28 Days Later
(2002)
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TRAINSPOTTING director Danny Boyle returns to edgy form and reinvents the science-fiction/horror genre with this apocalyptic tale of viral infection and Darwinian survival. A fatal virus is unleashed on the British public following the liberation of infected chimps from a research laboratory by animal rights activists. The virus can be transmitted in one drop of blood and manifests itself within seconds, infecting its victims with a zombie-like state of murderous rage. Within 28 days the country's population is devastated, and the streets of London and Manchester are apocalyptically deserted save for a handful of healthy survivors who attempt to salvage what is left of civilization. Led by a bike messenger called Jim (Cillian Murphy), the survivors must contend with not only the hordes of plague-carrying zombies, but also with each other, as they manouevre toward a supposedly better future. Shooting on digital video and making excellent use of the bleak English landscapes, Boyle crafts a tale of societal and spiritual devastation reminiscent of horror classics like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and SHIVERS. |
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From eerie vistas of deserted London to unnerving views of Manchester reduced to burning rubble, this Dogme-driven apocalyptic nightmare from director Danny Boyle is a tense, exciting and terrifying zombie horror. As a highly contagious virus spreads across the country, locking its victims into a permanent state of homicidal rampage, four individuals who have so far escaped infection have to fight off the deranged hordes. A powerfully iconoclastic Dawn-meets-Day of the Dead hybrid (written by Alex Garland, author of The Beach), this triumphantly executed piece of contemporary horror generates genuine shock value with its down-and-dirty violence and disturbing authenticity. Shot on digital video for a documentary feel that is tempered with occasional, unexpected flashes of surreal artfulness, Garland's compelling story grips on every level as Boyle's visual concept dovetails perfectly with the atmospheric narrative to produce an engrossing assault on the senses.