After watching the most recent sequel, 28 Years Latter (2025), I had to watch the movie that started everything for this franchise back in the day 28 Days Later (2002), one of those movies that honestly has stuck with me for years now and its Danny Boyles take on the zombie genre but not really zombies cause these people are technically still alive just infected with some nasty rage virus that turns them into fast moving blood thirsty maniacs. The whole thing starts with some animal rights activists breaking into a lab and freeing chimps that are infected with this rage virus, classic mistake that kicks off the entire apocalypse situation and from there we jump 28 days later to find Jim waking up in a hospital completely naked and alone wondering what the hell happened to the world, seems like Rick from TWD took a page from this movie, same goes for World War Z, hilarious the similarities. This movie is how Boyle managed to create such an authentic post apocalyptic London on what was basically no budget at all, they shot this thing for like 8 million dollars using digital cameras that give it this gritty surveillance footage look that actually works perfectly for the tone they were going for. The empty London streets are absolutely haunting and the way they pulled that off was pure guerrilla filmmaking genius, showing up at dawn with small cameras and just grabbing shots before the city woke up, its that kind of scrappy independent spirit that makes the movie feel so raw and real compared to big budget Hollywood productions that would have spent millions on CGI crowds and elaborate sets.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18177528/
- Platform: PLUTO
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Now, the meat and potatoes of this movie, the infected, they are nothing like your typical zombies that you see in most horror movies, these things are fast as hell and absolutely relentless in their attacks, they run at you like wild animals and once they spot you there is no walking away from them cause they will chase you down. The way Boyle shoots the attack scenes is brutal and unforgiving, lots of quick cuts and shaky camera work that puts you right in the middle of the chaos, blood spraying everywhere and the camera never cuts away when things get messy, its visceral stuff that will make you squirm in your seat. What makes it even more terrifying is how unpredictable these infected are, they can be perfectly still one moment and then explode into violence the next, like that church scene where Jim says hello and those two infected just slowly turn around and stare at him before all hell breaks loose. The digital camera work actually helps sell the reality of these encounters cause it feels more like found footage than polished movie making, like you are watching actual security camera recordings of people getting torn apart, and the sound design with all the screaming and snarling really gets under your skin.
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The story structure is actually pretty clever too cause it takes you through different stages of dealing with this apocalypse, starting with Jims complete isolation and confusion when he wakes up to find everyone gone, then moving into survival mode when he meets Selena and Mark who teach him the new rules of staying alive in this nightmare world. Selena is this hardcore survivor who has learned to shut off her emotions cause caring about people will get you killed, she literally takes out her own partner with a machete the moment he gets infected without hesitation, but then you see her slowly opening up again when they meet Frank and Hannah who represent this small pocket of humanity still trying to maintain some normalcy. The themes running through the movie are pretty heavy too, its not just about surviving zombie attacks but about what happens to society when everything falls apart, how quickly people can turn savage or how small acts of kindness become precious in a world gone mad. The infected rage virus works as this metaphor for all the anger and violence that already exists in society, its just been amplified and stripped of any control or reason, and by the third act when they encounter the soldiers you realize that humans without rules or consequences can be just as dangerous as any infected creature.
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One thing that does show the movies age and budget limitations is the digital video quality which looks pretty rough by todays standards, it was shot on one of those first consumer digital cameras available and you can really tell when you watch it on modern high definition screens, it really took me back to those 2000s home made bootleg DVD when I play it on my 4k monitor, there are those who find it as an artistic choice that adds to the gritty realism but honestly it just looks dated and pixelated now and I love it, dont try to sugar coat it and it just works, especially compared to movies shot on film from the same era that still look crisp today, its one of those technical decisions that seemed innovative at the time but hasnt aged well at all when it comes to new generations, only we who went through all those tech changes would appreciate it. Might be shocking what Im going to say but Cillian Murphy does a decent job as the confused every man thrust into this situation, he was not the star he is now days, he doesnt have a lot of charisma and sometimes you feel like you are just watching things happen to him rather than rooting for him to succeed. Brendan Gleeson is fantastic as Frank the taxi driver who becomes this father figure for the group, bringing everyone together and humor to what could have been a completely random story but unfortunately he doesnt get enough screen time before his character gets wipe out. The movie also has some pacing issues where it drags at certain times especially during the middle part where they are living in Franks apartment building and not much is happening almost like trying to weather the storm kinda moment, I suppose thats realistic since survival would involve a lot of boring waiting around between moments of terror and desperation.
28 Days Later is one of those movies that changed the zombie genre forever and as I mention before there are many aspects and ideas that were taken from it and exploited on newer and modern productions, I think it was until TWD totally blasted the small screen with a Zombie story that lasted many many season but sadly not many know that this movie is probably what started all, Im not saying it is but there are just too many similarities in key aspects, even though technically its not about zombies at all, it influenced everything that came after with its fast moving infected and raw realistic tone. Despite all its flaws with the low budget production values and some questionable acting choices, it still makes it a memorable movie although its not the kind of zombies that stick to you, for example I remember how depressing was TWD intro and other aspects of it, its the kind of movie that makes you think about how quickly civilization could collapse and what you would do to survive in that situation. The ending is particularly effective cause it doesnt give you some Hollywood feel good resolution, instead it leaves you with this ambiguous scene where our survivors are making a giant hello sign for a passing airplane, hoping someone will come rescue them but not really knowing if help is actually coming. Its a brutal honest movie that doesnt pull any punches when it comes to showing the worst of human nature, but it also finds these small moments of hope and connection that make it more than just another gore fest, definitely worth watching if you can handle the rough edges and want to see where modern zombie movies got their inspiration from, I would give it probably a solid 7 out of 10 for being a game changer despite its obvious limitations.
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