Shaun of the Dead is a horror comedy directed by Edgar Wright, written by the director with his long-term collaborator Simon Pegg, who appears in the title role. The film follows directionless electronics salesman Shaun and his friend Ed as they wake one morning to discover that a zombie apocalypse has overwhelmed London. They form a plan to rescue Shaun's mum and his girlfriend Liz, join up with some other friends, and battle the undead.
Classification Issues
- Violence
- A woman is repeatedly stabbed whilst showering, and there is strong impact and bloody injury detail. A man is also stabbed, and blood is visible across his face.
- Language
- There is a single use of very strong language ('c**t'), as well as frequent use of strong language ('f**k'). There is also regular use of milder terms, such as 'prick' and 'wanker', and a single instance of the 'n' word.
- Injury detail
- There is strong gore in the aftermath of violence, including as zombies are seen eating humans. There is sight of intestines and detached arms and heads. However, the overall tone is comic.
- Additional issues
- Other issues include comic sex and drug references, as well scenes of threat in which characters are attacked by zombies.
Advice viewing
In January 2004, the distributor sought advice from the BBFC as to the rating that Shaun of the Dead was likely to receive, stating that they would like to release the film with a 15 classification.
They submitted a finished version of the film, which was viewed by a Senior Examiner. They informed the distributor that an 18 rating was “a strong possibility” given the strength of the violence, though acknowledged that “some would argue a 15 for this”.
Cinema classification
Shaun of the Dead was submitted for formal classification on 19th March 2004, with its London premiere scheduled for just ten days later. It was submitted with an 18 request, reflecting the earlier advice, and viewed by a team of two Examiners.
Both Examiners felt very strongly that the film was a 15, with one writing that “If ever a horror film was made with a 15 audience in mind it's this one.” The key classification issues were violence and horror, with zombies dispatched in various bloody ways. The strongest moment of violence is the tearing apart of one man after he's been dragged through a pub window by a horde of zombies. Though the scenes of violence and gore are strong, the Examiners felt that “the film's comic tone dissipates any real sense of threat or menace”.
The Examiners also noted that the film's language sat comfortably at 15, with several uses of strong language ('f**k' and 'motherf**ker') and a single use of very strong language ('c**t'). While the use of very strong language can result in an 18 – for example, if it is frequent or aggravated by violence or power imbalance – the single use in Shaun of the Dead is not aggressive but affectionate, used by Ed in a comic manner as he asks his friends, “Can I get any of you c**ts a drink?”
Accordingly, the film was passed at 15, for strong language and bloody horror.
The video version of the film was submitted in May 2004 and was also passed 15.
Public response
Shaun of the Dead was released on 9 April 2004, achieving the highest per-screen average of any film that weekend and went on to take over thirty million dollars worldwide during its theatrical run.
Despite its box office success, the BBFC received a handful of complaints regarding the film's 15 rating, with some complaining about the film's violence and gore and others about the uses of strong and very strong language. One correspondent linked the 15 rating for Shaun of the Dead to the fact that “our society's moral standards are in decline” and noted in bold “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” An Examiner involved in the classification responded to the complaint, explaining why the film was acceptable under the BBFC’s Classification Guidelines.
