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There are few scenes in films this century that are as striking or memorable as Cillian Murphy walking through a completely deserted London in 28 Days Later (2002 ). Director Danny Boyle and his crew somehow pulled off the impossible, and were able to capture London without any semblance of the hustle and bustle it is known for, closing off street sections for limited amounts of time, and shooting what they needed 45 minutes after dawn.
It is a fascinating production anecdote that points to the passion and ambition Boyle had for what was, on paper, just another zombie film. Boyle, and writer Alex Garland, infused that film with authenticity and uncompromising horror that separates it from most other efforts of the genre.
Both Boyle and Garland return for this quasi-sequel of sorts, 23 years after the original was released. Both men prove their reputations with this bold production.
Apart from a brief, but arresting prologue - involving the Teletubbies - the story takes place 28 years after the initial outbreak, when Britain’s population was infected with a rage virus, ravaging the entire country. It has now become a quarantine zone, home only to the remnants of the infected population.
Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson ), Isla (Jodie Comer ) and their son Spike (Alfie Williams ) live as part of an island community, not too far from the mainland. The only means of accessing the mainland is by a causeway, and that accessibility is dictated by the height of the tide. As a rite of passage, Spike, along with his father, prepares to cross the divide so he can kill an infected for the first time, venturing into an unfamiliar and perilous environment.
I think this film will be quite polarising. Those expecting - and hoping - to be gripping their seats in fear will be underwhelmed. And while it’s not a conventional horror or zombie film just as 28 Days Later was not, back in 2002, it may also disappoint fans of that film for not recapturing the digital video documentary-like visual style, or recreating the visceral impact of seeing the rage-infected citizens attack.
I was unsure how I felt after the first act. I thought I knew the direction of where the film was headed which concerned me. I believed the story would lack the inventiveness of the original and be more akin to its much inferior sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2008 ). Specifically, delivery of the dialogue was noticeably devoid of modulation which took me ‘out’ of the experience. The infected do not have the same fear factor, and the action does not have the same gut-churning quality.
However, a major reason why I have a great appreciation for the original was how they grounded the grand scale chaos in a story about recognisably normal, unremarkable and believably flawed characters. The dialogue and range of emotions were real, and the film never felt false in how it was able to infuse levity into a hopeless situation. Boyle and Garland prioritise the importance of establishing an emotional connection with these characters.
I was surprised how often I chuckled at jokes that feel like low-hanging fruit, such as Spike’s reaction to seeing plastic surgery for the first time, or a confused reaction to the word “online”.
But I think it’s that connection to our own reality that compelled me to invest in this story and characters. And while I was steadily enjoying the ride, and impressed by Boyle’s stylistic flourishes, it was only when the film revealed a deeply sincere and heartfelt side to it that I was moved in a way I was not expecting.
Ralph Fiennes is the stand-out performer of the film. He imbued an outwardly odd-seeming character with what feels like his own, human essence. I was entranced whenever he was onscreen.
I definitely felt relief once the film ended that the filmmakers once again made bold and provocative choices stylistically and narratively, elevating it above the countless sequels and franchise films that show no artistic ambition at all. Next up, and already filmed, is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which I hope - under the stewardship of director Nia DaCosta - will live up to the benchmark set by its predecessor.
Now playing in cinemas across Galway.
