28 Days Later

28 Days Later
Just watched a post-apocalypse movie called '28 Days Later...’ and enjoyed it. It's a disturbing movie, the world is ravaged, don’t guess! it is not by nuclear fallout but by a lethal virus released from a British research facility by a group of animals' rights activists. The virus is so lethal that those who affected change into a permanent state of homicidal rage. Yes, the same old zombies lurking for victims. Within 28 days the virus is spreading across the seas. England, Paris and New York all fell into the rampage of the virus, turning its denizens to zombies. When a patient named Jim wakes up from a coma in a London hospital he find the hospital and London deserted! Seems like the whole world abandoned him into an empty world! When he finds some people, it was not a pleasant experience. The murderous zombies are on to him; thankfully he was saved by the unaffected. According to a radio broadcast, which promised the answer to the virus plague, their only chance of survival is to go to a military encampment in Manchester.
But there waits the real horror...
The movie is dark and vivid, with a pale glimpse on human psyche and a trial of spirit in the survival game. 28 Days Later is an amalgamation of Lord of the Flies, On The Beach (1959), The Omega Man (1971) but it is neither another Resident Evil nor Living Dead clone. It is supposed to be a study of human character in extreme situations.
Considering it as a British film competing to the special effects galore of Hollywood, the film is the tour de force of British film maker Danny Boyle (Trainspotting). Yes, I mean it; remember from the surreal aerial scene of the meadow with words HELL like a vision and how it turns out. Give credit to Danny Boyle, he deserve it.
Novelist writer Alex Garland’s (The Beach) story is guaranteed to haunt you for days. The zombies are more “authentic” in this film (think of the priest zombie in the Church and the chained zombie soldier in the camp). However, the film is not a mere zombie shocker, it’s more than that it’s the study in human character in extreme situations and I had this feeling that the film is also inspired from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Cillian Murphy and Naomi Harris are excellent as Jim and Selena, the characters Leonardo DiCaprio and Tilda Swinton both turned down and Robert Carlyle was offered the role of Major Henry West which was played by Christopher Eccleston. Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns are giving exceptional performance as father and daughter survivors, Frank and Hannah.
Overall, the movie is excellent, one of the best post apocalyptic movies I have seen. Unlike Resident Evil series, the movie is devoid of any superhuman hero stuff or computer game style. The people are more realistic and the zombies scarier, 28 Days Later is an exhilarating ride into terror.
28 Days Later…
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Christopher Eccleston
Genere: Sci-fi/Horror/Drama
Year 2002
Language English
Country UK
Colour: Technicolor
Running Time: 113 minutes
Cyril's Rating: Good