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28 Days Later

Quite a bore and needless gore, was initially my impression of 28 Days Later, but less than 28 minutes later, Director Danny Boyle's intensely intellectual and creepy apocalyptic film had my full attention until its very ambiguous end.

It begins when animal rights activists in Britain release some caged primates in a laboratory, ignoring the warning that they are infected with a contagious disease referred to as "rage." Following a very violent scene in which the activists are attacked and killed, it fast-forwards 28 days to a hospital in London. Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up to find the hospital and the city deserted as he wanders the halls and streets alone, picking up Pepsi cans and trying to figure out what exactly has happened. He gets a pretty good idea when he enters a church and zombie-like beings attack him vomiting blood, but he manages to escape and meets a few other survivors who fill him in on the situation -- it's not just London that is infected, but the entire planet.

The survivors tell Jim the painful and gruesome stories of how their families were infected and also let him know that if he happens to come in contact with the blood -- they will not hesitate to kill him. There are 20 seconds between contact with an open wound and the transformation from human to zombie, so it is a "kill or be killed" situation. Jim and Selena (Naomie Harris), a no-nonsense young woman, hear a radio transmission from a military base that gives them and other survivors the hope of a safe haven. While attempting to reach the have, they meet a father and his young daughter (Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns) who give them shelter for a few nights as well accompany them on their journey via an old taxi.

When they finally do arrive, they discover that the soldiers are bigger monsters than the infected humans. It's an interesting concept and point, though it takes its time getting there. The ending, a bit too happy-go-lucky for my liking, left me wanting more from a film that definitely had something to offer. Though our heroes seem to make it through, I really needed more from the story, as it left me with too many unanswered questions.

28 Days Later succeeds in presenting likable characters, placing them in dangerous situations, and developing the relationships between them. I was amazed to find myself caring so much and thinking about them weeks after viewing the film. Even the "villain," Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston), full of his own brand of "rage," is convincingly the creepiest and scariest thing about this movie.

A solid cast of virtually unknown actors, coupled with a decent script and message, make 28 Days Later worthy of the accolades that have come its way. Despite being a bit turned off and tuned out at first, I found myself ultimately moved and intrigued. Rumors of an alternate ending, following the credits beginning July 25, have circulated, giving me reason to view it again before a third ending makes the special features section of the DVD release. Perhaps it will produce the more dark, bitter and sarcastic ending that I had hoped would come from a movie filled with so much darkness and rage.

Written by: Laurie Kisner

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 7.21
Reader's Votes: 34

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