It’s been 18 years in the making (or 23 years for those awaiting the direct Danny Boyle/Alex Garland follow up), and 28 Years Later has finally made its way to cinemas, continuing the story of how humanity has continued living after the outbreak of the Rage virus, of which we learn has been contained only to a now desolate and destroyed Europe, with those who have survived the ordeal stranded and isolated from the rest of the world.
Taking place in an island off of the coast of the Scottish Highlands, only accessible by a causeway that becomes walkable during low tides, a group of survivors have maintained a peaceful enough living, away from the zombies that lurk on the mainland, for 28 years. The story follows one particular family – Jamie (Aaron Taylor Johnson), a rugged and brash gatherer, Isla (Jodie Foster), who is suffering from debilitating headaches that leave her bedridden and erratic behaviour implying some form of undiagnosed mental illness, and their son, Spike (Alfie Williams), who at 12 years old is deemed mature enough to join his father on an expedition to the mainland.
Spike begins to learn some brutal lessons on his first journey into the zombie-infested world, taking his first kills while encountering evolved types of infected, all under the tough-love guidance of Jamie. But, when a distant fire raises questions in Spike about whether there’s other survivors out in the world, he begins his own quest to find an elusive doctor who may be able to heal his sick mother.
” 18 years in the making…“
Challenging the form of traditional filmmaking once more, Danny Boyle upgrades from the video-cameras of the early 2000s to iPhones, leading to another incredibly unique visual language and style to 28 Years Later. Being no stranger to intentional disorientating direction, Boyle utilises the size of an iPhone to really get into the action and emotion of the film. Stylistically, this film is quite engaging. Whether it’s using a bullet-time-type effect to showcase an arrow bloodily brutalising the head of a zombie, or creating these lucid dreamscapes to bring the audience deeper into the character’s psyches, there’s no denying the Boyle, even at this stage of his career, is still very much so an experimental filmmaker, and it’s exciting to watch unfold.
Also returning to this world is screenwriter Alex Garland, who’s recent work on Civil War and Warfare have made him a hot property in Hollywood. Again, much like 28 Days Later, this is a film that’s less about the zombies, and more about the complexities of a humanity that must utilise primal survival instincts, and how that clashes with relationships and functioning societies. At its core, 28 Years Later is a story about a boy’s relationship with his parents. It’s about watching the hero that is his father fail him, and how his undying love for his ailing mother forces him to confront manhood much quicker than planned. The foundations for this narrative are definitely laid out, but they can sometimes be interspersed with too many other elements of the story and the world that is expanded on thoroughly in this film, that when the emotional punches do start rolling, they can sometimes feel a little unearned.
There are many points during 28 Years Later where it seems like a whole bunch of ideas for sequels over the years have been softly glued together to form a cohesive narrative that has to focus on the deeper themes in order to once again feel like a zombie movie that really isn’t a zombie movie. Some of the ideas at play, however, are truly awesome. A new infected is introduced – the Alpha’s – who are big-dick swinging (literally, you’re going to see a lot of zombie penis in this film) leaders who have evolved their hunting styles to become the apex predator. The scenes in which hordes of infected, led by their Alpha’s, are heart-pounding and intense, and shot in such a visceral way by Boyle.
Alfie Williams’ carries this story on shoulder, and delivers a brilliant performance that balances the innocence of a 12 year old living in an isolated and mundane world with the new challenge of having to be a confident, unphased leader who also happens to be heartbroken by the situations his parents have put him in. It’s a captivatingly solid performance. Jodie Comer also brings her incredible acting ability to a role that could potentially toe the line between too much and not enough, but Comer manages to find sympathy in the devastating manic nature of it all.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is an unfortunate let-down, almost feeling annoyingly cartoonish at times as the brutish father. And while the instigating behaviour is exactly what this character is supposed to bring to the table, Taylor-Johnson doesn’t do it convincingly enough for it to work. Ralph Fiennes is a stand-out once his character is revealed, and with the cliffhanger ending leading into the supposed trilogy of films planned by Boyle and Garland (and including director Nia DaCosta, who is handling the second, already shot, film), it’ll be exciting to find out more about his mysterious character.
Considering the impact 28 Days Later had on the zombie-genre, with its uniquely humanistic approach to the apocalypse, it’s fair to say that 28 Years Later is a little bit disappointing narratively. The story doesn’t feel like it earns all of the emotional moments (even if they are technically executed well) despite solid performances within those scenes. However, Danny Boyle once again flexes his creative muscle, providing an engaging and enthralling visual experience that literally can not be compared to anything else being made today.
But, that’s just my opinion. And there’s others here at World of Screens who may think differently. Perhaps we need a….. second opinion…..
28 Years Later is in cinemas from June 19.
