28 Days Later Review

While 28 Days Later is 653 on the top 1000 greatest films, that's not why I'm reviewing it.  Recently, my dad and I have finished watching the hit BBC series Peaky Blinders, which stars Cillian Murphy, as Birmingham gangster, Tommy Shelby.  Knowing that Murphy plays the protagonist, my dad wanted to watch 28 Days Later.  As I've already seen it and know it's a great film, I was only too happy to oblige.

Set in central London, 28 Days after a virus turns most of the population into zombies, Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma.  He soon befriends the emotionally damaged Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns.) Their quest to find salvation draws them to a group of soldiers led by Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston.)

One of the strongest facets of the film is its use of zombies.  I know that there's debate over whether they can actually be called humans, as they aren't reanimated humans, but I'm going to refer to them as zombies.  The zombies were scary and original with their jerky movements, strange screeches, but mostly, how they run, rather than limp to their victims.  This is what separates them from other zombies and what sets 28 Days Later apart from other zombie horror films.

Director, Danny Boyle was also clever in his sparing use of the zombies.  Only a handful of them appear in the film, which kept them fresh and exciting.  If they had been used too much or had appeared in hordes, then their effect would have been diluted.  The viewer would become too used to them.  And, of course, it also emphasises how in zombie horror, the biggest threat is not the zombies, but the surviving people.

And there was no greater threat than the villainous Henry West who promised his men "women," in exchange for their loyalty.  While this isn't anything new, it doesn't make it any less horrific.  And Christopher Eccleston played the part well.  Major West was deeply flawed in his loyalty to his men and how he truly believed that he was doing the right thing.

Danny Boyle also did brilliantly at creating a suspenseful atmosphere.  The first few minutes of the film, showing a desolate London, was very creepy for somebody like me, who knows the hustle and bustle of London all too well.

Further, I also read that Danny Boyle used a special camera lens, which added a slow-motion effect.  This mixed with a range of quirky camera angles, helped to add to the film's creepy atmosphere.

I also think that the characters were written well.  There was only a handful of them, which allowed us to really get to know them.  Murphy played Jim well.  At the beginning of, he is completely out of his depth and overly-reliant on the far tougher Selena.  However, by the film's conclusion, Jim has adapted to the brutality of the world, saving Selena from being raped, by gouging out one of the soldier's eyes.

And then we come to Naomie Harris who gave a great performance as Selena.  The emotionally damaged, ruthless pragmatic Selena set a new precedent for female characters in horror films.  In the first fifteen minutes of seeing her, we see her mercilessly kill her friend Mark, suspecting him of being infected.  The emphasis here is on "suspecting," she doesn't know for sure, but decides not to take the risk.  Yet under the cold exterior is a vulnerable, yet brave woman, which comes out later on in the film, particularly within her growing relationship with Jim.

I read that Danny Boyle, Naomie Harris and screenplay writer, Alex Garland, had developed a backstory for Selena, which explained why she was so emotionally damaged.  She had to kill her parents to stop them infecting her little brother, only to find out that he was infected as well, forcing her to kill him too.  This never made it to screen, but I wish it had.  It would have been really interesting to delve into her backstory.

Finally Brendan Gleeson was great as Frank.  He was deeply loyal to his daughter, Hannah, and his death scene was one of the saddest of the film.

Although, there were a couple of moments, which didn't make sense, such as the roads being clear instead of gridlocked or a supermarket being fully stocked, instead of raided, if I am to criticise the film for anything, it would be its ending.

The climax where Jim rescued Selena and Hannah from the soldiers was thrilling to watch, but from there, I think things were a bit rushed.  Before West meets his death at the hands of one of his infected soldiers, he shoots Jim.  This is when the film rushes through his recovery, instead picking up 28 days later, with a fully recovered Jim, Selena and Hannah, in a remote cottage.  I think the film could have used a few more minutes showing what happened during these missing days.

My last criticism notwithstanding, 28 Days Later is a great film and a must-watch for fans of zombie horror.  And don't worry, I will be reviewing 28 Weeks Later next.