I’m constantly being bombarded by people telling him “you haven’t seen ____? You gotta check it out.” Or hearing critics rave “this movie is a classic, a must see.” So I decided that from now on every time I actually watch one of these flicks, I’ll write my take on whether the film lived up to the hype or fell short.
So, what’s the deal with 28 Days Later?
28 Days Later is a film that I’ve actually been meaning to watch for a long time, but I’ve only finally gotten around to watching it now. I had seen 28 Weeks Later a few years ago, and I enjoyed that, so I wanted to give Days a watch. I had heard a lot about the camera work and that it was one of the early great digital movies so I was interested to see what Danny Boyle did with the film.
I like zombie movies like this one, where the story is focused more on the survival side of the spectrum. There are some action scenes and zombie killing sequences, but the plot of the movie is more concerned with how the characters are going to be able to make it through this. 28 Days Later sets this mood nicely, giving the characters an air of despair and hopefulness. The fact that Jim, the main character played by Cillian Murphy, wakes up in a hospital unaware of what’s going on sets the mood and plot up nicely.
The story felt fresh, overall. I like the dynamics they included with individuals, families, and organized groups. Each seemed to have their own section of the movie and it made the plot have a very forward feeling momentum and natural feeling progression. All the actors do great with their roles, especially Cillian Murphy, who plays his part very genuinely. It helps see this man as a regular person in an irregular circumstance. The cast is pretty small for a good portion of the movie, but the actors make up for this.
I would recommend this movie to everyone, not just fans of zombie films. The storytelling and imagery in 28 Days Later create a well done cinematic feel that draws you in allowing you to fully enjoy their aspects. It’s a very exciting movie to experience and I believe it will hold up on multiple rewatches.
