A man wakes up naked in a hospital room in London, only to find himself alone. Confused, he tears the needles from his arm and begins wandering through the ward, discovering that it is completely abandoned.
Passing outside into downtown London, he finds the streets just as vacant as the building he escaped. The sidewalks and intersections are filled only with trash and empty cars, and the silence is deafening. The man stumbles upon a sign scrawled on a wall that reads: "Repent, the end is f--king nigh."
The explanation for his surroundings turns out to be a disease, never named, which within seconds of infection turns its victims into mindless animals, intent only on the blood of the uninfected.
The disease, initially released into the public by animal rights activists attempting to rescue infected apes, is spread by the bites of the infected or by exposure to even a single drop of their blood. Spreading like wildfire across Great Britain, it eventually leaves everyone either dead or infected except for the chosen few -- the unlucky.
Jim (Cillian Murphy), the aforementioned lonely wanderer, is the film's protagonist, and the film is a chronicle of his attempt to survive.
Shortly after his first encounter with the infected -- attack zombies replete with glowing red eyes, visible ribs and empty, bloodthirsty gazes who scream and projectile vomit blood -- he begins to meet other survivors.
After quickly learning of both the virility of the disease and the vigilance of its victims, Jim sets out with his new companions -- battle-hardened beauty Selena, played by Naomie Harris, and the father-and-daughter team of Frank and Hannah. After receiving a radio transmission from a military base near Manchester purporting to have "the answer to infection," the band of travelers load into Frank's cab and head for what they vainly hope their salvation in life.
"28 Days Later" is the newest film from Danny Boyle ("The Beach," "Trainspotting") and features a cast of fresh British faces and the apocalyptic script of Alex Garland, also of "The Beach." The film is shot at Boyle's regular frenetic pace.
Rarely do takes last longer than a few seconds, and a considerable percentage of the film's shots are tilted, a potentially annoying effect used skillfully by Boyle to keep the viewer uneasy.
It is perhaps Boyle's greatest accomplishment in this film that he has created a world where the audience can never let up their guard. At any point in the movie, the infected could show up, bursting onto screen with their relentless energy, threatening our heroes.
Perhaps the greatest failure of the film, though, is that it never quite makes up its mind. While occasionally attempting self-reflection, the movie ducks the issues it raises by bringing in some zombies or throwing a twist into the plot.
At one point, Jim and Selena watch Frank and Hannah interact, and Selena comments that at least the father and daughter have something to live for before looking suggestively over at Jim. In the next scene, Hannah is left fatherless and the viewer clueless as to what the script is trying to tell us. Ergo, the picture's forays into philosophy are mostly fruitless.
The film's title and the copious amounts of blood allude to the female reproductive cycle. The film depicts nature purging the corruption at the heart of western civilization -- England.
The endless killing cleanses the stagnant infertility of modern life, allowing a new cycle of growth to begin. The script reiterates this theme by stressing the importance of women to the survival of mankind.
Overall, "28 Days Later" is still worth seeing. Unlike most summer thrillers, it does you a favor in that it at least doesn't leave you feeling stupider after it is over, just a bit frazzled. As long as blood doesn't make you queasy -- the film is awash in it -- and your nerves aren't too weak, the film serves to provide a rather entertaining, dare I say invigorating two hours.
