4 Quintessentially British Films

Another comedy to round out the list, but the British really know how to do humour, and Edgar Wright's first film foray is a British classic in this regard despite being a more recent entry than the likes of Holy Grail. The two can stand strong in the knowledge that they both capture the essence of British comedy and the absurdity of both films can't be ignored, but where Grail is deliberately over the top, Shaun of the Dead is much more snappy and subtle.

Simon Pegg's Shaun is a slacking, drinking TV salesman who, after being dumped unceremoniously, decides to get his life in order - only in time for a zombie apocalypse to hit the country. With newfound vigor, Shaun with his pal Ed (frequent Pegg partner Nick Frost) tries to get the people he cares about to safety - by bringing them to his favourite watering hole, The Winchester.

It's hard to really say anything new about the impact the film had on British cinema, and British culture in general. If you're English and you frequent a local pub, chances are you've discussed with your mates about how it's prime real estate to stave off a zombie nightmare. The entirety of the Cornetto trilogy would be worth including here, but where it began is also probably where much of its popularity lies.

Crass, bloody and darkly comical, but the movie isn't afraid to be genuinely emotional at times, which helps to break up the pace and keep the setting grounded. Pegg, Frost and Wright hit it out the bar with their first film, and they've remained great from then on - as has Shaun of the Dead.