28 Days Later... (2002)

Infectious Terror
by David Friend

Fox Searchlight is hoping to take a bite out of this summer's American box-office with a little zombie story they picked up from the UK called 28 Days Later. The horror film re-teams Trainspotting director Danny Boyle with Alex Garland, writer of the novel for which Boyle's The Beach was based. The result is a twisty, gory and creepy movie that though effectively scary, doesn't seem like anything new either, despite some interesting twists.

28 Days Later begins with two animal rights activists breaking into a British animal research facility, with the intentions of freeing chimpanzees who have been chained up and forced to watch grisly images of human violence towards other humans. A researcher at the site warns them that the animals are infected with "rage", and danger is the only result if they're freed. Ignoring the threat, the female activist opens a cage. Within seconds the chip attacks her. In a heartbeat she is infected with "rage" and vomiting blood. Cut to black.

28 days later Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma in a London hospital. The room is suspiciously silent. Curious, he detaches himself from the intravenous and walks into the hallway. The hospital is empty. He walks onto the city streets to find deserted cars, a toppled bus and no one in sight. Continuing to roam the streets, he seeks refuge in a church. Strewn on the floor are the dead bodies of people. Terrified, Jim calls for help only to be met by a priest who is shrieking and charging at Jim like a maniac. Immediately he senses something wrong, and fends off the man. Bolting from the church, a group of infected humans begin chasing him. A bomb blast sounds as two survivors emerge from the shadows to protect Jim. Selina (Naomie Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley) lived through the infection, and are fighting an endless battle to protect their lives. They have learned about the virus, knowing that it has spread across Britain and probably the world. Transferred by blood, anyone who comes in contact with an infected person could be a potential victim.

Jim teams up with Selina and Mark to fight off the murderous humans. Eventually Jim meets a father and daughter who are in the same predicament. Housed in their apartment, they intend to flee the city in search of a military broadcast promising protection. But every step they take could be their last as infected humans roam the streets, bursting through windows and clawing at walls in a relentless attempt to spread "rage".

28 Days Later begins in a similar situation as the climax of Resident Evil. The characters are trapped in a post-apocalyptic world where most technology is rendered useless, and cries for help fall on deaf ears. It's a frightening situations that horror authors such as Stephen King have crafted into novels like The Stand. Here we get a similar set-up, with a different execution. Boyle chose to use digital video to record his story, creating some creepy visuals that might've not been captured in a regular film process. We get washed out, bleak and raw shots of the city, as well as the dark and dirty attacks from the infected. Unlike many digital productions, Boyle doesn't overuse the handheld process. Instead he utilizes the smaller -- and lighter -- digital camera to bring a closer, more intense angle to the actors. Several scenes are composed mainly of tight close-ups, creating a claustrophobic feeling that one might compare favorably to The Blair Witch Project.

But 28 Days Later is no Blair Witch, for those of you who despised that indie film, this one definitely goes for the money shots horror fans crave. There is lots of blood and guts, and even some classic jump-out-of-your-seat moments early on. But beyond the scares, the script is aiming for a deeper message about human beings consciously chosing to kill other human beings. It's an ambitious decision to make this statement in what is essentially a zombie film, but it is also where the movie begins to fall apart. Without ruining the film, I can tell you that the story begins by reflecting on our leads killing "infected" humans for their own survival. But as the film approaches its climax, the underlying commentary has taken on a new twist. The twist sends the film in a completely different direction, while still trying to maintain the ideas introduced in the first hour. This doesn't make the film any less entertaining, but it does create a somewhat disjointed storyline, as if we were watching two movies in one. But with the price of movie tickets today, maybe some won't think that's such a bad thing.

In the end, the film is never quite a horror movie, and never quite an action movie. For American audiences this might be hard to swallow, as movies without labels are a hard sell. 28 Days Later was a low budget production, and is being sold in America as a potential summer blockbuster. It proves that if a film shot on digital looks professional, and is acted believably, it can be taken seriously by a studio, and probably audiences. 28 Days Later probably won't be a big American hit, but it is sure to garner quite the cult following -- especially from those who wanted a little more out of Resident Evil than what that movie delivered.

                                                                  The Movie:
B-

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X-RT-RatingText: B-