It’s certainly been a while in the making (only 16 years) but this summer, “28 Years Later” finally came to the big screen. And the question on everyone’s minds is: was it worth the wait? But, before we delve into all that, let’s take a step back to where the hype began.
For those who may not know, Danny Boyle’s zombie apocalypse series started with “28 Days Later,” which premiered in 2002. It stars Cillian Murphy as Jim, who awakens from a coma in London only to discover that the city has been virtually wiped out and abandoned by a deadly virus that turns its victims into ravaging zombies.
Despite its modest $5 million budget (apparently so tight that when filming scenes that depict the abandoned city of London, the production team couldn’t afford to close off the city and instead had to film at dawn) the film was extremely well received and was the instigator for the deluge of zombie/virus films that followed.
The Legacy of ’28 Days Later’
And a large factor in its success is its astute timing. Written before the 9/11 attacks but released in its wake, “28 Days Later” draws from past mistakes to present a cataclysmic future that reflects a Western civilisation in a state of turmoil. This was a period where there were concerns over terrorism, of war with Iraq, and huge advancements in technology, and entertainment. And the zombie genre is the perfect medium to give rise to such fears by representing a broken, diseased, and chaotic society overcome by savagery.
The film was superseded by a prequel, “28 Weeks Later,” released in 2007 and starring Jeremy Renner, Robert Carlyle, and Rose Byrne. It takes place six months on, with U.S. troops rebuilding and establishing a safe ‘Green Zone’ in London that allows refugees back into the country. However, this soon results in a brutal fight for survival when the rage virus once again infiltrates the city.
Though met with high praise, “28 Weeks Later” didn’t quite capture the essence of its predecessor. Even original producer, Danny Boyle and writer, Alex Garland, took a step back, claiming that the film didn’t align with their initial vision for the franchise.
So, it’s been a long time coming—with doubts as to whether it ever would—but “28 Years Later” is here. And this time Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are back on the production team, whilst Cillian Murphy returns to the franchise as executive producer. Not to mention a knockout cast including Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes.
A New Host of Survivors—and Infected
The film takes place in 2031 where Britain remains in quarantine from the virus, and focuses on a small community of survivors in Lindisfarne, a tidal island off the northeast coast of England connected to the mainland by a giant causeway. Otherwise known as the ‘Holy Island,’ Lindisfarne is certainly a fitting setting, reflecting the stark isolation of the survivors as they attempt to rebuild and redefine their lives in a post virus world.
It’s a hard and harsh existence, one where the children must grow up fast to take on roles and responsibilities for the benefit of the community. We see and experience this directly through the eyes of Spike (Alfie Williams) who lives with father Jamie (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and mother Isla (Jodie Comer), who is locked away upstairs like the madwoman in the attic, unwell, and prone to fits of rage.
Upon coming of age, Spike is rewarded (not quite the term I would use) with the honourable task of travelling with his father across the causeway to the mainland, to put his training and combat skills to the test against the infected. The community gather to commemorate their leaving like sending warriors off to battle, whilst Spike and Jamie are warned that once they depart the large, wooden gates, there is a possibility that they may not return.
A Feeling of Anxiety and Dread
As the two make their way across the causeway to the mainland, flashes of battle scenes from Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V” appear on the screen, coupled with a loud and unnerving voiceover by Taylor Holmes reciting Rudyard Kipling’s 1903 poem, “Boots.” The only word I can use to describe how I was feeling during these scenes was highly stressed. As someone who gets sensory overwhelm, the rapid darting and shifting of camera angles, the intruding voiceover and loud, buzzing background noise all added to a heightened sense of anxiety and dread.
Upon their arrival, Spike and Jamie run into a group of the infected, who have over time become slow and grotesque (hardly threatening, more like oversized worms). Spike makes his father proud with his first kill, though goes on later to miss several times when chased by a faster group. The two run into even more trouble later when they encounter the Alpha, aptly named after Biblical leader Samson, a more powerful, stronger, intelligent type of the infected who guards their exit way and forces them to stay overnight.
At dawn the two manage to make it to the causeway, though this culminates in a tense chase scene with Alpha, Samson, who apparently has the speed and strength of an Olympian runner. They just about make it back to their refuge and, after being scrutinized by community leaders for signs of infection, are greeted as heroes and thrust into a celebratory party. Things all get a bit out of control as Spike is carried into the crowd like some sort of demi-god whilst Jamie proudly recants to the group how Spike acted like a warrior and slaughtered all the infected (which Spike knows not to be true).
Taylor Johnson and Ralph Fiennes Amongst the Cast
Spike’s distrust of his father deepens as he stumbles across a rendezvous with another woman. Fed up with his father’s lies, he angrily confronts Jamie with a knife and warns him to stay away from he and his mother, Isla. In a further act of defiance, Spike lights a fire to distract the island guards, and escapes across the causeway with Isla to seek her medical aid from the mainland.
And here ends the first ‘act’ that sets the stage for the rest of the journey, where events really begin to unfold. Spike takes on the role of protector for his mother as they make their way across the mainland, encountering their fair share of dangers along the way. Both carry the film beautifully, making you forget, at times, that this is meant to be a gritty, grisly horror film and not a love story between mother and son.
In fact, without giving away spoilers, what I enjoyed most about “28 Years Later” is how, over time, it has matured and become something far more than what the franchise initially started as. Although zombies are lurking at every corner, they in many ways feel like secondary characters, an accepted part of the world with whom our protagonists must learn to cohabit.
A Story that Represents Courage and Strength
And this is how we come across Ralph Fiennes’ character, Dr. Ian Kelson, who lives alone on the mainland. Kelson serves as a stark contrast to the islanders who have isolated themselves from the infected. Instead of fearing and rejecting them, he accepts and even embraces them, studying their behaviour to learn how both the infected and non-infected might co-exist together. Though initially he comes across as a bit of a madman, and his methods certainly unusual, Kelson embodies the role of the humanist, practicing medicine in a more natural, empathetic way and embracing a new age of human existence.
So, if you have come to see a rage fuelled zombie film that is purely based on gore and scare tactics, you may be a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong; there are some tense and grisly moments. But, rather unexpectedly, I found “28 Years Later” to be a poignant, touching story that represents the immense courage and strength of humankind, of our ability to adapt and grow, and our continual need to find and maintain human connection in whatever form that may take.
