Violence/Gore: Lots of blood-vomiting zombies-on-crack, or ‘Infected,’ dying in various ways, as well as some pretty brutal fight scenes.

Sex/Nudity: Full frontal male nudity at the beginning (in a non-sexual way), intended rape, otherwise nada.

Best Line: “That was longer than a heartbeat.” (spoken by Jim after not being killed by Selena)

Score:

Apocalyptic movies disturb me. Throw a few zombies into the mix, and I’m entertained as well as disturbed. 28 DAYS LATER held my attention from its gruesome beginning to its ambiguously hopeful end. It’s a thrill ride that didn’t let up for its full running time of 108 minutes.

The movie features a very intellectual approach to zombies, survivors, and the end of the world as we know it. Beginning with an initial statement about animal research when some activists are very violently killed by the ‘rage’-infected primates they liberate, the movie then comments on our violence-filled modern culture, the ubiquity of advertising, the military-industrial complex, and the current communicable disease paranoia that, after anthrax and mad cow disease, is pervading our day-to-day thoughts and fears. It is very much a film for today, and communicates very effectively to its post-9/11 audience.

The film also inspires stimulating discussions over coffee and pie at your favorite late-night hangout. What would you do if you woke up tomorrow and the world was filled with zombies? How would you survive? How would you react? Would you lock yourself away to try and weather the situation alone, or would you set out and risk death to find other survivors?

Director Danny Boyle’s stylistic decisions make a genuinely frightening movie even more frightening. The decision, for instance, to avoid the use of music during the ‘deserted London’ scenes at the beginning makes the desolation seem all that more complete, and it also makes the shock of the car alarm, still functioning long after its owner departed, that much more jump-worthy. Boyle’s minimalist approach to scoring and dialogue allows the visuals to really pop, and the not-so-subtle unsettling tone set by the desolation of London and the sheer numbers of the ‘infected’ makes this movie linger in your mind long after viewing.

Boyle is also masterful at giving all of his characters, even the smaller players, a chance to shine. The movie succeeds in taking a group of unlikely comrades, developing the ties between them, and evolving genuinely likeable characters that stay with you and inspire you to care about them and their troubles even after the movie is over. The ideas presented by the script are genuinely thought-provoking, and the underlying theme of who the monsters really are is a surprising subtext in a film that could have gone several different ways.

The ending of the film is not what I expected; it was surprisingly hopeful. I was expecting something much more bleak, and I might have had more respect for the movie and given it a higher syringe rating had it gone for the ‘downer’ ending. Although these alternate endings are included on the DVD, to me that doesn’t count. The cop-out of the theatrical happy ending is clearly intended to market the film to the average American moviegoer that doesn’t want to have to think about anything that might put them off their popcorn. After the recent release of the new DAWN OF THE DEAD, however, this trend may be changing.

28 DAYS LATER boasts an excellent cast of players, solid direction, disturbingly beautiful visuals, and a thought-provoking script that make it worthy of its critical acclaim. It’s an excellent addition to any zombie film festivals you may be planning for some dark night in the near future.

DVD Extras: Pretty basic stuff really. There’s an audio commentary by Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, three alternate endings (although the quality is really weak, these are the best extras), deleted scenes with commentary, “Pure Rage: The Making of 28 DAYS LATER” featurette (pretty much just raw footage shot behind the scenes), a Jacknife Lee music video, storyboards, still galleries, and a theatrical trailer.

SS