28 Years Later (dir. Danny Boyle)
By: Adam Freed
There is no cure for a virus, which means that rather than seeking medicinal reprieve, one is best to allow the illness to simply run its course. This stiff upper lipped approach to sickness is digestible for families in care of an ailing child, but in the case of the “Rage Virus” made famous in Danny Boyle’s transcendent 2002 zombie apocalypse film 28 Days Later, this creates quite the conundrum. What Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) and writer Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War) created at the dawn of the 21st century was a fictional bacteria that would eventually lay waste to all of Great Britain, from Southampton to the Scottish Highlands. In the wake of this desolation, the duo of Boyle and Garland have fashioned a second sequel to their apocalyptic franchise, 28 Years Later. As the title aptly suggests, nearly 3 decades have passed since the murderous viral outbreak first grabbed London by the throat, enough time to send Britain back to its more primitive roots. Set in the Scottish Highlands, far from the population-dense mass of humanity that came to define the first two films of the franchise, 28 Years Later establishes its own identity as a naturalistic and vicious thrill ride.
Boyle’s sequel begins in a quaint Scottish island village, seemingly lost to time as its inhabitants have developed a code of coexistence that has successfully protected them from unwanted interaction with the infected. This is where audiences are first introduced to young protagonist Spike, played with vulnerable conviction by Alfie Williams. The 12-year-old Spike is set to celebrate his coming of age, which means he and his mentor father Jamie will embark on the young man’s first voyage to the mainland, ripe with essential materials, but also with a looming hoard of infected zombies. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nosferatu, The Fall Guy) captures Jamie, a doting and understandably serious father, one whom Spike has grown to idolize. 28 Years Later sinks its dramatic hook early through Spike’s initial mainland voyage, one that proves to be both memorable and harrowing. What sets this iteration of Boyle and Garland’s apocalyptic vision apart from genre competitors is its dedication to gorgeous naturalistic cinematography. Academy Award winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire) proves invaluable to a film that is as beautiful as it is graphic. Set against the backdrop of a world that has reclaimed itself from human control, the deep green wilds, shimmering blue seas, and craggy gray mountains prove the perfect color palette for chaos to ensue.
28 Years Later evolves into a conventional hero’s journey, introducing a revolving door of fascinating, albeit short-lived, performances from a gifted cast of supporting characters. This linear approach to storytelling risks leaving audiences feeling abandoned as they may adhere to characters that do not overstay their welcome. This narrative decision is best exemplified by a pair of roles whose impact far outweigh their screentime. First of whom is Isla, played by Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders), Spike’s mother who suffers from an unknown ailment that results in her deteriorating cognition. It is through his empathetic and dutiful relationship to his mother that Spike reveals the depth of his blossoming maturity. Also leaping from the screen with scene stealing delight is Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Conclave) who plays a mysterious and reclusive mainlander whom Spike has been instructed to avoid. Spike’s journey, like Danny Boyle’s film, is uneven at times, but has enough to offer to satiate franchise enthusiasts. Despite a tonally polarizing final scene, 28 Years Later is a visually stunning, naturalistic delight, ripe with gory thrills. As is usually the case with apocalyptic films, it is not the catastrophe that enlivens the story, but the humanity through which the hellscape is presented that makes it worthwhile. In this sense, Danny Boyle has once again crafted a world that, despite the abject terror it presents, is worthy of visiting.
Target Score 7.5/10 - 28 Years Later is an exhilarating second sequel to the groundbreaking and apocalyptic 28 Days Later. Famed writer / director duo Alex Garland and Danny Boyle return with a film that is as environmentally beautiful as it is maniacally graphic.