As an avid fan of horror movies, I’m always at the movie theatre watching new releases. Over the last two or so years, the horror genre has had some amazing films. From Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu to Zach Cregger’s Weapons to the now record-breaking film Sinners from Ryan Coogler, horror fans have been thriving. One of my favorites, though, has been the revamp of the 28 Days Later franchise with 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Shot back-to-back, the recent 28 Years Later movies serve as a continuation of the world created in the first two films, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Unsurprisingly, the newer films continue to expand on the lore, the horror, and the dread present in the earlier ones, cementing the franchise as what I consider to be some of the best zombie media available.
Commitment to Stylization
While they’re not for everyone, I love a movie that plays with style. While over the last two decades this franchise’s stylization has grown and shifted, the films still feel like a cohesive story.
28 Days Later, released in 2003, has some flashy editing reminiscent of other scary movies from the early aughts. The sound design and quick cuts somewhat remind me of the headache-inducing editing of the first Saw film. While that may sound like an insult, I actually love decisive stylizations like this. To me, they add a distinct element to the film that further emphasizes the frenzy and panic that the narrative explores.
The recent releases still maintain this at their core, albeit in a way that feels more elevated. You might remember sitting in the theatre and seeing the previews for 28 Years Later, which relied on increasingly quick cuts backdropped by the eerie chanting of Rudyard Kipling’s 1903 poem “Boots.”
The movie itself maintained this editing style, splicing in footage from the early 1900s and World War I to unsettle its audience while highlighting the themes being explored through the narrative.
The music used throughout the franchise is just as iconic. The soundtrack in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple features songs by Radiohead, Duran Duran, and Iron Maiden, all working alongside the film’s score to create the desired tone for the movie.
To this day, I still feel my heart rate jump when I hear the striking notes in the franchise’s theme. Initially introduced in the first film, this theme is played at pivotal moments throughout the franchise, including in more recent additions, though I won’t spoil when.
While I’m no expert in the theory behind the music, I’m an audience member who loves a good original score. The title theme somehow encapsulates both the excitable and the terrifying, all while maintaining a sorrowful air for the society that’s been lost.
The Scariest Parts Feel Real
Who doesn’t love some good scares in their zombie movies? While the narrative of the franchise is what drove me to love it in the first place, I stuck around for the adrenaline rush I get when I watch scary movies. Those moments where a jumpscare gets you, and you smile at yourself for falling for it? This franchise certainly has those moments.
For those who find jump scares cheap or ineffective, though, these movies have plenty more. In the most recent release, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, one brief moment at the very beginning made me the queasiest I’ve felt watching a movie since The Substance.
Honestly, that’s what I want with a zombie movie. If I don’t feel grossed out by the thought of the undead attacking and eating, then was I really immersed? I don’t think so.
The zombies in this franchise aren’t technically dead. They’re aggressive, they’re fast, and the most terrifying part is that they’re alive. The zombie infection is a virus called the Rage Virus in-universe.
In the 28 Years Later duology, soon to be trilogy, this idea is explored further, especially through Ralph Fiennes’ character, Dr. Ian Kelson, who understands the infected to be more akin to sick patients rather than undead monsters of fiction.
The realism behind the franchise’s horror is precisely what makes it so terrifying. It’s believable to an audience, especially a post-pandemic audience, that mass viruses and quarantines would change not only the way society is structured, but also how individuals act toward one another.
Riddled with Theming
Of course, my favorite kind of horror movie is the kind that explores something deeper. As cliché as it is, the “the real monster is man” trope is a personal favorite. The 28 Days Later franchise, however, adds a special kind of nuance to it.
In interviews, director Danny Boyle has stated that the 28 Years Later films revolve around the question of what happens if culture dies. This is explored explicitly through their depictions of family, community, and isolation, all of which were crucial elements to the first two films as well.
However, I’m not sure if I like how Boyle explains this. Rather, I think that the franchise revolves around the disillusionment of our humanity. What happens when even those not infected with the Rage Virus are motivated by rage and similar emotions? What happens when someone chooses to act versus when someone is forced to act? Most importantly, how can humanity and community persist in a world infected with rage?
This is what keeps me coming back to the franchise. 28 Days Later certainly isn’t the only zombie media to have explored this — Train to Busan comes to mind as a movie that explores how far we’ll go for loved ones. With this franchise, though, these themes are continuously built upon, creating a thrilling and tragically mournful narrative.
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