‘28 Years Later' is a coming-of-age sequel with an identity crisis
For the most part, though, '28 Years Later' is a coming-of-age tale centered around Spike (Alfie Williams), a 12-year-old boy born after the outbreak. Spike is (almost) ready to trade in his Power Rangers toys for bows and arrows in order to join his very manly father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), for his first trip foraging the mainland, now filled with new dangers like the 'Alpha' (infected who are more intelligent and boast superhuman strength). They must also care for Spike's mother and Jamie's wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), who suffers from an illness causing hallucinations and memory problems.
From left: Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) in "28 Years Later."
Miya Mizuno
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Like the original, which captivated audiences with its intimate portrayal of a found family coming together at the end of the world, '28 Years Later' shines best when it focuses on the humanity of its core characters. The complicated father-son relationship drives the first half of the film, as the stern but loving Jamie teaches his son brutal lessons of living among the infected. 'The more you kill, the easier it gets,' he tells Spike in a scene where they find an infected man with a bag over his head strung up in a house and are forced to shoot him. It's one of several emotionally charged and violent moments that start to erode Spike's innocence.
Their bond frays after their harrowing return home, culminating in Spike learning a fact kept hidden by Jamie: There's a mysterious doctor on the mainland (Ralph Fiennes) who might be able to help his sick mother. That secret and other morally questionable decisions shatter Spike's image of his dad. He sets out with his mother in search of the doctor, leaving Jamie behind.
From left: Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) in "28 Years Later."
Miya Mizuno
Williams brings the raw emotion needed for these pivotal sequences (in one heartbreaking moment, Spike recoils after getting slapped by his father), and, overall, turns in a standout performance. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are quite powerful, too, in their parental roles; I wouldn't have minded more screen time from either.
But '28 Years Later' too often veers away from this compelling family drama in favor of zombie-killing spectacle, with blood splatters and bullet-time freezes attached to nearly every slash, shot, and bite (it gets old fast). Some scenes come off more like mindless grindhouse gore than something I was expecting from the filmmakers behind the experimental, claustrophobic original.
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The new film also shifts the antagonist role almost exclusively onto the zombies, like a generic monster movie. But most baffling is the film's uneven use of humor. With '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,' another sequel written by Garland and directed by Nia DaCosta (
From left: Spike (Alfie Williams), Isla (Jodie Comer), and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in "28 Years Later."
Miya Mizuno
There are other odd moments of humor, too, often from Fiennes's Dr. Kelson, who is not the menacing presence we're led to believe. He's a boogie man turned eccentric sage of sorts for Spike, reminding me of Old Man Marley from 'Home Alone,' but if he stumbled into 'Mad Max.' The iodine-stained doctor is not so scary once you get to know him, made palpable thanks to Fiennes's charm.
The biggest laughs, however, belong to Edvin Ryding's Erik, a smart-mouthed Swedish soldier stranded in the quarantined country. Erik and Spike have a genuinely funny exchange about all the new inventions that locked-down Britain has missed out on over the decades, like smartphones and lip fillers. Erik's frank reactions to the zombie mayhem bring a few chuckles too, but his brief cameo felt better suited for a franchise like 'Zombieland.'
'28 Years Later' isn't sure what kind of movie it wants to be: Action-comedy? Gory grindhouse? Serious family drama? Despite some interesting concepts and commendable lead performances, its identity problems alienate. It seems like the years have finally caught up.
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★★
28 YEARS LATER
Directed by Danny Boyle. Written by Alex Garland. Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, and Ralph Fiennes. At Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Boston Common, AMC Causeway, AMC South Bay Center, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Landmark Kendall Square, suburbs. 115 minutes. R (bloody violence, grisly images, language, and lots of graphic zombie nudity)
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