With its groundbreaking cinematography, unique monsters, fantastic cast, and fascinating lore that continues to be developed 24 years later, 28 Days Later has not only stood the test of time but aged like a fine wine. Very few entries in the zombie subgenre of horror have revitalized the genre with an intensity and scale that Danny Boyle‘s film was able to when it was released in 2002. If you haven’t yet had the privilege of watching 28 Days Later, then this is the perfect time, with its fourth installment in the franchise, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, coming out this month, and 28 Days Later being removed from Netflix in the coming weeks.
’28 Days Later’ Is One of the Most Significant and Unique Zombie Movies
For the few of those who aren’t somehow aware, 28 Days Later follows Cillian Murphy‘s Jim, who wakes up in a hospital 28 days after an outbreak of what is known as the rage virus, which turns people into rabid beasts that crave human flesh. Already, from the physicality of the monsters in 28 Days Later, it is clear how the film dramatically subverted audience expectations, with fast-paced zombies replacing the usual slow and ambling antagonists seen in George A. Romero‘s Dawn of the Dead. These not only shock Jim when he meets them for the first time, but the audience sees the stakes raised as the protagonist is given far less time to plan their escape, with panic taking over. It’s incredibly difficult to imagine a world where Brad Pitt’s World War Z and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead exist without 28 Days Later first laying the groundwork for a sprinting, flesh-eating zombie.
One of 28 Days Later‘s other achievements in revitalizing the zombie genre was the sense of scale it conveyed in depicting the consequences of a zombie outbreak destroying society. Cinematography, such as Jim limping around an abandoned London, makes Days Later feel extremely disturbing and grounded, as the film allowed many audiences to relate to Jim seeing the world-renowned metropolitan city now a wasteland.
’28 Days Later’s Stacked Cast Beautifully Portrays Humanity in an Apocalypse
As previously mentioned, a fair critique of some zombie films is that they rely too heavily on violence and offer little human depth. 28 Days Later completely dispels that notion with a cast that excels in every role. One of the film’s best sequences is completely nonviolent: Jim and Selena (Naomie Harris), a fellow survivor he meets, spend the night at the home of Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns). Despite the horrific circumstances they face, which Harris conveys with her hardened and unflinching stare that refuses to trust these new friends, Gleeson brings a comforting feeling to 28 Days Later as Frank, as his soft voice and fatherly presence radiate warmth not only to his daughter, Megan, but also Jim, who goes from bewildered to relaxed in Frank’s company.
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These contrasting performances, revealing humanity’s different reactions to the apocalypse, are further developed in what is one of the most chilling villains in horror history: Christopher Eccleston‘s Major Henry. As a senior military official, Eccleston portrays his character with stoicism and competence, as seen when he orders his men to prepare food for Jim and his companions. Yet his brutal belief that women should be used solely for breeding is conveyed by Eccleston with a disturbing amount of nonchalance when he tells Jim without any hesitation, revealing how a collapsed society can quickly revert to dangerous, regressive practices.
’28 Days Later’ Has a Deep and Rich Lore That Is Still Being Explored
Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone TempleImage via Sony Pictures Releasing
28 Days Later’s narrative may focus on only a handful of characters, but its lore is among the most fascinating in any horror or fantasy franchise because it conveys its wider world mostly through subtle hints rather than explicit exposition. Characters, like one of Major Henry’s soldiers, speculate that perhaps the outside world is merely quarantining the UK, and Danny Boyle has given fans several extracurricular sources that give fans a wider look at the lore. This desire for more exploration led to a sequel without Boyle or Days Later‘s writer, Alex Garland, returning, 28 Weeks Later, before both Boyle and Garland returned for a trilogy that began with 28 Years Later and is continuing with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta.
Safe to say that audiences who haven’t seen any of the Days Later franchise will have much catching up to do, but there is no better way to start than by watching 28 Days Later. Whether you want to continue to its sequels or merely appreciate Days Later for the stunning zombie film that it is, viewers will not be disappointed. In the end, 28 Days Later didn’t just subvert expectations; it fundamentally changed how zombie movies were perceived and how nuanced and terrifying they could be.
28 Days Later is now available on Netflix in the U.S.
Release Date
November 1, 2002
Runtime
113 minutes
Director
Danny Boyle
Writers
Alex Garland
Producers
Andrew Macdonald
