%
Rating
Synopsis
Years after a viral outbreak infected most of continental Europe, the British Isles remain quarantined from the outside world. On the island of Lindisfarne, a community of survivors managed to stay alive by cautiously venturing onto the mainland. Amongst the survivors are Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his ill wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and their son, Spike (Alfie Williams). As part of a coming-of-age ritual, Jamie takes Spike into the mainland to kill his first infected, which goes sideways. Despite narrowly escaping several infected led by an Alpha, the village treats Spike like a hero, though he feels undeserving. Feeling disillusioned and wanting to prove himself, Spike sneaks out with his mother to find a doctor on the mainland. Along the way, they run into Erik (Edvin Ryding), a Swedish NATO soldier who reluctantly helps them before getting killed. Soon, Spike and Isla find Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who agrees to help.
Review
Considering how long it took for this to come out, it’s surprising that 28 Years Later is pretty good. The film isn’t perfect, but for a sequel coming out nearly 20 years later, it’s a solid effort. Boyle and Garland managed to maintain the horror and heart that made the first film so influential. The duo also managed to find a child actor who stands head and shoulders above everyone else, which is shocking. That’s not to say the other actors are terrible, but newcomer Alfie Williams has a promising future ahead of him. He brings so much depth and emotion to the role that’s way beyond his years, and it’s incredible. Jodie Comer, who shone in 2021’s Free Guy, also delivers an excellent performance as Spike’s ill and mentally unstable mother. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is also effective as Spike’s well-meaning but flawed dad, struggling to keep the family together.
To get into the aspects that bothered me, the biggest were some of the editing and directing choices made. During the first 15-20 minutes, old wartime footage and movie clips are thrown for seemingly no reason. I’m sure the filmmakers intended to draw parallels to World War II, but it comes across as random and sporadic. Additionally, there are these unusual slow-motion edits where an infected gets shot, the camera spins, and they fall. These moments feel like one of those early 2000s movies that tried to mimic the bullet-time scenes from The Matrix. Though these edits only occur in the first third, it makes you wonder if Danny Boyle still thinks it’s 2002. Lastly, without getting into spoilers, the ending comes completely out of left field and feels like a completely different movie. It doesn’t help that the ending only serves to set up the next installment.
Some world-building elements aren’t fully explored and seem better in concept than in execution, such as the new infected types. In addition to the standard runners, there are also fat, slow-moving ones called “Slow-Lows,” and there’s the giant, super-evolved “Alphas.” Seeing these new types gives you more questions than answers, but the movie doesn’t explore how this evolution came about. Additionally, while the earlier films had political subtext that worked in tandem with the plot, this one is more overt. Even with its issues, this film still works as an exploration of whether humanity can survive in an apocalyptic setting. At slightly under two hours long, the movie has plenty of slow moments, but they never feel dragged out. While I’d say 28 Days Later is the stronger movie, this film is a worthy successor despite its conflicting tones. Overall, 28 Years Later is a solid apocalyptic thriller with heart.
28 Years Later is in theaters.
