Good monster movies often serve as a metaphor for one pressing social issue or another, and this bloody, hilarious mid-aughts zombie-stomper is no exception. Where _Godzilla_ grappled with post-war Japan's fear of being overshadowed by the west, where _Dawn of the Dead_ bemoaned America's quick slide into faceless consumerism, _Shaun_ tackles the existential gloom of an early adulthood reality check. From the resigned obligation of clocking in at work to the sad discovery that a long relationship persists only for convenience, the painful need to kick a lazy best friend in the ass to the dawning realization that one's parents won't be around forever, it pretty well covers the full gamut of post-college worry. That's some hefty emotional weight for a screwball comedy, but the near-constant presence of chunky, scarlet-drenched zombie wanderers and snappy, life-or-death decisions give us just enough distraction to avoid getting tangled up in all the malaise and self-loathing.

We're also granted frequent opportunity to laugh until our sides hurt. _Shaun_ represents something of a long-form reunion vehicle for the short-lived (but well-loved) British TV sitcom _Spaced_, with several actors and creatives happily (if, sometimes, only fleetingly) reunited on the big screen. The film's flippant, sarcastic tone is a perfect successor to that two-season series; clever and witty, replete with effective callbacks and natural, unpredictable setups; gleefully subverting a well-recognized genre while also celebrating it. The casual humor clicks immediately, aided at all the right times by a marvelous, memorable rock soundtrack, while the heartier stuff takes a bit longer to settle but, eventually, swings with just as much force. This is one of my all-timers.