It’s been a minute, but it’s exciting to think that a new film from the director-writer team of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland is finally here. Since their last film collaboration, the incredible Sunshine in 2007, Garland has become a reputed director in his own right, known for cerebral films (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Civil War) as well as creating the science-fiction series Devs.
28 Years Later, the first of a new planned trilogy exploring a post-apocalyptic UK nearly three decades after the events of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, has high expectations to clear – the prior films are extremely well loved and fans are eager to return to this world. In particular, the films remain somewhat uniquely singlular in their ability to ratchet tension using a combination of guerrilla camera work (evoking a “realistic” documentarian aesthetic), intense sound editing, and incredibly evocative music scores.
We have several other terrific reviews here at Cinapse (including a UK perspective) that are doing an incredible job of providing thoughtful insights and critical analyses of the film, so rather than echo those I’m going to provide a more casual, spoiler-free review just taking it in and offering my own thoughts without philosophizing.
28 Years Later is, like its predecessors, a relentless and somewhat grueling experience, with its mix of zombie terror and familial conflict. But unlike those films, it’s willing to get really weird – even silly. Starting with the simple retcon – no further explanation given – that mainland Europe somehow pushed back the plague shown at the end of 28 Weeks Later – even though an England quarantined for 7 months wasn’t able to. It’s kind of an absurd premise but you’ve gotta roll with it.
The film takes place in the northern UK. While the English mainland is overrun by the infected (look, let’s just agree to call them zombies), an island community at Lindisfarne still scrapes by, maintaining discipline over their short supplies and sectioning their populace into specific disciplines – farmers, hunters, foragers, and so on. It’s a hardscrabble life, but one that continues. For anyone under 30, like 12-year old Spike (Alfie Williams), who lives with his father (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) and bedridden mother (Jodie Comer), it’s the only life they’ve ever known.
Having reached an age of accountability, Spike is now taking his first trip with his father onto the mainland, to search for supplies and resources, and kill any zombies they happen across.
While overrun, the mainland still has some small pockets of humanity. When stories of a crazy doctor (Ralph Fiennes) reach Alfie’s ears, he immediately determines to try to get the doctor’s aid to help his ailing mother.
And while the film does have other supporting characters – including a Swedish soldier on assignment, who offers a juxtaposition of the modern outside world – it’s these four who are at its heart. Alfie Williams is a revelation. Really all the cast are stellar, but this kid is great – it’s not an easy thing for a young teen to play the lead in an extremely heavy and adult horror film, but he pulls it off amazingly.
I do want to point out that I think we’re seeing in recent years that Ralph Fiennes has entered the most interesting part of his career. While his early filmography tends toward elevated and serious fare, these days he doesn’t seem to be chasing accolades, but choosing roles in populist and genre films based entirely on how fun they are: The Menu, The Return, Conclave, The King’s Man, Lego Batman, and a smattering of Wes Anderson. He’s become one of my favorite and most exciting actors to watch.
Stylistically, the film stands a little apart from the prior 2 films. It does continue with an establish vibe, but also gets much wilder. Moments of violence are punctuated with a visceral “bullet time” like effect that accentuates the gore in a way we’ve not seen before. And Boyle frequently incorporates a surreal style involving interspersed vintage film clips and in-story dream sequences that add to the madness. And the zombies occur in a wilder variety and demonstrate an evolution in ways I won’t spoil – including a huge and intimidating “heavy” that the Cinapse crew has dubbed “BDZ”.
One thing that the film does have in common with the first two is that its self-contained. You could theoretically watch all three films separately or in any order without losing any important context or encountering any overlapping characters; narratively each film stands on its own. It seems this will change with the next film, which is poised to be a direct sequel for the first time in the franchise.
While some may be put off by the film’s risks and reaches, I found it all really fascinating. I wouldn’t rank it as high as the other 2 films, but I’m absolutely invested in staying with this franchise for the planned followups with the setup established herein.
A/V Out
