28 Years Later
A whole century before 28 Days Later (2002) reinvigorated the zombie film genre, English poet Rudyard Kipling published the poem, 'Boots'.
Don't – don't – don't – don't – look at what's in front of you – / (Boots – boots – boots – boots – boots movin' up and down again!) / Men – men – men – men – men go mad with watchin' em / And there's no discharge in war! Count – count – count – count the bullets in the bandoliers / If – your – eyes – drop – they – will get atop o' you!
It was featured prominently in the first and second trailers for 28 Years Later , setting a gritty, nerve-wracking tone that fits right into a world ravaged by the infected (director Danny Boyle prefers the term over 'zombies'), and signposting the various foreshadowing and parallel depictions to come.
The bold execution has yielded a handsome pay-off, where the familiar sense of post-apocalyptic despair and taut anticipation permeates its entire length. Simmering below the surface, however, are elements that examine morality, mortality, and the importance of accepting death – like the original sleeper hit, the long-awaited threequel is a zombie flick, adrenaline ride, and human drama all rolled into one, evolving what the series does best with strong casting that accentuates its soulful core, even if it doesn't always stick the landing.
Marking a reunion between Boyle ( Slumdog Millionaire , Trainspotting ), screenwriter Alex Garland (Ex Machina , Civil War ), and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle after 23 years (the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was spearheaded by a different team), the latest instalment wastes no time in establishing its premise. The containment of the Rage virus to the U.K. mainland has spawned an entire generation of survivors on a small tidal island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended footbridge.
Leading the narrative is 12-year-old Spike, played by A New Breed of Criminal 's Alfie Williams, who's taking his first steps as a hunter-in-training to gather resources for the community in the mainland, accompanied by his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kraven the Hunter ). Naturally, things go awry quickly, and the pair find themselves crossing paths with various infected species, from lumbering crawlers and fleet-footed ragers to their powerful, intelligent leader: the Alpha.
All of these take place while Spike's mother, Isla (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve ), is confined to bed, weak with an unknown illness that causes bouts of memory loss. Jamie's aloof treatment towards her drives him and Spike apart, especially after the latter discovers a solution that could help Isla get better, except it requires a trip back to the mainland. So begins round two and the makings of a coming-of-age story – as much as the desolated, blighted world allows, at least.
Young as he may be, Williams proves highly adept at commanding attention, expertly straddling the line between vulnerability and the desire to protect. The fear of not being strong enough, of stumbling at critical moments, adds authenticity and sincerity to his portrayal of Spike, who does stumble or let his guard down along the way. But he's also a barely-teenager still wet behind the ears, and 28 Years Later often reminds viewers that such moments of weakness are normal and human.
The same human touch colours the characterisation of Isla and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes, the Harry Potter series), another survivor described to be a little eccentric. Comer slips into her role easily, sharing strong on-screen chemistry with Williams, and putting up an impressive performance steeped in emotions, splintered memories, and most importantly, a mother's love for her child. Meanwhile, Fiennes breathes life into a tender-hearted, if wild, man who honours death in his own poetic way, imparting a meaningful lesson about mortality that has its roots in the Latin phrase memento mori or, remember (that you have) to die'.
It's the kind of heart that fuelled 28 Days Later , and the threequel makes sure to inherit other trappings of its past, starting with thematic relevance to the real world. Where the original tapped into the collective societal fear of deadly infections during the early 2000s, Brexit – the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union – and the COVID-19 pandemic served as inspiration for the isolated island and community.
Then, there's the stylised cinematography and editing that harks back to Boyle's 1996 black comedy drama film, Trainspotting . Shot primarily on the iPhone 15 Max alongside action cameras, drones, and other digital and film cameras (which makes for a neat nod to shooting the original movie on the Canon XL-1 digital camera), 28 Years Later presents a schizophrenic patchwork of harsh night-vision reds, clips from the 1944 adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V , and marching soldiers against the haunting voiceover of 'Boots', the poem mentioned in the opening paragraph, as one of its most striking sequences.
The punchy, intoxicating frenzy is testament to clever editing, accompanied by quick cuts of distorted camera angles and unsettling zoom-ins, alongside warped synths that run parallel to the footage. It works great for evoking paranoia and anxiety, as well as the occasional imagery or callback scenes, faltering only when paired with the bullet-time effect, which creates the illusion of freezing or slowing down time made popular by 1999's The Matrix .
Here, the freeze-frame technique is employed after successful shots to an infected's weak spot, meant to mirror the change from first- to third-person perspective in video games. The execution is more of a flub, however – at best, the refreshing unconventionality loses its magic after the first few attempts; at worst, the jarring transition breaks up the flow of continuity into the next scene. Additionally, the antiquated quality of several archival footage featured in 28 Years Later can be a sharp juxtaposition to modern-day camerawork, as much as it tries to maintain the old-school, scrappy aesthetic.
On the note of video games, the infected horde will be a familiar sight for fans of titles like Left 4 Dead 2 ( L4D2 ), The Last of Us , and more. Building on its introduction of fast zombies in the original pic that reinvigorated the genre, the survival thriller returns with two new types of infected: the Slow Lows, grotesque, bloated crawlers who eat bugs to survive (think the Boomer from L4D2 ) – an ingenious nod to 'Boots' sees one of them chewing on shoelaces from a, you guessed it, boot – and the Alphas.
As previously mentioned, the latter are more intelligent and stronger than ordinary stragglers, capable of taking multiple arrows to the body without dying. These terrifying, towering beings that can be mistaken for the cousins of the titans in Attack on Titan aren't invincible, but require a lot of effort to defeat. In the case of Spike, an Alpha nicknamed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) hounds him as a relentless force, demonstrating his raw strength by ripping out a soldier's head with the spine still attached to the skull. All of that with his bare hands, mind you.
And there's plenty more where that came from. 28 Years Later promises a generous helping of blood, violence, and visceral gore, whether it's shredded guts, blood eruptions, or pummelling action. Such acts of barbarism are often preceded or followed by white-knuckled chase sequences and high-strung suspense, which are easily its pièce de résistance. Most notably, the movie has mastered the art of delivering jump scare fake-outs, lulling audiences into a false sense of security before sneaking in an unexpected jolt that accurately conveys the primal fear felt by the characters.
Amid the chills, (blood) spills, and thrills are some bright spots of humour. Primarily conveyed through Swedish NATO soldier Erik Sundqvist (Edvin Ryding, Young Royals ), the lighthearted elements bring a welcome change of pace, putting forth the reminder to find joy in the smaller things in life, like how the signboard of a petrol station reads 'Hell' instead of 'Shell' in the film. The jokes land successfully for the most part, although the drastic tonal shift in the ending scene does feel a little out of place.
28 Years Later isn't perfect. The bold, experimental nature of its kinetic camerawork and editing can alienate viewers, while its CGI rendering of explosions lacks finesse. Despite fleshing out the worldbuilding and infected lore, some questions remain unanswered. Yet, these duller elements do little to tarnish the legacy that the franchise has built over the years – in fact, some may even find that they add charm and character to the mix.
In an oversaturated and ever-growing genre, Boyle's latest outing stands out with a humanist core that will hold up as a study in morality and mortality come 28 days, weeks, or years later – and beyond, as Candyman director Nia DaCosta prepares to take over the reins for the next instalment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple .
Summary
18 years is a long time to wait, and 28 Years Later makes sure to reward patience. Gritty, striking, and emotionally gripping, it respects and evolves the hallmarks that have made the original so beloved. Story - 7.5/10
Direction - 8.5/10
Characterisation - 8.5/10
Geek Satisfaction - 8/10
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. 28 Years Later Danny Boyle Review Sony
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Geek Culture
28 Years Later
A whole century before 28 Days Later (2002) reinvigorated the zombie film genre, English poet Rudyard Kipling published the poem, 'Boots'. Don't – don't – don't – don't – look at what's in front of you – / (Boots – boots – boots – boots – boots movin' up and down again!) / Men – men – men – men – men go mad with watchin' em / And there's no discharge in war! Count – count – count – count the bullets in the bandoliers / If – your – eyes – drop – they – will get atop o' you! It was featured prominently in the first and second trailers for 28 Years Later , setting a gritty, nerve-wracking tone that fits right into a world ravaged by the infected (director Danny Boyle prefers the term over 'zombies'), and signposting the various foreshadowing and parallel depictions to come. The bold execution has yielded a handsome pay-off, where the familiar sense of post-apocalyptic despair and taut anticipation permeates its entire length. Simmering below the surface, however, are elements that examine morality, mortality, and the importance of accepting death – like the original sleeper hit, the long-awaited threequel is a zombie flick, adrenaline ride, and human drama all rolled into one, evolving what the series does best with strong casting that accentuates its soulful core, even if it doesn't always stick the landing. Marking a reunion between Boyle ( Slumdog Millionaire , Trainspotting ), screenwriter Alex Garland (Ex Machina , Civil War ), and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle after 23 years (the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was spearheaded by a different team), the latest instalment wastes no time in establishing its premise. The containment of the Rage virus to the U.K. mainland has spawned an entire generation of survivors on a small tidal island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended footbridge. Leading the narrative is 12-year-old Spike, played by A New Breed of Criminal 's Alfie Williams, who's taking his first steps as a hunter-in-training to gather resources for the community in the mainland, accompanied by his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kraven the Hunter ). Naturally, things go awry quickly, and the pair find themselves crossing paths with various infected species, from lumbering crawlers and fleet-footed ragers to their powerful, intelligent leader: the Alpha. All of these take place while Spike's mother, Isla (Jodie Comer, Killing Eve ), is confined to bed, weak with an unknown illness that causes bouts of memory loss. Jamie's aloof treatment towards her drives him and Spike apart, especially after the latter discovers a solution that could help Isla get better, except it requires a trip back to the mainland. So begins round two and the makings of a coming-of-age story – as much as the desolated, blighted world allows, at least. Young as he may be, Williams proves highly adept at commanding attention, expertly straddling the line between vulnerability and the desire to protect. The fear of not being strong enough, of stumbling at critical moments, adds authenticity and sincerity to his portrayal of Spike, who does stumble or let his guard down along the way. But he's also a barely-teenager still wet behind the ears, and 28 Years Later often reminds viewers that such moments of weakness are normal and human. The same human touch colours the characterisation of Isla and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes, the Harry Potter series), another survivor described to be a little eccentric. Comer slips into her role easily, sharing strong on-screen chemistry with Williams, and putting up an impressive performance steeped in emotions, splintered memories, and most importantly, a mother's love for her child. Meanwhile, Fiennes breathes life into a tender-hearted, if wild, man who honours death in his own poetic way, imparting a meaningful lesson about mortality that has its roots in the Latin phrase memento mori or, remember (that you have) to die'. It's the kind of heart that fuelled 28 Days Later , and the threequel makes sure to inherit other trappings of its past, starting with thematic relevance to the real world. Where the original tapped into the collective societal fear of deadly infections during the early 2000s, Brexit – the withdrawal of the U.K. from the European Union – and the COVID-19 pandemic served as inspiration for the isolated island and community. Then, there's the stylised cinematography and editing that harks back to Boyle's 1996 black comedy drama film, Trainspotting . Shot primarily on the iPhone 15 Max alongside action cameras, drones, and other digital and film cameras (which makes for a neat nod to shooting the original movie on the Canon XL-1 digital camera), 28 Years Later presents a schizophrenic patchwork of harsh night-vision reds, clips from the 1944 adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V , and marching soldiers against the haunting voiceover of 'Boots', the poem mentioned in the opening paragraph, as one of its most striking sequences. The punchy, intoxicating frenzy is testament to clever editing, accompanied by quick cuts of distorted camera angles and unsettling zoom-ins, alongside warped synths that run parallel to the footage. It works great for evoking paranoia and anxiety, as well as the occasional imagery or callback scenes, faltering only when paired with the bullet-time effect, which creates the illusion of freezing or slowing down time made popular by 1999's The Matrix . Here, the freeze-frame technique is employed after successful shots to an infected's weak spot, meant to mirror the change from first- to third-person perspective in video games. The execution is more of a flub, however – at best, the refreshing unconventionality loses its magic after the first few attempts; at worst, the jarring transition breaks up the flow of continuity into the next scene. Additionally, the antiquated quality of several archival footage featured in 28 Years Later can be a sharp juxtaposition to modern-day camerawork, as much as it tries to maintain the old-school, scrappy aesthetic. On the note of video games, the infected horde will be a familiar sight for fans of titles like Left 4 Dead 2 ( L4D2 ), The Last of Us , and more. Building on its introduction of fast zombies in the original pic that reinvigorated the genre, the survival thriller returns with two new types of infected: the Slow Lows, grotesque, bloated crawlers who eat bugs to survive (think the Boomer from L4D2 ) – an ingenious nod to 'Boots' sees one of them chewing on shoelaces from a, you guessed it, boot – and the Alphas. As previously mentioned, the latter are more intelligent and stronger than ordinary stragglers, capable of taking multiple arrows to the body without dying. These terrifying, towering beings that can be mistaken for the cousins of the titans in Attack on Titan aren't invincible, but require a lot of effort to defeat. In the case of Spike, an Alpha nicknamed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) hounds him as a relentless force, demonstrating his raw strength by ripping out a soldier's head with the spine still attached to the skull. All of that with his bare hands, mind you. And there's plenty more where that came from. 28 Years Later promises a generous helping of blood, violence, and visceral gore, whether it's shredded guts, blood eruptions, or pummelling action. Such acts of barbarism are often preceded or followed by white-knuckled chase sequences and high-strung suspense, which are easily its pièce de résistance. Most notably, the movie has mastered the art of delivering jump scare fake-outs, lulling audiences into a false sense of security before sneaking in an unexpected jolt that accurately conveys the primal fear felt by the characters. Amid the chills, (blood) spills, and thrills are some bright spots of humour. Primarily conveyed through Swedish NATO soldier Erik Sundqvist (Edvin Ryding, Young Royals ), the lighthearted elements bring a welcome change of pace, putting forth the reminder to find joy in the smaller things in life, like how the signboard of a petrol station reads 'Hell' instead of 'Shell' in the film. The jokes land successfully for the most part, although the drastic tonal shift in the ending scene does feel a little out of place. 28 Years Later isn't perfect. The bold, experimental nature of its kinetic camerawork and editing can alienate viewers, while its CGI rendering of explosions lacks finesse. Despite fleshing out the worldbuilding and infected lore, some questions remain unanswered. Yet, these duller elements do little to tarnish the legacy that the franchise has built over the years – in fact, some may even find that they add charm and character to the mix. In an oversaturated and ever-growing genre, Boyle's latest outing stands out with a humanist core that will hold up as a study in morality and mortality come 28 days, weeks, or years later – and beyond, as Candyman director Nia DaCosta prepares to take over the reins for the next instalment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple . Summary 18 years is a long time to wait, and 28 Years Later makes sure to reward patience. Gritty, striking, and emotionally gripping, it respects and evolves the hallmarks that have made the original so beloved. Story - 7.5/10 Direction - 8.5/10 Characterisation - 8.5/10 Geek Satisfaction - 8/10 Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. 28 Years Later Danny Boyle Review Sony
Geek Culture
2 days ago
- Geek Culture
Nintendo Switch 2 Faces Dire Third-Party Game Sales Despite Successful Launch
Despite enjoying a massive launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly suffering from rather lukewarm sales of third-party games, as most players flock towards first-party Nintendo titles like Mario Kart World . This news comes from TheGameBusiness' Chris Dring, who went through the console's latest game sales figures surrounding its launch. Citing data from research companies Circana and NielsenIQ, Dring notes that 48% of physical game sales in the UK and 62% of sales in the US were first-party titles, when excluding the console's Mario Kart World bundle. If the bundle was taken into account, however, the figure would be further increased to 86% in the UK, although statistics for the US were not presented. Mario Kart World For context, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched with only three new physical first-party titles: Mario Kart World , and the two enhanced editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom . On the other hand, there were a total of 13 physical third-party games, including CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 , Konami's Survival Kids , and Square Enix's Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster . Speaking to TheGameBusiness, one unnamed third-party publisher noted dire sales figures for its Switch 2 launch sales, stating that it was 'below our lowest estimates'. Dring also noted that despite the newest console's figures being an improvement compared to its predecessor's launch, which saw 89% of physical sales at the time being from first-party games, most third-party Switch 2 games 'posted very low numbers'. As to the reason for such disappointing numbers, Dring suggested that this could be due to the console's enhanced backwards compatibility, leading to players jumping back into the original Switch's back catalogue, coupled with the fact that almost all of the third-party Switch 2 launch titles are ports of already released games, meaning they are likely titles already played and completed by players on other platforms. Survival Kids Despite this report, some sources are actually painting a different picture. US sales tracker Mat Piscatella, who works at Circana, for example, took to Bluesky to state that third-party sales of Nintendo Switch 2 games in the US were actually 'far better' than those of the original console when it launched. CD Projekt Red also shared the sentiment, reporting that Cyberpunk 2077 was the 'best-selling third-party game during the launch of Switch 2', and that the game did 'reasonable numbers'. Amidst the conflicting reports, Dring adds that he was told by many major publishers that Nintendo is 'actively trying to push third-party games this time around', with the hopes that sales will pick up in the coming months once other notable third-party titles like EA Sports Madden 26 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 are released. For Nintendo's first-party titles, the console has some big-hitters in its pipeline, including Donkey Kong Bananza , Pokémon Legends: Z-A and enhanced editions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario Party Jamboree . Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Mario Kart World Nintendo Nintendo switch 2
Geek Culture
3 days ago
- Geek Culture
'Elden Ring' Film Director Alex Garland Completing Game The 7th Time, Reveals His Toughest Boss
The director of the upcoming A24 live-action Elden Ring film, Alex Garland, has proven just how big a fan of the game he truly is, revealing that he is on his seventh playthrough of the soul-crushingly difficult FromSoftware RPG. Speaking with IGN during an interview for 28 Years Later , to which he returned to write after working on the original 2002 film 28 Days Later , Garland spoke on his time with Elden Ring in preparation for its movie adaptation, and revealed the one boss he struggled with the most: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. 'It's Malenia who's the tough one', Garland explained. 'I'm now on my seventh playthrough of that game. I've levelled up, I've got lots of juice, and a cool sword, and stuff like that, and I just throw myself at them again, and again, and again, and again.' 'That was the technique I learned with Dark Souls ,' he added. 'It's not that you get better, it's more like monkeys and typewriters. You just keep doing it, and eventually, one day they're dead.' Garland also offered his tips on defeating Starscourge Radahn, the demigod boss that many others struggle with. To him, Radahn was actually much easier, with the director stating that he made use of the game's summon system to help beat the boss with ease. 'Radahn's really easy', he explained, 'I thought Radahn was quite easy, because as long as you sort of activated the people who can assist you in that fight, they get on with fighting him, and they take off whatever it is, half his energy, and you finish him off. It's all about activating those little summon signs dotted around.' What about the movie, though? Unsurprisingly, Garland refused to give any further details on the upcoming adaptation, firmly stating that he was 'not going to say anything about it'. For now, all that's known about the elusive project is that it will be written and directed by Garland, produced by A24 and Bandai Namco, with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin attached as a producer. At least now it's clear that Garland is quite a big fan of the game, which is always a good sign for any game-to-screen adaptation. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. A24 Alex Garland Elden Ring Elden Ring movie
