28 Days Later
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, Naomie HarrisDirector: Danny Boyle
Year of Release: 2002
Zombies movies these days are very cliche these days. Almost as bad as vampires. What sets this movie apart though is there is nothing supernatural involved here. The so-called “zombies” are in fact victims of a catastrophic outbreak of a disease that infects the blood in a matter of seconds, turning the infected person into an out-of-control raging monster. They cease to function as a human beings and are instead reduced to a form of sub-human incapable of rational thought or behavior, with nothing but homicidal urges completely taking over everything else. It plays on our societal fear of bio-terrorism and viral outbreaks. And as the norms of society are wiped away in the 28 days of the title, we are shown the good and the ugly side of everyday people force to survive on their own.
The film is directed by Danny Boyle and the tone of it reminds me of his film, Shallow Grave, and has Christopher Eccleston again performing another brilliant character. Cillian Murphy also turns in a brilliant performance as the audience’s view into a horribly twisted world he literally wakes up in to. But be warned, this new world is brutal and harsh as we find some of the human “survivors” can be worse than the infected.
Not for the squeamish but definitely worth checking out.
