Review of 28 Days Later (2002) by Hoops2448 — 02 Nov 2011

I sound like a broken record at the moment because yet again 28 Days later is a film of two halves. the first is slow but does build the characters in a way that makes the latter half pack an emotional punch as well as a visceral one.

The 2nd half of 28 Days is just so good you can excuse the slow nature of the first 45 minutes even if it does serve a purpose towards the end. However the best thing about 28 Days Later is its a film making a point but it never feels heavy handed or as if its being force fed to you. The idea that the real monsters are the humans is a point made by Danny Boyle so adeptly that the film leaves you thinking at the end about society now and what would happen in a national emergency (at least, I did). The direction is also incredibly ambitious despite the limited budget (which unfortunately is incredibly noticeable) with shots including empty streets surrounding Westminster and the houses of parliament being extremely prolific and inspired. The cast of Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson and Megan Burns work well together and all give great performances, especially Gleeson as someone holding onto hope for the sake of his daughter. The final 20 minutes of the film is a fine example of how all films should end with the film culminating in an incredibly tense action set piece that provides genuine chills and scares while also shocking you to your core. Its a thrilling film which may take some getting into but by the end it is well worth it.