28 Days Later: "The End is Extremely %*&@# Nigh"


Very stylish and creepy example of the under-utilized TEOTWAWKI genre (The End Of The World As We Know It). This one substituted jump scares for a logical storyline, but being a bit of a TEOTWAWKI purist, I could have almost done without the zombies all together - but that would have slowed the plot down to a crawl for most viewers. The actors were unknown (to me) and the film had the classic pure Brit film vibe to it (full accents & mmm... Maltesers!). I felt the product placements added to the realism of this movie. The writing was really sharp and I liked the turn the story took towards the end with the zombie/human protagonist dynamic. In a way I'm surprised it did as well as it is (my theatre was 95% sold out the night I saw it), because it isn't the typical flashy movie of the summer season - indeed some people seemed quite disoriented after it was over (perhaps they were the same ones cheering the Freddy vs. Jason trailer?).

4 out of 5.

I love this movie. Its creepy, weird, its fast paced and has highly interesting story.
The acting was terriffic, you can really feel the fear of the main characters and when you look and listen to the infected, you can really sense their savage, non-human behavior. its really a fantastic horror film.

A

I thought it lost a bit of its edge once they found the soldiers, but it was pretty good overall. I loved how they made the zombies out as more than stumbling, neanderthals who don't really do anything.

B+

I thought it was good, but enjoyed Dawn and Shuan of the Dead more. Still some good moments involved and decent to good acting. B+.

The best "Zombie movie"

Fantastic ending.

****

B


I really disliked it the first time I saw it because it was praised as a new genre masterpiece and as a reinvention of the zombie genre. Fact is, this is not a zombie flick to begin with and even its status as a horror movie is questionable. It is far more of a sci-fi end-of-the-world scenario.

Now I did rewatched it two days ago and I must say that I liked it far more this time around, knowing what expected me. I am still not completely fond of this film. I think the ending with Jim surviving is a bit of a cop-out and I never found the movie really suspenseful. However, I was entertained more this time and the twist (that the whole world, UK aside, is all fine) is great. The finale with the Infected going rampage in the army house is great and the film foreshadows what a great actor Cillian Murphy is.

I liked the whole concept of the Infected and the fact that they are not even dead (unlike "real" zombies).

Terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE movie. Absolutely boring and not scary at all. I wish i could have just saved my $10. I seriously wanted to walk out of the movie several times.

This movie was not like what I was expecting. I avoided spoilers for it and expected a young, hip, fast paced horror movie set in a desolate London, full of horror, gore and shocks. Of course it's nothing like that. 28 Days Later is not really a horror movie, it's a cross between the horror genre and the end of the world genre, and has a lot in common with movies like Planet of the Apes and Mad Max.

First off there's no avoiding that this is a really cheap looking film, that doesn't have much of a story to tell. It's not stylized minimalism, it's no-budget and lack of ideas minimalism. I don't understand it, Boyle has been making films for 10 years, he's not a new guy trying to break into the business, so why is this shot like a student film, with about that level of script and resources?

It's kind of fun in parts and thankfully moves at a fast pace. Naomie Harris is impressive, and you can easily see how this movie showcased her to get better roles in bigger movies, she is going to have a great career. Cillian Murphy is alright but mostly comes across as a lanky bum with not much personality, he did a decent job but could have been replaced. Brendan Gleeson was as good as ever, a solid character actor we've seen in many other things It was annoying that throughout the film, Boyle kept looking for chances to show Murphy naked while he kept Harris as clothed as possible.

The disease was interesting and a refreshing difference from the usual zombies. It was basically just a super-rabies though so I wish reviewers wouldn't act like it was more original than it is.

At no point did I ever fear that Harris or Murphy were in danger and about to die, other than the cheesy near-ending with Eccleston shooting Murphy. There was not much suspense. The ending was basically a standard hollywood cliche of the ordinary guy suddenly becoming a tactically-brilliant killing machine. For some reason, as the movie went on, Harris's character became less and less competent.

The actors playing the soldiers were just so bad, and their dialogue so not believable, they never were convincing as real military people for a moment, they seemed like a bunch of random guys dragged out of a pub and uniforms slapped on them. And what was with the characters doing such blatantly stupid things? From going into the tunnel, to wandering off during quiet moments to explore, to getting near the chained up infected. When Jim/Murphy found out the soldiers intended to keep the women, he should have played it cool and helped get them out, not run off right then, giving away any element of surprise. But I guess characters in horror movies always do dumb things, that seems to be an accepted part of the genre? I did like the idea that the live human soldiers were another menace, that was a good way to go, it just could have been handled so much better.

I would say definitely worth seeing once, just don't expect too much, don't expect much suspense or scares and accept that everyone acts really stupid. You'll have to try not to mind the budget, it looks like it was shot for under 100k. Naomie Harris steals the film and makes it worth putting up with the stuff that doesn't work.

@archie- yes it's rabies, expanded.... it should be, also we lose inhibition..

I was bored in the first 1/4...... and turned it off...

Pointless and a piece of crap.

D-

'Twas decent.... B-/C+

Such a let down when I saw it. The beginning of it was interesting and intense but it's like a roller coaster ride that goes nowhere but down just after the ride begins. The ending was junk and the whole fight in the mansion was crazy. The zombies were stupid. I just didn't like this film much after all the hu bub it was getting before it was released.

Though it's not a zombie movie, per se, it's still got the stylings and themes of one, and just because it was falsely advertised doesn't make it any less of a film. In fact, it's pretty brilliant. The story is the typical post-apocalyptic survival framework until the soldiers enter the picture, when it becomes metaphorical and existential. Jim's transformation from a cowering bike courier to a rage-filled lunatic is quick, but it feels real, and makes the climax all the more thrilling. The film is making some pretty profound statements on humanity and the nature of survival, turning this from a pretty good zombie flick into something more. It's backed up by some gritty but effective camera work, solid performances by then-unknowns and character actors, great and fitting music, and, of course, lots of gore. The portrayal of the 'infected' is pretty frightening, to me at least, and the attack scenes are suspenseful and exhilarating. A top-notch sci-fi/horror.

One of my favorite movies. Intelligent, scary film with great acting and photography. Every single time I re-watch it, I appreciate it more. Truly great, almost on par with Children of Men. A.

C-/D+. Just not a fan of horror films.

This one really grows on you on repeat viewings. It's now B/B+ to me.

A well made, if slightly overrated film. I'm still anticipating the sequel a lot though, as it's a really interesting concept. B+

I give this movie a B+

Seen it for the fourth time a couple of days ago. Still in the high B-territory for me, but I definitely appreciate it far more than the first time I saw it. I'm glad they didn't go with the alternate ending that was told in storyboards. That would have been pretty stupid...

I've never really liked this film. It's good and all, but it just never clicked for me. I think it all boils down to my immense hatred of Cillian Murphy. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really do not like him. At all. And the ending at the military place was just really boring.

out of

The sequel is much, much better. Can't wait for 28 Months Later, which was officially announced a few days ago.

Can't believe I never graded this. It's one of my all time favorite movies, and like Lecter, I've only grown to like it more on repeat viewings. In fact, the first few times I watched it, I felt the film lost steam once they meet the soldiers, and maybe the idea that a group of male military types would all (except one) turn into creeps, willing to treat any woman they see as an object, even an underage one, is what turned me off. It just seems like a smack at the overall macho attitude of soldiers. That's such an obvious attack.

But enough about that.

The film is perfection up until Brendan Gleeson becomes infected. After that, the film is still great, and my opinion has changed now to the point where I really enjoy the battle against humans almost as much as the battle against the infected. The quiet despair the movie conveys is brilliant. I love the scenes of extreme isolation, especially during their journey together as a group of four. My contempt for the third act has always been tied to the fact that I hate seeing Frank get killed off in such a horrific fashion. But of course I foolishly ignored the fact that the film did something right because I was rooting so much for these four people to survive. I cared. It's hard to care about characters, especially in a horror film, so that's a major accomplishment.

The movie is really a three-part story: Part One is Isolation (Jim's walk through an empty city, until Nina finds him). Part Two is Unlikely Friendships (Jim and Nina teaming up with Frank and Hannah). Part Three is Survival (Jim's fight to rescue Nina and Hannah).

It's too bad Danny Boyle hasn't tried his hand at horror since this (I don't consider Sunshine in the same horror realm as 28 Days Later).

****

28 Weeks Later is a radically different film but I love it too. A shame we never got the third film.

It's a good movie, but I still can't get over the amount of praise that it got back in the day. I mean on one hand I kind of get it because it is a very different kind of zombie film and the way it handles that aspect and the human characters is still refreshing IMO, but I really do think this movie works better as a survival drama than as a horror film. The infected feel like they make up such a small part of this movie and watching this again it honestly surprises me how little of them you actually see in the movie. Also, while the character stuff is good, especially from an acting standpoint I'd be lying of I said I cared all that much for any of the characters outside of Brendan Gleeson who's death is still the most effective scene in the movie for me, because of how much you come to care for his character and because of how fucking horrific and sudden it is. Now, I really like both Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris as actors and like I said before there acting is definitely not the problem, but I barely got anything out of them resembling a personality or something to make me care for them more.

It says something that I would have rather spent more time with the human villains lead by crazy Christopher Eccleston than with our supposed to be heroes only because I found there characters to be far more interesting and engaging to watch.

B-

I'd bet any amount of money that 28 years later comes out in 2031 if Covid doesn't destroy the industry.

I can't believe I never posted in here. I haven't seen it in years but it's definitely a favorite of the horror genre. Just a great film. The second is pretty much equally great. Still hoping we get a third.

A