28 Days Later

In preparation for 28 Years Later, I decided to watch 28 Days Later for the first time in a long time. 

When I first saw the movie over a decade ago, I honestly didn’t really care for it. I mean, I thought it was fine, but it definitely didn’t resonate with me the same way that it seemed to resonate with other cinephiles. And that was really disappointing for me, since I was a big fan of other zombie related projects at the time. But I failed to understand the context in which this movie was made. 

Now - after years of expanding my knowledge of cinematic history - I have a much better understanding of Danny Boyle’s directorial style, of low-budget independent filmmaking, of British cinema in general, and of the huge role that 28 Days Later played in reinvigorating the zombie genre. So the projects that I was a bigger fan of - projects like Shaun of the Dead, I Am Legend, The Walking Dead, and more - clearly drew inspiration from 28 Days Later. And having that knowledge made it hard for me to not respect the movie. 

But respecting the film is one thing, enjoying it is something else entirely. So what did I think about the movie after all of these years? I really liked it! 

The opening sequence immediately gives the film a frantic and kinetic energy that never lets up. Even as the characters traverse a barren and desolate London, and realize that they are truly alone in this once bustling city, the movie always maintains a certain level of intensity. There’s danger lurking around every corner, and that danger allowed the film to break into an action sequence at any given moment. In a split second, hordes of infected could be chasing their unsuspecting victims, which gave the characters - and the audience - an unshakable sense of uneasiness. It was hard for anyone to ever truly feel safe, since hordes of infected could just come out of nowhere. But when they did show up, their presence made every sequence feel, exciting, chaotic, and incredibly memorable. Of course, the music went a long way in making these sequences all the more memorable too. Both the soundtrack and John Murphy’s score are really damn good. 

And the cast is pretty solid as well. Which should come as no surprise, given how Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, and Brendan Gleeson are all very well respected actors now. But it’s important to remember that they were all relatively unknown actors at the time. Because their unknown status made the movie feel like it was filled with real people; it helped ground the story with a certain sense of realism. 

The way the movie was shot helps sell the realism too. 28 Days Later was one of the first films to ever be shot digitally, and the digital cameras that were used almost make the movie feel like a found footage film. But my biggest issue with the movie - which is the same problem that I originally had with it - is that the camera quality is so low. Sure, I’m glad that the cameras allowed Boyle to shoot certain sequences more easily, but that doesn’t change the fact that the cam-corder quality looks extremely outdated. My 70-inch 4K TV made the movie look like it was shot on a potato. 

But the camera quality didn’t prevent me from enjoying this cult classic. The tone, the energy, the uncertainty; everything really worked for me. I could finally see how this film had a lasting impact on the entire zombie genre. And it was especially interesting to watch it after the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020. I remember when Chicago looked just as barren as London did in this movie. It was a ghost town. So I can’t imagine what Cillian Murphy’s character must have been feeling in this movie. But I thoroughly enjoyed watching the journey that he went on here. And I’m definitely interested in seeing what he’s been up to for the past 28 years. 

So, 28 Days Later - even if it doesn’t look as good after all of these years - would definitely get a recommendation from me.