28 Years Later – Review

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. 

Si Jia

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.