--- title: "Shaun of the Dead: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/shaun-of-the-dead/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/shaun-of-the-dead" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Shaun of the Dead (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics greet Shaun of the Dead warmly, praising a zombie comedy whose laughs come from everyday British habits, awkward friendships and characters slow to notice catastrophe. The reviews favour its sharp writing, comic timing and affection for horror conventions, with several finding that the gore and emotional stakes work alongside the jokes. Praise also gathers around the ensemble: Radio Times singles out Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy for giving the film emotional weight. Reservations concern uneven tone, thin characterisation and a second half that some find slower or more conventional. The spread is largely positive, though critics differ over how comfortably the serious passages sit beside the comedy. Slant Magazine provides the clearest dissent, finding the in-jokes tiresome and the visual wit lacking, despite admiring individual set pieces; other reviews praise precisely the visual humour and energy it finds insufficient. ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 5/5. The film combines undergrad humour and hardcore horror by ransacking Romero's Dead saga and other zombie films. Jones singles out the emotional resonance brought by the supporting performances of Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6jvgnl/shaun-of-the-dead/) ## Time Out — NB Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2012. This 'rom-zom-com' from the Spaced team takes a simple conceit and executes it with snap and energy. The critic highlights the cosy cast, sitcom patter, visual flair, and the memorable pub siege set piece to Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now'. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/shaun-of-the-dead) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 April 2004. The review commends the focused, mature take on zombie comedy rooted in character banter and everyday satire rather than broad TV references, while delivering effective scares, gore, and a strong siege finale. It calls the film confident, snappy, funny and smart, and a potential saviour for British comedy. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/shaun-of-the-dead-review/) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic highlights the Spaced team's successful transfer to film, praising the observational comedy of everyday British losers confronting zombies and Shaun's growth into an unlikely hero amid the chaos. It notes some awkward serious moments but concludes the film delivers smart laughs and genre jokes throughout. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shaun-dead-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2004. This lively 'romzomcom' from the Spaced team proves the small-to-big screen transition can succeed through sharp writing and casting. The review praises the exceptionally funny first half, emotional depth, and crisp editing that sustains energy even in the slower second half. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/shaun-of-the-dead/4017736.article) ## Sight and Sound — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The film succeeds as a knowing parody of zombie movies that respects the genre's rules while transplanting them to a north London slacker setting. Newman praises the early gags about oblivious characters and the emotional thread of reluctant heroism, though notes the ramshackle tone and one-note characters. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/912) ## Los Angeles Times — Carina Chocano 24 September 2004. Chocano calls the film a cute and sweet romantic zombie comedy that is a labor-of-love ode to friendship and the Romero zombie films. She singles out its absurdist observations of daily London life and visual jokes as the strongest elements before a later dip into more conventional zombie-defense territory. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-sep-24-et-shaun24-story.html) ## Slant Magazine — Jeremiah Kipp 21 August 2004. The critic describes it as a playful spoof of Romero zombie films that treats gore as middlebrow sitcom material but finds it a mixed bag lacking visual wit and burdened by tiresome in-jokes. Outstanding set pieces are offset by inconsistent goofball antics. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/shaun-of-the-dead/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw 9 April 2004. The critic finds the zombie comedy spirited, good-natured, likable and funny, with a script full of real gags and strong support from the cast including Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy. It succeeds where the spoof genre usually struggles and feels like an extended episode of Spaced, which is a good thing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/apr/09/simonpegg) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Ray Bennett 29 April 2004. The critic calls it an engaging zombie movie spoof with clever writing and energy that should appeal to fans of gross-out humor. Pegg is singled out as a major find for his performance and co-writing. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shaun-of-the-dead-review-movie-simon-pegg-nick-frost-1236010657/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane 20 September 2004. Lane praises the film as a smart, cultish homage to the British art of not bothering, with its wit and semi-disgusting take on inertia standing out. He singles out the single-take opening scene in which Shaun obliviously navigates early signs of the zombie apocalypse during his mundane morning routine as the year's most revealing cinematic moment. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/09/27/ghosts-9) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden 24 September 2004. The critic views the film as a clever satire that exploits the inherent ridiculousness of zombie movies by equating everyday British suburban life with the living dead. He singles out the characters' inept and unthinking responses to the catastrophe as a key source of ironic humor and dramatic payoff. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/movies/werewolves-of-london-ah-those-were-the-good-ol-days.html) ## Variety — Derek Elley 11 March 2004. Elley finds the film a tasty blend of Brit slacker humor and genre spoof, structured effectively as a three-act narrative that sustains the comedy. He singles out the sharp timing, character development, and strong ensemble performances, especially Pegg's lead turn, as key strengths. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/shaun-of-the-dead-1200534580/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2008. The critic calls it the best and funniest zombie movie in years, praising its blend of gore, black humour, and relatable characters who face the apocalypse while dealing with everyday squabbles. The pacing, violence, and sense of adventure stand out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/shaun-of-the-dead-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/shaun-of-the-dead.md