Review: 28 Years Later

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Danny Boyle's "28 Years Later" is an expectations-subverting sequel to one of the 21st century's best horror movies that isn't so much interested in giving audiences exactly what they think they want, but is instead an idiosyncratic beginning of a new trilogy that moves the story forward in ways most people won't expect.

The picture opens briefly in the year when the catastrophe struck, causing millions of people in the UK - and years later, the infection has been contained in quarantined England, Scotland and, presumably, Ireland and Wales - to be rage-filled zombies. A group of children watch "Teletubbies" on TV and, moments later, the attack begins. Only one boy escapes the melee and it's not until the end of "28 Years Later" that we discover what happened to him.

The rest of the film is set on a secluded fortress of a Northumberland isle known as Holy Island where some sense of civilization has been restored. A young boy named Spike (a very good Alfie Williams) lives with his aggressive father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and mother, Isla (Jodie Comer), who is suffering from a mysterious ailment (no, not that type).

The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that can only be accessed at low tide. Every young boy in the village's rite of passage involves being taken to the mainland to hunt the infected, although it's the slow-moving and crawling ones they typically seek out. There's also a type known as Alphas, and Spike and his father come across one of these during their trip. This particular Alpha is faster and smarter than most infected. The Alpha's preferred method of killing is ripping out one's spine and it has disturbingly, ahem, pronounced genitalia.

After a very close call between Spike, Jamie, and the Alpha, the former two return to the village, where Spike learns something upsetting about his father. He sees a raging fire in the distance and is told of a now-mad doctor who lives there, prompting him to collect his mother and flee with her to the mainland to find the doctor, whom Spike hopes will heal his ailing mom. Much of the film is their offbeat and occasionally frightening trip to find Dr. Kelson (a very good Ralph Fiennes), whose demeanor and abode reminded me of "Apocalypse Now," although Kelson is a much milder and even compassionate Kurtz. 

In terms of similarities to Boyle's 2003 modern horror classic, there are some frightening moments involving the infected and its portrayal of a societal breakdown. There are also some moving moments at the end of Spike's journey, making it similar to the original film, which had more heartrending scenes than one might expect in a zombie film.

But that's basically where the similarities end. This is a very different experience than Boyle's original film or the mostly decent 2007 sequel. Boyle's original film made great use of music - needle drops by Brian Eno, Blue States, and Godspeed You Black Emperor and John Murphy's score were great in creating mood - while the lonely shots of deserted London, the film's take on the dangers of militarism, and the relationships between the film's characters all added up to a potent brew.

In "28 Years," the music has primarily been left to Young Fathers, whose score is decent but doesn't quite pack the punch of the original. While the first film had a lonely, melancholic tone to it that made it so memorable, this sequel has a much odder and constantly evolving one. That's not a bad thing - it's just a very different viewing experience. 

The film includes some very tense sequences that are followed by some of a quirkier nature. The scenes involving Fiennes' isolated Kelson take on a more cosmic nature and there's an interesting take on the phrase memento mori that is utilized during these scenes. This section of the film is also its most moving.

The picture ends on a strange - again, not in a bad way - note that is meant to segue into the next film, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," which is set for a January release. I'm curious to see where this series goes next and hope that Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland can secure the funding for the third and final film, which will likely bring back one of the original film's most beloved characters. As for now, this is a solid start to the new series. Perhaps, no "28" film will ever match the original, but something new and original like this film is the next best thing.