October 27, 2003 -- “28 Days Later” is a horror genre film far better than most movies of its type. It grabs you by the throat and won't let go. This is a low-budget film with mostly no-name stars (at least they aren't well-known to American audiences) shot with a cheap-looking digital video setup, but it works very well. The digital video gives the film a documentary look, and it is used to create some good fast-motion effects.

The post-apocalyptic zombie thriller is a well-known staple of the horror film genre. The classic, of course, is “Night of the Living Dead” and its two sequels. Others include “The Omega Man,” “Night of the Comet” and “The Last Man on Earth.” Another similar film is “Day of the Triffids,” based on John Wyndham's classic sci-fi novel. “28 Days Later” is one of the better films of this sub-genre. Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, a bike messanger who wakes up alone in a deserted hospital (“Day of the Triffids” starts the same way) after being in a coma for 28 days. He walks out into the deserted streets of London and realizes in the brief time he was unconcious, almost all of the people in England have disappeared, or have become violent, mindless zombie-like creatures.

Jim manages to stay alive by luck. He is rescued by two other survivors, who tell him a deadly infection is responsible for both the millions of deaths and for the murderous zombies. The infection began in a primate lab, where experiments on rage were being conducted. Animal rights activists who break into the lab accidently release the infection on an unsuspecting public. The infection spreads rapidly, taking only seconds to turn a normal person into a raging, murderous animal. A small band of survivors, following directions given in a radio broadcast, head for Manchester, looking for a refuge from the zombies. Jim, Selena (played by Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson of “Gangs of New York”) and his daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns), head to Manchester, running a gauntlet of zombies. What they find is even more horrifying than what they left in London. To survive, they may have to shed what humanity they have left.

The film, directed by Danny Boyle (“The Beach,” “Trainspotting”) develops a lot of suspense as the survivors are put in a number of harrowing situations. Every time you think you know when the next zombie is going to jump out from behind a door, it turns out to be a false alarm, and just when you weren't expecting anything ... The film toys with the audience very cleverly. The story, by Alex Garland (“The Beach”), also takes time to develop the characters and it gives them some depth. The story is clever and the characters are engaging. Probably the best-known actor to American audiences is Brendan Gleeson, who has been in a lot of high-profile movies like “Braveheart,” “Mission Impossible II” and “Lake Placid.” Other actors who may be known to American audiences are Christopher Eccleston of “24 Hour Party People,” who plays Major Henry West, and Noah Huntley of “Megiddo: The Omega Code 2,” who plays Mark. The acting is very effective, especially by Gleeson, Eccleston, Naomie Harris, Cillian Murphy and Megan Burns. Harris plays a woman well able to defend herself, and Burns plays a kid with plenty of spunk.

Althogh the digital video looks pretty cheesy, it works well to make the images look strikingly surrealistic. The creature effects are especially good. The red, glowing eyes, and rapid, shaking movements of the creatures make them look pretty scary. I'm not easily startled, but at least one scene in the movie made me jump. I heard some people in the audience laughing nervously afterward. This film has some scary scenes in it, along with plenty of blood and gore. The action scenes are chaotic and intense. There is no letup in the suspense. Although the film's production values are not very high, it is otherwise well-crafted and it tells its story very well. I especially liked the way it got its message across that even the best of people can become quite savage in order to survive. It turns out that some people can become even scarier than killer zombies. Oh, and by the way, this film is not for kids. There is lots of violence and gore, and a rape scene too. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2003 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at .