“Boots, boots, boots, moving up and down again.” After more than 20 years since 28 Days Later and almost two decades since 28 Weeks Later, we finally have 28 Years Later. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return as a director–writer duo for this film so expectations are sky high after that much waiting. As a millennial auntie who was a tween when the first movie came out, it’s been a long time for me! But can it deliver the delayed gratification for the 28 Days fandom? Let’s find out!
The story takes place, as the title says, decades after the viral outbreak and we follow a family living in one of the safe haven communities, Holy Island. Father and son survival duo Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Spike (Alfie Williams) head out for the latter’s first journey into the British mainland so they could forage together. Meanwhile, Jamie’s wife Isla (Jodie Comer) has been suffering from a mysterious illness and has been bedridden for quite awhile so she’s usually left behind under someone else’s care. For the plot to keep plotting and without spoiling, things don’t go exactly according to plan.
The Fictional Vibes
It’s the contrast between the beauty of nature and the deadliness of the situation. The gorgeous (more like GORE-geous, am I right?) scenery lulls you into a false sense of security and then the blaring soundtrack drops you back into harsh reality.
I believe fellow millennials have the unique experience of growing up with the 28 Days franchise. Personally, I used to marvel at the edginess and the carnage of the first two films and now as an adult, I’m feeling emotionally invested in the core themes of love and loss in this film. I kept crying while watching due to the relatability in my own life.
The Survivors
I can’t help rooting for Alfie Williams as Spike, the young protagonist of the new trilogy who’s having his coming-of-age journey while being stuck in a survival horror film. I can’t help feeling emotionally invested in his adventure since he’s such a good kid, who keeps trying to do the right thing in a world that doesn’t always reward kindness.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the type of grizzled action dad character that you might find in many horror films and he’s also kind of a tool. But since he’s a seasoned hunter, we are treated to an impressive display of brawling against the Infected. I do appreciate that he’s not a squeaky clean, morally upstanding citizen because we need more complexity in our character. (I am still side-eyeing him for something he did, which made him instantly unlikeable for me.)
Jodie Comer portrayed freaking Villanelle and this killer queen deserved more screentime, especially while wandering about a post-apocalyptic forest that’s filled with danger. She only had one action scene where she is defending her son against the Infected, which resulted in a “smashing” success and left me wanting more. Although her screentime was shorter than I expected, it remained impactful as Isla’s relationship with her son and how she interacts with others during her lucid moments, really made me feel emotional.
Providing a well-needed comedic break from all the heavy plotting and family drama was NATO soldier Erik Sundqvist (Edvin Ryding). Before he came into the picture, I almost forgot that the rest of the world just kept on progressing while mainland Britain and most of the British Isles were thrown back to more primitive times due to the indefinite lockdown. So it felt just as jarring for me when he started talking about online deliveries and showing off his smartphone. Spike unintentionally roasting Erik’s girlfriend sent me into giggle fits. (“She’s allergic to shellfish!”)
Ralph Fiennes usually portrays such wildcard characters that I honestly could not tell if Dr. Ian Kelson was going to be chaotic good or evil! Either way, he was entertaining and I genuinely enjoyed listening to him yap about his eccentricities as he slathered himself in iodine.
The “Antagonists”
The Infected are no longer just a mob of angry (hangry?) people running towards their destination with bloodshot eyes, which, let’s be real, is just another Monday morning in the real world. The Infected have evolved (or devolved depending on how you look at it) through the years into different variants including a thicker (more like, thiccc) grey Infected and the more civilized nudist tribe led by an Alpha.
If you’re a millennial gamer then some of the grey, squishy Infected may remind you of the Boomer from Left 4 Dead. It also feels like a full-circle moment that the evolved Infected share similarities with the aforementioned creatures found in Left 4 Dead as the video game series was heavily inspired by 28 Days Later.
Dubbed Samson, the Alpha leader pursues the survivors throughout the film with increasing urgency. Since “Samson” is more deliberate in his attacks, he ends up becoming a more intimidating figure that will get your heart pounding during the fight sequences.
Aside from being smarter and strategic compared to the Infected in the past films, he also strikes an imposing figure due to, uh, other attributes. In the proud tradition of 28 Days, we have another full-frontal assault, definitely earning that R16 rating!
The 28 Days and Weeks callback references
Do you need to watch the previous films in the franchise? In my personal opinion, you don’t need to watch it just yet. I think the premise is understandable enough for viewers who have never seen the 28 Days franchise, especially since 28 Years Later is the first film in a separate trilogy. Each 28-themed film even focuses on a different protagonist and location with its own set of conflicts to navigate. There’s even a brief backgrounder shown on the screen
However, the operative word is “yet” because 28 Years will most likely pique your interest to check out the previous films. There are also some callbacks from the earlier movies such as a crow chilling atop an Infected body. There are also some visuals referencing throwaway lines. (Hint: “Do you have any Tango?”) I was just silently pointing out the references to myself and feeling proud for acing a test that nobody gave.
Another reason you might want to revisit the earlier films is because Cillian Murphy, who portrayed Jim from 28 Days Later, has been reported to make an appearance in the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. And although he hasn’t shown up on screen yet, the Oscar winner was credited as an executive producer so you know that he’s in it for the long haul, whether he’s onscreen or offscreen.
Here’s hoping that at least another 28 Days castmate could return such as Naomie Harris, who played Selena. (My Jim x Selena ship had better be sailing 28 years later!) I have since lost hope with Megan Burns, who portrayed Hannah, since it seems she’s retired from acting and also pursued an emo rocker career as Betty Curse. Although they could possibly recast the role so that the Manchester Trio could still be together in the future!
TL;DR Summary:
28 Years Later is a survival horror video game escort mission where you actually like the person that you’re protecting. As with the past 28 Days films, the real horror is not with the creatures but with the day-to-day survival of what remains of civilization in isolation. I was pleasantly surprised at how the focus was more on Spike’s journey towards adulthood.
My main point of improvement is that I wanted more Jodie Comer action screentime because that lady could kick butt.
If you’re a newbie to the franchise, you have more than enough time to catch up and understand what’s happening since the film immerses you in the Holy Island community and their ways of living. I especially found the high-tide/low-tide pathway to be such an impressive showcase of ingenuity as well as their process for alerting any danger. I almost forgot the setting when I suddenly heard the crowd singing “Delilah” by Tom Jones.
The story can feel very heavy at certain points but thankfully, there are action sequences and the occasional comedic break to lighten things up in between. Without spoiling anything, there is one particular scene that gave me the strongest dose of mood whiplash where I was crying uncontrollably only for the movie to hit me with one of the most hilarious sequences.
This is an eerily accurate depiction of how us millennials are going to deal if we were living in that world. It’s mad relatable for this generation’s adults as we also have the awkward tendency to crack jokes at the most inappropriate times as a form of coping mechanism. The soundtrack really brings the insanity up a notch and I am so seated for the rest of this wild ride.
The Mortal Kombat-style fatalities and the generous “full-frontal assault” care of the Alpha leader of the Infected have certainly earned this movie that R16 rating and then some!
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What was that creepy voiceover in the trailers?
The 1915 recording of the poem “Boots,” written by Rudyard Kipling and performed by Taylor Holmes, plays like a foreboding threat and sets your expectations for what’s to come. Now, I still side-eye Kipling for the white savior-flavored “The White Man’s Burden” poem, but even I can begrudgingly agree that “Boots” captures the horrors of a post-Infected Britain.
In the full version of the recording, the actor Taylor Holmes talks about the context before the spoken word poetry begins. And I quote below,
“Those of us who have never been engaged in actual warfare, have very little idea of some of its worst horrors. One of the most terrible being the agonizing pressure, made upon the minds of infantry soldiers, during their long, forced, marches. Soldiers have been known to go absolutely insane with the everlasting sight of marching feet all around them.”
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Tita Kraken Bonus Points ദ്ദി (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)୨୧
Something new I’m trying! I’m giving extra points for aspects in a film that make it a more comfortable and enjoyable cinematic experience for this tita!
✅ DAYLIGHT SETTING 🌞
Following in the rage-fueled, sprinting footfalls of the first two films, most of the action happens in broad daylight! The extra lighting saves me the trouble of squinting to figure out what’s going on. There was the occasional evening scene that, thankfully, was still clearly shown on the screen. There’s even a different kind of action going down in one night scene, if you know what I mean.
✅ LIKE-WORTHY SCENERY 🌳
Setting aside the heavy plot, 28 Years Later is one big aesthetic road trip with miles upon miles of lush greenery surrounding the area. I admittedly have a bias towards saturated color grading but come on, just imagine how gorgeous the stark red blood looks against the vibrant green leaves. Special mention also goes to the gorgeous flower field that would look great as a screensaver but gets photo bombed by an wretched Infected.
As much as I enjoy the rundown haunted shack for the Halloween vibes, there’s nothing quite like the juxtaposition of dreamy and nightmarish imagery, which personally appeals to my opposing aesthetic of kawaii (cute) and kowaii (scary).
✅ WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN
Jodie Comer’s character is a girl’s girl because, without spoiling anything, even if they didn’t get along, she helped another woman in her time of need, even offering emotional support.
SCORE: 3 💀💀💀1/2 out of 5
POST-MOVIE MOOD: ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! + (ㅠ﹏ㅠ) + (づ•ᴗ•)づᯓ
Thank you for the opportunity to scare myself silly with a special preview of the film, Columbia Pictures PH! I can’t wait for the next film in the trilogy!
