28 Days Later
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: Alex Garland
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns

British Director Danny Boyle is slowly building up a filmography of original and evocative films; with movies like Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and The Beach behind him, you can now add 28 Days Later to this impressive list. What’s interesting is that while many directors establish a style and stick to it, Boyle’s movies are all across the board. 28 Days Later has been called a “zombie movie” and though it’s much more than a simple horror movie it’s certainly not what you might expect from the same guy who directed Trainspotting. It’s also not something you’d expect to hit theatres in the middle of the summer, in head-to-head competition with all of the big blockbusters… but it’s certainly a nice alternative to them. The movie has been out for a year in the U.K. already so it’s about damn time we got to see it this side of the Atlantic.

Boyle has again teamed up with writer Alex Garland (The Beach) to tell a near-apocalyptic story of a deadly virus that is accidentally unleashed on England… and within a month almost completely devastates the country. The virus, known as “Rage”, is released when a group of animal activists set some infected chimpanzees free. The virus is transmitted through blood and within 20 seconds of infection victims metamorphisize into psychotic killing machines. Jim (Cillian Murphy) is a bicycle courier who was hit by a car before the outbreak and wakes up from a coma 28 days later to find himself in a deserted hospital in a completely foreign world. As he explores he meets up with people from different backgrounds who are all banding together to avoid infection, working towards the singular goal of survival.

Boyle shot the movie on digital video to give it that gritty, documentary feel, but don’t go getting any ideas of the Blair Witch Project here. Although you’ve no doubt heard catch phrases saying the movie is “scary as hell” and that Boyle “re-invents horror”, I’d say 28 Days Later is more of a thriller than a horror movie. Yes there are zombies, yes there is blood and gore, but the movie focuses more on nail-biting tense moments than spine-tingling chills.

Some hardcore horror fans may be disappointed with this, but I think it is a strength of the film that it goes beyond the simple goal of trying to scare you. It’s a study in human nature. The visuals of a completely deserted city are very powerful, and the post-apocalyptic scenario is believable and completely involving. Although I enjoyed where the story goes, part of the fun is also in letting your mind run wild with possibilities of what really would happen in a situation like this. Everyone reacts differently under extreme situations. Some people adapt in amazing ways, some adapt in dispeccable ways… others don’t adapt at all.

Near the ending the movie takes a bit of a step backwards by devolving into something that resembles a predictable action movie. It’s still dark and gritty and suspenseful, but it was a little bit of a letdown considering how wide open the story was. Aside from this, the movie is stellar. A lot of elements in this movie have been done many times before, but not in quite the same way. 28 Days Later was a refreshing and engrossing experience, and it’s definitely one of the top movies of the year in my book. — Sean