Parents' Guide to

Shaun of the Dead

By Common Sense Media, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Zombie horror-comedy has lots of gore, cursing.

Movie R 2004 99 minutes
Shaun of the Dead Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 13+

Based on 36 parent reviews

Accurate P.
Accurate P. Parent of 15-year-old
December 23, 2022
age 13+

R for language and graphic violence

This movie has a lot of violence. There is a scene where a character has the guts ripped out by zombies and is supposedly eaten alive. The swearing is also a minor issue. Of course the F-word is used around 30 times, but the movie also uses the C-word once (not used literally, but as an insult), but if you just tell your child that they shouldn't say that word, they'll be fine. "Tw*t" and "pr*ck" are also used (again, as an insult).

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
2 people found this helpful.
Jackraven123
Jackraven123 Parent
August 17, 2022
age 12+

Very gory but funny cult classic spoof horror film.

VERY VIOLENT but mostly comic. There is one graphic scene where someone’s guts are ripped out. Loads of language like frequent f**** and c*** and a lot more it has some sexual stuff but very comic. A lot of drinking.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
2 people found this helpful.
See all 36 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?

Our review:
Parents say (36 ):
Kids say (149 ):

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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