Click here to listen to the podcast episode, spoilers at the 13 minute mark.
28 Years Later is the latest entry in the franchise and it’s a movie I had to see as soon as I could. If I’m going to the theatre to see something it has to really be something I’m excited about. And by the way, it’s way past time to normalize going to see a movie by yourself.
In the latest entry we are in Scotland, following a new set of characters 28 years after the initial outbreak. We get some flashbacks to that time and where those same characters are now. The world has evolved, and so have the infected. Survivors have set up an island that is only accessible during low tide and life has moved on. Some of the younger people in this group haven’t been off the island or even seen an infected person yet. There are some strange events that are hinted at in this small colony that I’m eager to learn more about in the next movies.
One thing I really like about this movie is how it compares and contrasts life now and historical events. Past battles and violence, how the current reality mirrors the past and humanity. Because this is a zombie movie, it’s almost inevitable we get the zombies are just like us nonsense, but they do a good job going further with that idea. What the infected have evolved into is really interesting and they are even more formidable. The strong survived and they’ve developed new abilities. We also find out what the rest of the world has been doing since the outbreak, and some of that didn’t really make sense if you’ve seen the previous movies.
With Danny Boyle back directing and Alex Garland writing, it has more of a 28 Days Later cinematic feel, rather than more of the polished look 28 Weeks Later had. But there are some shots that reminded me a lot of some of the chase scenes from 28 Weeks Later, in big open fields running for your life hoping you’ve done enough to work on your cardio. There are some pretty damn effective jump scares and truly unsettling and tense moments, especially in the first half. The camera angles are often at an angle, with the horizon slanted and weird angles, close ups on characters and big wide open shots that I missed in 28 Weeks Later. There are some flashes of the infected that really add to the feeling of dread and how formidable they have become. Boyle’s finger prints are all over this one, and there are some wonderful cinematography scenes that only he can deliver.
Unfortunately, the characters pretty much all fell flat for me. The performances were fine, especially newcomer Alfie Williams who plays the main character, Spike. The motivations are often head scratching and mostly serve to make the story move to the next chase scene and to put them in danger.
Then the third act happened. It is a complete tonal shift and felt like a different movie. There are events that set up some of it, and sub plots that weren’t very interesting become the main focus and get wrapped up. The last 10 minutes of the movie introduce a whole new element that felt like a joke at first. There were chuckles in the theatre and I thought someone was playing with the projector for a minute. It is so over the top I thought it was a joke. A very small mention at the beginning of the film turns into something very unexpected.
I’m not sure where the franchise is going, but 28 Years Later does a fantastic job expanding on the world and how it’s evolved and mirroring our history of violence and warfare, survival and rebirth. The inevitability of death. If you’re a fan of the franchise like I am you’ll probably enjoy it, but be prepared for a shift in the final act. I’m excited to see where this goes, I have faith in Boyle and Garland. I hope what they are doing pays off.
