28 Days Later (B+ or 3/4 stars)
A blood-borne virus leaks from a top-secret lab, sweeping across Paris, New York, and England, killing many, but turning most into raging, maniacal zombies in Danny Boyle's '28 Days Later'. Meanwhile, Jim (Cillian Murphy) has woken from a coma in a London hospital to find a deserted city! After coming across some rogue 'uninfecteds', he learns that 28 days going ... conditions have been like this. Their goal is to remain alive, skirt the countryside, & make it to Manchester (stronghold of a 'supposedly' safe haven, a military encampment).
The start of this madness? A group of animal rights activists release some contaminated monkeys. Hence, the virus is lost in the bloodstream of murderous victims. They are grotesque to look at & are running around like psychopaths, desperate to destroy the uninfecteds. Poor Jim was in a coma from a freak bicycle accident. Can you imagine waking up to a deserted hospital & finding that the world has changed?!? London is eerily empty. Jim, Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Hannah struggle to get out of the city, but their hardships in the suburbs are even more harrowing. They seek some soldiers who may have an answer to the worldwide dilemma. Or are their troubles only starting once they reach Manchester? Are zombies the least of their problems?
The cinematography in '28 Days Later' is a marvel. The silent, grim, stark, grainy feel of the film is great. The droning sense of dread is an undercurrent. There's one white-knuckle scene where Jim & Frank race to change a flat tire on their vehicle while a band of 'infecteds' approach at high speed. The rushing tension generated in this scene is enough to give you a stroke! Something else to give you a stroke? The jolting camerawork, particularly when an infected pops up on the screen when you least expect it. And as scary as they are, it's actually the body-snatcher-fear that is more horrifying than any actual bloodsucking. Make no mistake, this is a horror flick ... but it's well thought-out, intelligent, & offers a taught political tale as much as the cheap thrills. Scarier still, it all feels real.
Things to scratch your head at? Well, there are some plot flaws. And we don't go very deep into the bare origin of the virus, how a treatment is realized, and the military's grave concerns are not really developed. The last portion of the film loses some steam. But I don't 'really' care because the bulk of the film (its terror) is so compelling & scary that it carries the most weight. From frame 1 'til closing credits, you are alert to the unsettling fear, the solid performance by Murphy, and the steady direction (feeling like a documentary). Like a bad dream, this film will stay with you & continue to unbearably stress you out long after it's over.
The start of this madness? A group of animal rights activists release some contaminated monkeys. Hence, the virus is lost in the bloodstream of murderous victims. They are grotesque to look at & are running around like psychopaths, desperate to destroy the uninfecteds. Poor Jim was in a coma from a freak bicycle accident. Can you imagine waking up to a deserted hospital & finding that the world has changed?!? London is eerily empty. Jim, Selena (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Hannah struggle to get out of the city, but their hardships in the suburbs are even more harrowing. They seek some soldiers who may have an answer to the worldwide dilemma. Or are their troubles only starting once they reach Manchester? Are zombies the least of their problems?
The cinematography in '28 Days Later' is a marvel. The silent, grim, stark, grainy feel of the film is great. The droning sense of dread is an undercurrent. There's one white-knuckle scene where Jim & Frank race to change a flat tire on their vehicle while a band of 'infecteds' approach at high speed. The rushing tension generated in this scene is enough to give you a stroke! Something else to give you a stroke? The jolting camerawork, particularly when an infected pops up on the screen when you least expect it. And as scary as they are, it's actually the body-snatcher-fear that is more horrifying than any actual bloodsucking. Make no mistake, this is a horror flick ... but it's well thought-out, intelligent, & offers a taught political tale as much as the cheap thrills. Scarier still, it all feels real.
Things to scratch your head at? Well, there are some plot flaws. And we don't go very deep into the bare origin of the virus, how a treatment is realized, and the military's grave concerns are not really developed. The last portion of the film loses some steam. But I don't 'really' care because the bulk of the film (its terror) is so compelling & scary that it carries the most weight. From frame 1 'til closing credits, you are alert to the unsettling fear, the solid performance by Murphy, and the steady direction (feeling like a documentary). Like a bad dream, this film will stay with you & continue to unbearably stress you out long after it's over.