Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make for a stellar comedic duo. The two have been working together for decades, and their movies have become enormously popular the world over. Pegg is the “creative” one of the duo, as he often co-writes the screenplays with the duo’s other frequent collaborator, Edgar Wright. Frost is often depicted as the “funnyman”, as he often plays the wacky man-child characters.
As often as Pegg and Frost collaborate with Wright, they have also been known to produce their own films and television shows without Wright’s involvement. These are the best of what Pegg and Frost have to offer, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
9 Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018): 38%
● Available for purchase on Prime Video
Slaughterhouse Rulez tried taking a page out of Edgar Wright’s book, but it just didn’t work. The outlandish plot is very reminiscent of Pegg-Frost-Wright’s earlier Cornetto work, as it follows a British boarding school that is attacked by subterranean monsters.
The movie stars Pegg as Meredith Houseman and Frost as Woody Chapman, and it was produced under their production company Stolen Picture. Unfortunately, it did not prove a good start to the company. The movie opened to poor reviews, scoring 38% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus, “An uneven blend of horror and comedy that fails to satisfy on either front, Slaughterhouse Rulez aims for B-movie fun but doesn’t make the grade.”
8 Paul (2011): 70%
● Available for purchase on Prime Video
Paul is Pegg and Frost’s ode to more traditional alien films – complete with Seth Rogen as a little grey alien named Paul. Co-written by Pegg and Frost (and directed by Greg Mottola), Paul stars Pegg and Frost as two geeky science fiction fans who meet an alien and shelter it from the pursuing FBI.
The movie far less favorable reviews than Pegg and Frost’s earlier Cornetto work, and it stands at a solid 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, “It doesn’t measure up to Pegg and Frost’s best work, but Paul is an amiably entertaining — albeit uneven — road trip comedy with an intergalactic twist.”
7 The Adventures Of Tintin (2011): 74%
● Available on Paramount+
By 2011, both Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were major Hollywood stars and the pair got to work with the legendary director Steven Spielberg on The Adventures of Tintin. While the movie is entirely computer-animated, both Pegg and Frost provided the voices for Thomson and Thompson. Both are police detectives who are near identical to each other (including their similar names).
The movie was well-received, scoring 74% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus, “Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.”
6 Truth Seekers (2020): 74%
● Available on Prime Video
Released in October of 2020, Truth Seekers is the second creation of Pegg and Frost’s production company Stolen Picture. Released through Amazon Prime Video, Truth Seekers is a horror-comedy that follows Nick Frost’s Gus Roberts, an internet broadband installer who investigates the paranormal in his spare time.
Along for the ride is Simon Pegg, who plays Gus’s boss, David. Every episode was produced and co-written by Pegg and Frost (alongside James Serafinowicz and Nat Saunders). The show received relatively good reviews, securing a Certified Fresh rating of 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus reads, “It may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as Nick Frost and Simon Pegg’s previous collaborations, but Truth Seekers is genuinely eerie, balancing out its silly sensibilities with creeping terror and a scary talented cast.”
5 The World’s End (2013): 89%
● Available for purchase on Prime Video
Serving as the most recent collaboration between Pegg, Frost, and Wright, The World’s End serves as the third and final entry in their iconic Cornetto trilogy. In many ways, the movie’s primary theme mirrors the collaborative process between the three creatives, as it follows a group of aging, early 40-something men trying to recapture the fun and camaraderie of their youths (in the midst of an alien invasion).
The movie was widely praised. It sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, “Madcap and heartfelt, Edgar Wright’s apocalypse comedy The World’s End benefits from the typically hilarious Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, with a plethora of supporting players.”
4 Hot Fuzz (2007): 91%
● Available on Cinemax
Hot Fuzz is the middle entry in the Cornetto trilogy – and arguably the most famous. The story concerns Simon Pegg’s Nicholas Angel, a tough, no-nonsense London cop who is transferred to the quaint and quiet village of Sandford. While there, he is partnered with Frost’s bumbling and childish Danny Butterman.
The movie parodies all the silly buddy cop action movies of old while also serving as an interesting one in its own right. Hot Fuzz sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, “The brilliant minds behind Shaun of the Dead successfully take a shot at buddy cop comedies with Hot Fuzz. The result is a bitingly satiric and hugely entertaining parody.”
3 Shaun Of The Dead (2004): 92%
● Available for purchase on Prime Video
Shaun of the Dead is the first and strongest-reviewed entry in the Cornetto trilogy. Playing on numerous zombie movie tropes, Shaun of the Dead stars Pegg as Shaun, a young and rather unambitious man who tries sorting out his life in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Frost plays his lazy best friend, Ed.
This is the movie that broke Pegg, Frost, and Wright into the mainstream. It was both popular and incredibly well-received, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning the consensus, “Shaun of the Dead cleverly balances scares and witty satire, making for a bloody good zombie movie with loads of wit.”
2 Spaced Season 1 (1999): 100%
● Available on Tubi and Prime Video
Before Shaun of the Dead, there was Spaced. Serving as the earliest collaboration between Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright, Spaced is essentially a live action cartoon. The basic concept is that two strangers pretend to be a romantic couple so they can rent a “professional couples only” apartment. But that’s just the entry point to Spaced‘s unhinged wackiness, which includes outlandish plots, countless movie references, and the typical Wright-ian manic editing.
With just seven reviews, the first season of Spaced stands at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with the audience score not being very much far behind.
1 Spaced Season 2 (2001): 100%
● Available on Tubi and Prime Video
Spaced certainly didn’t lose anything with its second season. As is often the case with British television programs, Spaced is painfully short, running just two seasons and fourteen episodes. But Spaced ends in spectacular fashion, and it left its dedicated (albeit small) audience wanting more.
Even to this day, Pegg, Wright, and Frost are constantly hounded for a third series. The second series also stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, “Spaced concludes with a lovingly crafted sophomore season that is even more exuberant and slick than its predecessor, packed with witty references and heart.” That final part sums up Pegg and Frost’s work overall quite succinctly.
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