Twenty-eight years since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group li...
Director Danny Boyle (along with screenwriter Alex Garland) makes a seriously intense return to the world of the rage virus with “28 Years Later,” a gory, blood-soaked expansion of the landmark horror saga that began over twenty years ago with “28 Days Later.” Not just a sequel but the opening chapter of a new trilogy, the film comes out swinging with brutal zombie violence, a foreboding atmosphere, and some truly dark storytelling choices (yes, even the kind that kills off children).
Set nearly three decades after the original outbreak, this chapter follows a group of hardened survivors living on a fortified island with a heavily defended causeway as their only bridge to the infected world. Their fragile community is shattered when one member (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) ventures into the ravaged mainland with his preteen son (Alfie Williams) and uncovers horrifying evolutions in both the infected and humanity itself.
The story may be simple, but Garland dives deeper into the feeling of post-apocalyptic dread, the will of humans to survive, and the very real fear of death. Supporting characters, like an isolated doctor (Ralph Fiennes) who has taken to building a monument out of human skulls and a terminally ill woman (Jodie Comer) in search of treatment, add a touching element to this typical zombie horror movie. This is a story about family as much as it is about survival.
As expected, the film is viciously violent. There’s oodles of gore (the makeup and effects are disturbingly real), blood, and frenzied zombie attacks, but it’s the bleakness (and grim, disturbing imagery) that hits the hardest. Boyle, now more controlled and deliberate behind the camera, strips back his usual frenzied visual chaos in favor of a slightly more mature, measured descent into despair and moral decay.
The simplicity of the plot works in the film’s favor, allowing the pacing and intense set pieces to shine (although the narrative occasionally feels repetitive). There are some questionable plot turns and character choices that don’t fully make sense, but with two more films on the way, it could be that Boyle and Garland are purposely holding some of that back for future revelations.
Fans of zombie horror aren’t going to be disappointed with “28 Years Later,” and that’s what really matters. The film doesn’t flinch from the genre’s darkest corners as it questions humanity and explores survival as both a triumph and a curse. The result is a disturbing, cerebral horror story that continues the franchise’s legacy while evolving it into something even more terrifying.
