History YMMV / ShaunOfTheDead

*** Finally, David is characterised as a coward who talks tough behind a person's back, so it's not hard to assume that he wants Shaun "out of the picture" so he can supplant him as Liz's boyfriend. When Barbara succumbs to the infection, David is the first to draw the gun on her and he then forces Shaun to do it instead when his mum reanimates. When Shaun punches David for his callousness, David tries to shoot him but fails. When he tried to shoot Shaun; this was done after Shaun and Dianne had outed his feelings for Liz and after the latter had rejected him by angrily calling him "a twat". Considering these factors, the attempted murder may have been motivated more by David's [[NotGoodWithRejection heartbreak and boiled over envy]].

** The zombies attacking David and dragging him to his gruesome demise. While he was already an unlikable jerk prior, after he callously insulted Shaun's deceased mother, willingly tried to ''murder'' Shaun and leave the others for dead, audience members (''especially'' the original test audiences) were left ''cheering'' at his demise.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Easily the most well-known and beloved of the "Cornetto" trilogy, even managing to avoid OnceOriginalNowCommon effect long after pop culture grew so oversaturated with zombies that parodies and deconstructions practically became their own genre.

** Is Pete just a complete asshole who's friendly with Shaun, or does he only act like an asshole to Ed? Is his mocking Shaun over his breakup with Liz showing his true colors or just the shitty day coupled with being furious with Ed influencing him?
*** Or is his outburst the result of years of frustration finally boiling over as his friend Shaun, someone he genuinely cares about, fails to take the breakup of his relationship as the wake-up call he's needed for a long time?
*** How much of either is just him suffering from TheVirus after being bitten by a zombie, anyway?

*** Judging from the fact that [[TheDitz Dianne]] could see that her own ''boyfriend'' clearly still held a torch for Liz, Liz was probably well aware, but it is indicated that Liz was closer to Dianne than David, seeing as David seemed to be TheEeyore even before the Z-Words started appearing.

** Dianne is pretty popular for being one of the more competent characters (albeit still having some humorous blunders) her PretendWereDead strategy and being a nice person in general. [[spoiler: Viewers worrying about her fate after she runs out of the pub are usually glad to to know, according to the DVD extras, she survives the outbreak.]]

** For a character who's seemingly meant to come across as a {{Jerkass}}, Pete has plenty of fans who take his side and find him to be a decent enough character.
* FauxSymbolism: There's some level of social observation, and the apparent suggestion that in 21st century Britain many people live life in an unthinking, zombie-like state -- the introductory footage of everyday life at the film's beginning, Shaun and Ed's first few zombie encounters - in which they fail to notice anything unusual going on, and [[spoiler:the ending, where society becomes completely desensitized to violence, and Ed lives on, undead and tied up in the shed. Creepy.]]
** The fact that the first we see of Shaun is that he's shuffling around and yawning/moaning like a zombie sort of stresses the point.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Easily the most well-known and beloved of the "Cornetto" trilogy, even managing to avoid SeinfeldIsUnfunny status long after pop culture grew so oversaturated with zombies that parodies and deconstructions practically became their own genre.

** Though she doesn't let it get to her until an emotional outburst at the Winchester, Dianne is Liz's best friend, a failed actress and her boyfriend is only dating her because he's actually in love with ''Liz'' and is using Dianne as ReplacementGoldfish, which she says she's "come to terms with", it's really easy to feel bad for her. [[spoiler:The DVD extra reveals that though she survives the outbreak, she is so traumatized that she became a recluse and dropped nearly out of touch with Liz and Shaun, save for Christmas cards.]]

** Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news via social media as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the Winchester, and it's one of the main reasons they chose to take refuge there; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

** Dianne is pretty popular for being one of the more competent characters (albeit still having some humorous blunders) her PretendWereDead strategy and being a nice person in general.

** Though she doesn't let it get to her until an emotional outburst at the Winchester, Dianne is Liz's best friend, a failed actress and her boyfriend is only dating her because he's actually in love with ''Liz'' and is using Dianne as ReplacementGoldfish, which she says she's "come to terms with", it's really easy to feel bad for her. [[spoiler:The DVD extra reveals that though she survives the outbreak, she is so traumatized that she became a recluse.]]

** Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news via social media as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the Winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.
** In the aftermath of the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, seeing the characters act so reckless during an major viral epidemic (violating quarantine, failing to isolate, not telling other characters that they're infected) can make them seem UnintentionallyUnsympathetic.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news via social media as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the Winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news via social media as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

** Shaun and his group run into doppelgangers that mirror them. Enter 2019, where in Zombieland: Double Tap, Tallahassee and Columbus also run into two survivors that share similarities with them.

** Noel is played by Creator/RafeSpall, who would go on to gain steady supporting work in Hollywood projects such as ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'', ''Film/TheBFG'', ''Film/TheBigShort'', ''Film/LifeOfPi'', ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' and becoming part of Wright's ProductionPosse by playing Andy Cartwright in ''Film/HotFuzz'' and appearing in ''[[Film/{{Grindhouse}} Don't]]'' and ''Film/TheWorldsEnd''.

** Noel is played by Creator/RafeSpall, who would go on to gain steady supporting work in Hollywood projects such as ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'', ''Film/TheBFG'', ''Film/TheBigShort'', ''Film/LifeOfPi'', ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' on top of becoming part of Wright's ProductionPosse by playing Andy Cartwright in ''Film/HotFuzz'' and appearing in ''[[Film/{{Grindhouse}} Don't]]'' and ''Film/TheWorldsEnd''.

* HeReallyCanAct: Simon Pegg ''needs'' an award for that scene in the Winchester where [[spoiler: Shaun laments his failure to save anyone.]] That or [[spoiler: Shaun’s complete despair from Barbara dying to turning into a zombie.]]

'''Shaun:''' Thanks, babe.\\

* HeReallyCanAct: Simon Pegg ''needs'' an award for that scene in the Winchester where Shaun laments his failure to save anyone.

* {{Narm}}: After the very sad scene where Shaun [[spoiler:kills his reanimated mother]], he slugs David across the face when the latter makes an off-colour comment. The comically stock sound effect used clashes with the tension of the rest of the scene and likely was not intended to be funny.

*** Speaking of [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor Who]], Cousin Tom (the last person in Yvonne's group, played by Creator/MattLucas) is none other than Nardole!
** Dianne is played by Lucy Davis, who would go on to play the role of Aunt Hilda in ''[[Series/ChillingAdventuresOfSabrina The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina]]'' as well as the role of [[Film/WonderWoman2017 Etta Candy]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: For the Americans in the audience, Creator/MartinFreeman's split-second {{cameo}} as Yvonne's boyfriend is this. He was well-known in Britain at the time for his role in ''Series/TheOfficeUK'', but he wouldn't get major recognition in the States until he was cast as [[Series/{{Sherlock}} John Watson]] and [[Film/TheHobbit Bilbo Baggins]] several years later.

*** Speaking of [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor Who]], Cousin Tom (the last person in Yvonne's group, played by Matt Lucas) is none other than Nardole!

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news either via social media, or texting for example as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news either via social media, or WhatsApp for example as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

*** Speaking of [[Series/DoctorWho Doctor Who]], Cousin Tom (the last person in Yvonne's group, played by Matt Lewis) is none other than Nardole!

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* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: : Several examples of this can be seen in the film; if this were set today, Shaun, Ed and everyone else would likely hear the news either via social media, or Whats App for example as opposed to exclusively TV/radio. The talk show 'Trisha' is also still on the air when this film is set, and Shaun and Ed frequently smoke cigarettes in the winchester; smoking was outlawed in UK pubs in 2007.

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** Is Pete just a complete asshole who's friendly with Shaun, or does he only act like an asshole to Ed? Is his mocking Shaun over his breakup with Liz showing his true colors or just the shitty day coupled with being annoyed with Ed influencing him?

*** Finally, David is characterised as a coward who talks tough behind a person's back, so it's not hard to assume that he wants Shaun "out of the picture" so he can supplant him as Liz's boyfriend. When Barbara succumbs to the infection; David is the first to draw the gun on her and he then forces Shaun to do it instead when his mum reanimates. When Shaun punches David for his callousness, David tries to shoot him but fails. When he tried to shoot Shaun; this was done after Shaun and Dianne had outed his feelings for Liz and after the latter had rejected him by angrily calling him "a twat". Considering these factors, the attempted murder may have been motivated more by David's [[NotGoodWithRejection heartbreak and boiled over envy]].

** Dianne is pretty popular for being one of the more competent characters albeit still having some humorous blunders, her PretendWereDead strategy and being a nice person in general.

** Shaun ''definitely'' needs a hug. [[spoiler:His entire uneventful world falls apart. His stepdad Phil turns shortly after finally burying the hatchet with him. His mother gets bit and he is forced to shoot her when she turns. And then his best friend Ed becomes a zombie]]. All in the space of one day.