28 Days Later (2002)
It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve talked about a movie that wasn’t released in theaters this year. Between Tuesday and Wednesday June 24-25th, I watched 28 Days Later (2002). Way back when I went to see One of Them Days (2025), I mentioned that I saw the trailer for 28 Years Later (2025). I expressed interest in seeing the new film, but figured I probably should watch the original first as I’ve never seen it before. I resolved to digitally rent the movie. While I heard that both the original and the sequel 28 Weeks Later (2007) are available to stream “for free” on Pluto TV, I just can’t stand having ad breaks poorly cut into the movie, so I went with the rental. Apparently, 28 Days Later had its last blu-ray release back in 2015 and even then it uses the same transfer from the 2007 blu-ray release. When doing a quick search to buy the blu-ray, it seems like each release has long been out of print and are being sold second-hand for ridiculous prices. However, now that interest is present and the rights with the film's original distributors have been settled, Sony is planning a 4K release and it's currently available to pre-order…in the UK. As such, if you plan to watch this movie now, then your only avenues are free with ads on Pluto TV, renting/purchasing it digitally, or just sailing the high seas.
28 Days Later is a zombie horror, or simply a post-apocalyptic horror film (if you ask director Danny Boyle); the film is also written by Alex Garland in his screenwriting debut. The film depicts the United Kingdom 28 days after the outbreak of an aggression-inducing virus and centers around a small handful of survivors attempting to find some kind of sanctuary. Right off the bat, I want to praise the cinematography and look of this film. Despite referring to 28 Days Later as a film, it was mainly shot digitally. The entirety of the movie, save for the final scene, was shot on prosumer-grade digital video (DV) camcorders, which recorded in standard definition. Danny Boyle stated that he became interested in using DV camcorders when he saw the Danish black comedy The Celebration (1998), the first film to come out of the Dogme 95 film movement. Now I would love to talk more about The Celebration and Dogme 95, but that would really bloat up this post; just trust that The Celebration (AKA Festen), is a good fucking movie and you should watch it. What stuck out the most to Boyle about this film was its use of consumer grade Sony camcorders and how they employed handheld movements to convey mood and character feeling. As to how that applies to 28 Days Later, I’d say that its use of standard definition DV cameras gives a very grimy yet strangely naturalistic appearance. Sources of light, whether natural or artificial appear blown out and details are soft in appearance. It’s giving Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) in how the low fidelity nature and tight budget of its production actually lends more perceived authenticity to what you’re viewing. In addition, due to the DV cameras being way more portable than their film counterparts, Boyle and his cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle, were able to get a bunch of them and place them all around their location shoots. This in turn leads to many moments that look like you were watching CCTV footage as characters run across the frame while the camera, often from a high angle, remains still.
Story wise, the movie is a pastiche of older classic zombie films and post-apocalyptic fiction. It’s clear that Garland took inspiration from George Romero’s Living Dead trilogy, particularly the 1968 original and Day of the Dead (1985). Pastiche isn’t necessarily a bad thing in my book (I am a Star Wars fan after all), but what truly brings this movie above a simple homage is its humanist themes and commentary, carried by excellent performances. The film stars Cillian Murphy (Jim) & Naomie Harris (Selena) who both do well, but I’d like to highlight Bredan Gleeson and Megan Burns who play father and daughter survivors, Frank and Hannah, respectively. I feel the inclusion of these two characters mark an important shift in the arcs of our two leads. If we were just following Jim and Selena throughout the film, the film's tone may have remained cold & harsh and perhaps even nihilistic by the end. Introducing a family dynamic to our group of survivors allows for a glimmer of hope, while also raising the stakes as the film progresses.
I’ll give 28 Days Later a Best Movie Ever. I can see why this movie is often credited with reviving the zombie genre for the 2000s and beyond. In truth, I have not really engaged with zombie films and shows from the 2000s and 2010s as in the past I felt there was an oversaturation. My favorite zombie film remains a toss between Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead. Even so, if you’ve enjoyed other modern zombie films, I’d appreciate a recommendation. As I alluded to in my previous post, I have a backlog of movies to write about. In fact, at the time of posting, I just watched La Bamba (1987) for the first time a couple of days ago. So we’ll see what I post next. Have a good night.