened if the zombies had truly overrun the city, but ends in time. Instead of being shown the after effect of the zombie apocalypse we see the beginning and the swift end of