Given that it is time for Halloween, this month’s movie column as such is thematically dedicated to horror, but with a bit of a spin. The trilogy of 28 (28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later) could be considered in fact a horror saga, but with a different pacing than what one would normally expect. It features a zombie outbreak that overtakes London and all of the UK (the plot would let us believe even parts of Europe or the world) before being finally contained. These are however different ‘zombies’ since they stem from a highly contagious virus related to animal rabies – as such, part of the intent of the movie is to depict the hubris of humanity of experimenting with science. It is a classic trope of portraying the dangers of a technology that tries to push the natural boundaries of human kind; this obviously goes sideways.
I would argue that the first movie was the one that was better paced of the three. 28 Days Later (2002) was written by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle (who coincidentally are the same that worked on the third one, but strangely enough not the second). It was made on a small budget, which is impressive considering how they managed to film a London that gives the impression of being practically deserted (which was possible because the team filmed the scenes in the very early hours of the morning and coordinating with the authorities to block traffic in specific zones). It also stars a young Cillian Murphy, having awaken from a come precisely 28 days after the zombie outbreak, and a fantastic Brendan Gleeson as a protective father fighting to protect his daughter; at the time, they delivered a very good performance. It is a gritty movie, possibly an outcome of the low budget as well, but this fits well with the general overall setting of the movie itself.
The second movie, 28 Weeks Later (2007), still feels like an adequate sequel. Although still on a small budget (but double that of the first one), it manages to portray the events that take place after half a year in London. Most of the virus has been stopped – given how most of the zombies by this point starved to death – and the military reclaiming London. Obviously, because of mismanagement, the recently reclaimed part of the city and the militaristic base of operation are overthrown by the return of the virus. Props to the movie for having yet again fantastic actors such as Idris Elba and Jeremy Renner amongst others.
I will say that I have problems with the third instalment of the series. 28 Years Later (2025) feels very different from the previous two movies. I would argue that it has an unsettling feeling to it and gives off an eerie vibe: between a decent soundtrack and a use of close-up techniques, flashes from other movies or documentaries and other similar stratagems, it creates anxiety in the viewer (good thing for a horror flick). On the other hand, this is undermined by exaggerated tropes such as stop motion ‘killshots’ and super-mutant-zombies; it’s almost as the producers felt the need to up the ante on the whole zombie genre. The fear element in the first two movies was the contagious factor of the virus and the multitude or horde phenomenon. Don’t get me wrong, alpha zombies and super-zombies can work, but not if the pre-existing world was built different; Resident Evil can make it happen because it’s motherfricking Resident Evil – that is how they do things and that is what you expect. In this latter case, however, the immersion just feels ruined because of an added element that seems superfluous. (Come on guys, this is not Attack on Titan!)
I would give this trilogy an 18 out of 28 minutes late.