28 anni dopo

This is the best one yet of the 28 later movies so far. The movie brings us back to the iconic take of a zombie apocalypse and adds more lore into the zombies and to what life could be like in such a scenario. But much more than a zombie movie, 28 years later is a movie that centers around the circle of life, playing with both direct and metaphorical illustrations of set theme. The movie is surprisingly emotional and moving, while also managing to keep the original chaotic feel of the other 28 later movies.

The performances in this movie were great, with my favorite being Ralph Fines. Ralph Fines delivers an amazing and moving performance, that captivated me the moment he showed up on screen.

Alfie Williams also really surprised with a solid and strong performance considering his young age. He is the lead of this movie and carried the movie seamlessly with a strong scene presence and pure talent. He brings a lot of the emotional scenes to life by himself, the more experienced actors in the movie giving him the room to carry his scenes by himself, acting more like supporting roles rather than co-leads.

I went into 28 Years Later genuinely looking forward to it, especially after hearing some of the glowing reviews. There were certainly flashes of what made the original films so memorable - a few tense, edge-of-your-seat moments and some solid action sequences. But as a whole, I found the story disappointingly uneven. The narrative felt clunky and at times weighed down by overly sentimental scenes that didn't quite land emotionally. It seemed unsure of what it wanted to be, and by the final act, it became clear that the film was less about telling a complete story and more about setting up whatever comes next. That left me feeling a bit short-changed. It's not without its strengths, but for a film I had high hopes for, it just didn't deliver.

The film is truly a tale of two halves. The first act was definitely entertaining. The world design looked amazing. Sprawling scenery and some genuinely scary moments involving the infected. This part of the film was by far the closest to the previous instalments. The direction here stands out - with grainy close-ups, fast jump cuts, and jarring transitions reminiscent of the original film, it pulls you right into the chaos.

Unfortunately, the momentum doesn't last. As the film transitions into its second half, it shifts gears into a more melodramatic human drama. The focus moves away from the infected threat and toward a lackluster subplot involving a mother and a doctor. The characters at this point make some questionable decisions which really doesn't help the film's validity.

The final act unfortunately teetered on lacklustre and borderline comedic, completely changing the tone of the first act.

I stand by saying the directing, camera work, editing and cinematography were the highlight. The landscapes and post apocalyptic setting was beautiful to look at. These elements made the film worth watching. There were some plot elements that were interesting enough but were never explored to the full potential.

However a weak plot, even weaker characters and a lacklustre ending prevent this instalment from being memorable.

Very different to anything in the previous two movies.

Some really good nods to the present Little England mentality, which would be lost outside of the UK. The crazy ending that is hilarious would also be lost if not familiar with the context.

So many subtle things that Boyle has included in here. The now felled sycamore gap tree being one. Any sense of distance with the cameos is artistic license.

The story is split into two halves and fans will prefer the first. There are some excellent scenes in there.

The Doctor is mad. A great character played by a superb actor.

I liked it and would watch parts again.

Totally bonkers!

When the movie tries to be layered it will either work for you or it won't. I get why Danny Boyle and Alex Garland chose this route.

This is my personal speculation, but I think Danny Boyle and Alex Garland thought that perhaps after the release of 28 DAYS LATER, there have been many zombie films since (some of which are good and innovative), so they just didn't want to be straight forward or play it safe with 28 YEARS LATER. In doing so, I don't think the film completely delivers on what it looked to promise in both incredible trailers.

In truth I did kind of know that going in because after watching other movies from Boyle and Garland, a seasoned movie buff knows they love to subvert so it really shouldn't be surprising. This is also the first in a new trilogy of films. I had to keep that in mind as I walked out because I don't have the big picture just yet.

I feel as though Alex Garland had like three ideas, presented them to Danny Boyle and they both decided to mash them up together. A story about coming of age/rite of passage, a bond between a mother and son, and the philosophical idea of death and what it means, almost nihilistic. All in the back drop of survival horror.

So that basically made my experience all over the place because it can get jarring. It's ambitious for sure and Boyle and Garland swing big, but I can see it being not cohesive for some people.

I'm in the center, but I do lean a bit towards a more favorable outlook and that's mainly because of the actors. I thought Alfie Williams who plays Spike, shouldered this film very well. He is the emotional anchor in the film and he carried it with striking maturity and nuance. There's a slow erosion of childhood innocence and it was very subtle, but also very powerful. The erosion of childhood innocence is also something I think Boyle and Garland has in play for a particular character in the next sequel - a boy named Jimmy who watched Teletubbies as shown in the trailer.

Ralph Fiennes is just always good in everything and he's a stand out as Doctor Ian Kelson. I hope we see more of him down the line. Jodie Comer is Isla, Spike's mother who is suffering from an illness seeking out Kelson with Spike. She is also fantastic and anchors all the emotional elements of the film with Alfie Williams. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Jamie, Spike's father I think will have more to do in the sequel, and his character is used in good effect in the beginning of the film. Edvin Ryding's Erik a Swedish NATO soldier is memorable too. Everyone brought their A-game.

There are new concepts explored with the infected and the rage virus. While I have a lot of questions about it, they were all fascinating ideas. I'm curious to see those layers get peeled. Good action and some decent scares from the infected too, not to mention also very naked.

Boyle loves to experiment with editing and the sped up scenes are here just like in the first film, but there are moments of some awkward cuts in-between. I think people will either like or hate that.

The ending is the epitome of weird and jarring, but again, keep in mind that there will be a sequel and hopefully a concluding threequel where Cillian Murphy can come dominate his role as Jim. Speaking of Jim, I don't know if it was deliberate, but the name Jim seems to be a common thing and I am curious if it will have any kind of connection or none at all.

So bottom line, yes I enjoyed it. I enjoyed what Boyle and Garland were trying to say and the great performances help alleviate the jarring tonal shifts. However, I understand some of the disappointment, as I am a massive fan of the first, who also really enjoyed the comics in what I think are not canon anymore and mildly enjoyed the sequel 28 WEEKS LATER.

This film basically skipped straight to being a thesis film with horror elements. This isn't a one-off indie film, but Boyle and Garland sort of treat it like that. It's part of a franchise with a 20+ year fanbase. Fans want to be re-invited into the world they remember. Give some sense of continuity, not just in lore but also in tone. Then gradually show the new direction.

Boyle and Garland made the exact opposite of a nostalgic legacy sequel. They could have played it safe, but if they had and if it failed they risked creating another STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS situation, where nostalgia drives the hype, but the film ultimately lacks a real identity of its own and sets up a trilogy with shaky creative footing failing to evolve.

Instead, they forced a fresh, cerebral narrative at the risk of alienating the fans. That's the paradox. It's that classic art vs. Expectation battle and Boyle and Garland chose art, knowing full well the trade-off.

28 YEARS LATER is bold and new. I do tip my hat off for Danny Boyle, who thrives in visual and tonal whiplash and Alex Garland who is allergic to clean resolutions or simple narratives. Together they create artful chaos which is this film, but for a film that took over a decade to arrive, a bit of familiar footing first might have allowed the fans and the audience to follow them more willingly into the deeper waters they clearly want to explore.

7/10.