Review of 28 Days Later (2002) by Chaseg. — 17 Mar 2008

To me, what Days has always held over the head of Weeks is simply this...mood. 28 Days Later has an unparalleled mood and style in its execution, in almost everything it does. It doesn't just describe events to you, like some movies do, but it portrays it in such a way that it's genuinely chilling and believable.

In comparison to Weeks, Days doesn't hold what it has over you like a bludgeon, it doesn't attempt to beat you with the speed of the zombies, or the gore. But it places it in supreme positions in the film to have the utmost effect, at the climax, at the low-point, etc.

And the best part about it, is that it manages to achieve a constant level of edginess, a constant thrill even when there's nothing on the screen, it manages all of this without a guitar-blasting soundtrack (however awesome the Weeks theme is) or cameras explicitly showing that zombies are just running at you, spewing blood as they go.

In fact, you are often scared in this movie simply by the fact that you don't really see what's scaring you, which is a true sign of mastery in the genre. On the other end of the spectrum, all performances in this film are excellent, the chemistry between Seline and Jim is believable especially.

All characters have an edge of sympathy, and portray to you that not everyone to survive the apocalypse will be beefy, bulky men with chain guns. It defies a lot of things that would be expected of it, and ditches all normal conventions, pulling it off with grace and poise.

It's a must see for anyone who can stand the level of intensity. It's a must see for anyone who can stand the.