Shaun of the Dead

Movie review by Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media
Shaun of the Dead Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Zombie horror-comedy has lots of gore, cursing.

R 2004 99 minutes
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Parents say

age 13+

Based on 47 reviews

Kids say

age 13+

Based on 153 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Shaun of the Dead is a horror comedy in which a London slacker (Simon Pegg) and his friends must fight for survival during a zombie outbreak. Although it's more of a comedy than a true horror movie, there's still enough blood, guts, and gore to turn your stomach and make you avert your eyes -- most of it occurring during the climactic battles at the end. It's also extremely violent. Zombies and humans try to kill each other in every way possible: biting, shooting, stabbing, impaling, etc. There's almost nonstop profanity -- regular use of "f--k" and variations, and a white character ironically calls his white friends "n---az" by way of greeting. There's some crude humor: flatulence, sexual humor. There's also a lot of smoking and drinking, and there are a few drug references. There are also some intense scenes, such as when a son is forced to kill his zombie mother and some characters consider killing themselves.

Community Reviews

Pgilligan52
Pgilligan52 Adult
July 28, 2021
age 13+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
alaa.tajuddin
alaa.tajuddin Adult
January 24, 2021
age 17+

Sex should be 3 or more

Sexual hints, using fingers to simulate sexual activity

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 47 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In SHAUN OF THE DEAD, Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a 29-year-old slacker who holds down a dead-end job he hates. His girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) has asked him to make something of himself, but he can't bring himself to change. Sick of playing second fiddle to Shaun's immature roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), to beer, and to video games, Liz breaks up with Shaun. Shaun wants to save the relationship, but before he can, he must deal with a strange situation that has emerged: a horde of zombies taking over London, and looking for new recruits. Now Shaun must save his family and friends as chaos erupts through the city.

Is It Any Good?

This cult favorite zom-rom-com pokes fun at zombie movie clichés, but it also honors these movies by following their rules. It balances laugh-out-loud funny scenes (such as when Shaun is so self-absorbed that he doesn't see the zombies wandering around his neighborhood and then misses the news warnings because he's channel-surfing) with some intense, suspenseful, and yes, very gory and bloody scenes (for example, the zombies attack a man and pull various bloody organs out of his stomach). The gore is plentiful, but also over the top and cartoonish. Mature horror fans are likely to really enjoy the movie's droll British humor and the homage to George Romero's zombie classics.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of zombie movies. How does this movie fit into the zombie genre, while also standing out from others?

  • How does this movie parody the conventions of zombie movies while also satirizing contemporary society? To that end, what purpose did the movie's epilogue serve?

  • Was the violence necessary to make the film fit the conventions of zombie-themed horror movies, or did it seem gratuitous?

Movie Details

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