Introduction:
Danny Boyle is a director
with a distinct visual style that always engages the viewer at some level.
Sometimes the film itself doesn’t always work, but no director is perfect. These days most people seem to talk
about Trainspotting or Slumdog Millionaire when discussing Boyle’s
career. Not too many folks mention this one, but 28 Days Later… may be the film that kicked off a whole new era of
zombie flicks.
Summary:
Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakens
naked and alone in a hospital. After he leaves his room, he stumbles around the
building finding it deserted. When he steps outside into London itself, he
finds the once teeming streets completely empty. Jim is desperately confused
until he runs into a group of enraged humans rushing at him with blood dripping
from their eyes and mouth. Jim is saved by Selena (Naomie Harris) and learns
that a devastating plague has spread through England that turns humans into
ranting raving killing machines. Get any blood inside you and you are done for.
Jim and Selena begin a
journey of survival that takes them out of London and possibly toward some kind
of rescue to the north. Along the way they meet Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his
daughter Hannah (Megan Burns) as well as Major West (Christopher Eccleston sans
sonic screwdriver). Is there any hope of survival or is this only the beginning
of the end of the world?
Good Points:
- Captures the feeling of bleak dread
- Excellent acting by a committed cast
- Some intense camera work and style
Bad Points:
- Those looking for non-stop zombie thrills will find some of the movie slow
- The second half of the film may annoy some viewers
- The visual style may be too intense for some viewers
Overall:
This is the film that
brought about the whole “fast zombie” craze that dominated the horror genre for
a while. So depending on how you feel about that, you may dislike this film on
principle. But beyond the impact to the genre, you have a very intense well-made
horror film. The scenes of Jim wandering a vacant London are chilling. The
movie also does a good job of presenting its theme of human capacity to always
find a new way to delve deeper into darkness. Makes for a nice alternative to
the usual zombie fare, and Boyle’s stylistic direction brings it all together.
Scores
(out of 5)
Visuals: 4
Sound: 4
Acting: 4
Script: 3
Music: 3
Direction: 4
Entertainment: 4
Total: 4
Curious about a full review,
sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.
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I’m not a big fan of zombie flicks whether the classic kind (complete with voodoo priests), the lumbering “Night of the Living Dead” kind, or the fast zombie kind. That, however, is a rule of thumb rather than a law, and I do on rare occasion count on other fingers. This is one such occasion. I like this nicely constructed movie and the question it raises about whether ethics still count for anything when survival and the future are at stake.
ReplyDeleteAfter my first viewing way back when, I didn't really remember the thematic elements. I was so disturbed by the fast zombies. This time around I was able to really get into the ideas the film was about. I'm not the biggest zombie fan either (liked "Zombieland" though), but this one transcends the usual tropes and was something a bit more interesting.
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