Review: ‘28 Years Later' is fresh flesh — the best zombie movie in a decade
The long-in-development third film in the ' 28 Days Later ' franchise has finally arrived, and the wait was worth it. That time was apparently well spent, because '28 Years Later' is a massive improvement over the 2007 sequel ' 28 Weeks Later.'
The new film reunites director Danny Boyle (' Trainspotting,' ' Slumdog Millionaire ') and writer Alex Garland (' Civil War,' ' Warfare ') from the 2003 original, '28 Days Later.' Whereas 'Weeks,' made without Boyle's and Garland's involvement, felt like a rehash with poorly motivated actions, 'Years' is carefully thought out and would be vibrant filmmaking even without the previous material.
With actual ideas to explore, well-developed characters and fleshed-out (sorry) performances, scary sequences, and a bite or two of humor, the new movie is one of the best zombie outings in years — maybe the best since the 2016 South Korean thriller ' Train to Busan.'
Unlike 'Busan' and 'Days' (and certainly 'Weeks'), 'Years' is less about body count than it is a character journey that happens to occur in a world infested with mindless former humans striving to dine upon one's flesh. Still, 'Years' boasts one of the more delightfully horrific opening sequences in the genre ('delightful' to zombie fans but likely terrifying to the uninitiated), set during the early days of the outbreak of the 'rage virus' that devastates England in the first film. Then we jump into the new story, which indeed takes place 28 years later.
By this time, England has been declared a permanent quarantine zone, cut off from the rest of the world. A fishing village on a tiny island has survived. In it, bow-wielding 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) prepares for a rite of passage with his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson): his first zombie kill on the mainland. Spike is close to both his parents, but Jamie's relationship with Spike's mother, Isla (Jodie Comer), is strained, as an ailment makes her forgetful, delusional, even paranoid. Those tensions, and a mystery on the mainland, lead Spike to make some well-intentioned, but very dangerous choices.
For those familiar with 'Weeks,' that description could dredge up bad memories. But unlike the annoying kids' foolish actions that drive that sequel's plot, 'Years' contrives a powerful, sympathetic motivation for Spike; we understand this is something he must do.
Garland and Boyle have made a different film than the other two installments, and deserve credit for that. It still has genuinely heart-pounding scenes, while only occasionally resorting to jump scares. They've considered not just how a community might adapt to survive, but how the infected might evolve over time. Those changes are interesting and sometimes surprising, though the heart of the movie is its 12-year-old protagonist's coming-of-age journey.
Garland has cited Ken Loach's classic 'Kes' (1969) as a key influence; that's a tiny indie about an outsider boy finding purpose, not a horror film. And '28 Years' also has something to say about comprehending and coping with loss amid what seems like 'Apocalypse Now'-type insanity.
Boyle employs idiosyncratic filmmaking technique, such as flash inserts to play with time, imply thoughts or feelings, or to foreshadow, and interesting use of sound and score, perhaps inspired by Oscar winner 'The Zone of Interest.' Yet, 'Years' never loses its focus on its young protagonist, or young Williams' performance.
Williams, now 14, had two credits before carrying this film. He delivers a remarkably well-rounded, present performance. He is more than ably supported by Taylor-Johnson as his seemingly perfect warrior-father and the chameleonic Comer, delivering yet another layered, complex turn as his afflicted mother. Then there's the startling appearance of Ralph Fiennes — the less said about what he does in the film, the better, but it's another feather in the all-timer great's cap.
The movie is a complete story, but also sets up the Garland-penned sequel, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,' due out next January. A third film, to make a 'Years' trilogy, is in the planning stages. Fans have reason to look forward to more, as this movie reinvigorates the franchise with fresh blood.
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