Culture
Now Playing: ’28 Years Later’ proves this zombie franchise still has bite
By: Gordon Briggs
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In a media landscape saturated with zombies and other post-apocalyptic content, the real achievement is creating a sequel to a popular movie that looks and feels like its own entity. Taking the form of a coming-of-age story, in 28 Years Later we follow the journey of Spike, a 12-year-old boy who joins his father, Jamie, to venture onto the infected mainland to find a doctor for his ailing mother.
On a technical level, the movie looks quite attractive. Example: The nighttime zombie chase that occurs while the Northern Lights illuminate the night sky is tense and visually striking.
Like other Danny Boyle movies, the soundscape is intriguing. Playing a Rudyard Kipling poem about an endless war over the movie’s soundtrack is an effectively off-putting touch.
Furthermore, I admire how the filmmakers use the landscape. Rather than returning us to the urban streets of London, where the action of the first two films takes place, the filmmakers decided to shift locations to Northumberland Island to show us how the survivors have built a new isolationist community.
However, beneath the blood and bones, there is a lucid tale about a young boy isolated from the world who is being taught he must kill to survive. Gradually, the story begins to echo Heart of Darkness as Spike learns that giving life is just as important as dealing with death.
If there’s a gripe, it’s the comedic last five minutes, which I won’t spoil, but it is clearly there to set up the coming of the Nia DaCosta-helmed sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. That’s a minor gripe in another solid entry into an engaging zombie franchise.
Rating: ★★★1/2