Film opinion: ‘28 Years Later’ is complex, imperfect, but bold

Set nearly three decades after the original outbreak, 28 Years Later explores a generation raised in the long shadow of infection. 

Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland have reunited to bring this beloved British horror series back to the limelight, with a cast led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes. 

Film News Blitz’s Heidi Hardman-Welsh delivers her review.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

Survival

18 years after the release of the previous instalment, 28 Years Later finds a Britain still ruthlessly enforced in quarantine, and some survivors have found ways to exist amidst the infected.

Society has begun to rebuild on the nearby island of Lindisfarne, just off the coast of the mainland, known as The Holy Island.

This film alters the series by not simply being about survival; it’s about what kind of civilisation can grow from the ashes of catastrophe.

When a young boy and his father leave the sanctuary of their community to brave the mainland, the boy discovers horrors that have festered in the twisted remnants of the virus that changed everything.

For a quick recap, let’s start at the beginning.

‘28 Days Later’

28 Days Later (2002) began with scientists at the Cambridge Primate Research Centre trying to find a cure for what has plagued humanity for millennia: violence and rage.

Using chimps as test subjects, the researchers created an inhibitor designed to enhance violent tendencies without the mental restraint that stops people from acting on these tendencies.

The scientists made a delivery system for that inhibitor out of a modified strain of the Ebola virus, making the apes highly contagious with humanity’s worst impulse.

When a group of animal activists break in to set the chimpanzees free, they inadvertently release the rage virus on the world.

Those infected have one singular motive: harm as many others as physically possible.

The virus is spread through almost any contact with those affected, including blood, saliva, bites, or scratches.

They move faster than your usual zombie, not any stronger than a regular human, but they aren’t impacted by fatigue or self-control.

15 days into this apocalypse, mainland Britain was quarantined to contain the virus, and those left behind had to fend for themselves.

Being shut out from the rest of the world, the survivors were under the impression that the virus had gone global.

The film raised some interesting questions about what people would do if civilisation were gone and there was no chance of repercussions for their actions.

It is raw, gritty, and relentless, with standout performances from Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, and Brendan Gleeson that ground the chaos of the apocalypse in a profoundly human story.

‘28 Weeks Later’

28 Weeks Later (2007) picks up six months after the rage virus devastated Britain, as NATO forces work to repopulate and rebuild a safe zone in London.

This sequel also introduces a genetic immunity to the virus for those with heterochromia, who can carry the virus without being infected.

What could have been the key to a cure instead leads to the virus being reintroduced into the NATO base, unleashing a second outbreak and plunging the city back into chaos.

Britain has once again fallen to the rage virus, and the film closes with the infected reaching Europe, implying a new global crisis.

Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, the incomparable Robert Carlyle, and Idris Elba star.

‘28 Years Later’ review

28 Years Later marks a significant return to the post-apocalyptic world we first explored in its predecessors, from the original creative duo of Boyle and Garland behind the first film.

The film briefly clarifies that, despite the ending of 28 Weeks Later, Europe was able to control the virus and was not significantly affected.

This instalment is steeped in a nuanced sort of hope with an abstract sense of place and belonging, where there is so little left.

It answers the question of what those left behind in total apocalyptic mayhem do: they start again, rebuild, and hang on to what they have.

READ MORE: Film opinion: The superhero fatigue debate is missing the real problem

The film introduces new lore about the infected, building on what we already know and providing a deeper understanding of the aftermath of the outbreak.

But its heart lies in the dynamic between the main character, a young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams), and his ill mother, Isla (Comer).

The film expertly builds this relationship, allowing the audience to invest emotionally in the characters and their fates.

The tension is palpable throughout the first act, setting up what we assume to be another gritty instalment in the 28 Days series, as presented in the trailers.

The editing is erratic, with dynamic camera shots and jittery sequences, putting you on edge with a heart-racing discomfort that makes you feel like you’re trapped alongside the characters.

These experimental visual elements, with the majority filmed on an iPhone 15, are among a few things that set this film apart from other zombie media.

Amplified by Young Fathers’ score, an intense blend of industrial percussion and gospel poetics, the film’s atmosphere is immersive and emotionally charged throughout.

The turning point

But there is a jarring tonal shift as the narrative progresses into the second and third acts.

The fast cut-to-cut editing calms down, with more wide-panning shots and still camerawork that feels smooth and level.

It transitions into a display of humanity, reminding us that apocalypse stories resonate because of the emotional weight they carry. 

Williams, 14, in his breakout role as Spike, delivers a strong, compelling performance, capturing the vulnerable hope of a child growing up in a post-infection world; he is definitely a young talent to look out for. 

Additionally, Comer brings a layered, haunting portrayal of a woman torn between illness, maternal instinct, and survival, which was impactful in the film's slower moments. 

Fiennes as Dr. Kelson was particularly captivating— his portrayal of a man who has spent years surviving alone, viewing life as precious but death as inevitable, was both unsettling and comforting. 

However, it must be noted that the film’s direction was a little unclear, with some pacing issues and odd comedic moments that may distract viewers from the action.

It could be seen as unfocused as the film tends to jump from genre to genre, going from zombie horror to action to family drama.

While it effectively reintroduces the series to a new audience, it tries to say too much at once and ultimately gets lost in its own intentions.

One major criticism is the film’s portrayal of the mainland as extremely dangerous, yet Spike and his mother face minimal threats on their way to Dr. Kelson, which undercuts the tension.

And the second half loses some of the fear and urgency that defined earlier films, with less brutality and a noticeably less serious tone in its encounters with the infected. 

Particularly in the final scene, which may put off viewers because it is in complete juxtaposition with the rest of the film.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching; it still offers something new, bold, and interesting for audiences.

Conclusion

28 Years Later is a complex story about how communities adapt in the face of unimaginable loss, examining the light and dark of human nature at its most visceral and unfiltered.

The fact that this film builds on the universe established by the first two means it has less room to work with, yet it still manages to stand out.  

While it may be imperfect (likely due to the fact that it has to set up the sequel), it is undeniably bringing something new to the genre that could alter modern apocalyptic cinema.

READ NEXT: Disney news: How smash-hit live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ divides opinion