28 Days Later is a powerful zombie thriller that explores survival, hope, and the lengths humans will go to in the face of a terrifying apocalypse, writes WILLIAM BOVE
TITLE: 28 Days Later
YEAR RELEASED: 2002
DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle
CAST: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, Brendan Gleeson
Review of 28 Day Later 2002
This gripping zombie thriller was filmed in 2002, in and around various parts of London, including Westminster Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Horse Guards Parade, and Oxford Street.
With so many zombie films, one might think 28 Days Later is just another in the mix, but it wears a different skin – and eats it too. Not all at once, though; it saves some for later, because everyone loves dessert.
Eventually, everything comes up in one big, fever-infested shower over the uninfected. Not that they remain uninfected for long. This virus doesn’t just spread fast – it sets a land speed record for infection, perhaps rivalled only by I Am Legend for society’s fastest collapse.
The film’s main character, Jim, played by Cillian Murphy, wakes from a coma in a hospital that has as much life as the rest of London – unless you count a fever-driven, ravenous rage.
Alone, Jim decides to tour the ghost town London has become, or so he thinks.
Seeking refuge in a church, he finds everything eerily quiet until a rage-infected priest emerges. This priest isn’t offering absolution; he’s ready to give Jim his last rites. His growling and frothing awaken the other infected, who promptly try to make Jim their next victim. However, Jim is not swayed by their twisted new faith and flees, rightly prioritising his self-preservation.
The infected are relentless in their pursuit until Jim is rescued by two survivors, Selena (Naomie Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley), who are miraculously unscathed by the plague sweeping through London.
After some time, Jim expresses a desire to see his family, so Selena and Mark take him to his parents’ house. There, Jim discovers a note from his parents revealing they’ve taken their own lives, hoping to spare him from the horror engulfing the city.
It’s a heart-breaking moment for Jim, leaving him feeling truly alone.
Selena, Mark, and Jim then take refuge in a converted shop. Spending too long at Jim’s family home, they decide to stay the night to honour his parents’ memory. However, the candle Jim lights proves to be a beacon for the infected, who swarm the house.
In the chaos, Mark is wounded and infected. Without hesitation, Selena kills him – a devastating loss that extinguishes what little decency and peace they had regained. Yet, even as the horror closes in, hope remains for Jim and Selena.
Their journey leads them to another survivor, Frank (Brendan Gleeson), a taxi driver, and his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns). Frank tells them about a safe place, a military blockade. Jim and Selena bond with Frank and Hannah, and the four of them set off for the blockade.
But upon arrival, they discover the soldiers are dead, and only the infected remain. The group battles through, but in a tragic turn of events, a drop of infected blood falls into Frank’s eye.
This gut-wrenching scene stands out as one of the film’s most tragic moments – Frank’s daughter Hannah is forced to witness her father’s transformation into one of the infected and then watch him be killed.
Once again, Jim, Selena, and Hannah are left alone, but now they have each other. Their bond and shared responsibility for Hannah give them hope and a new reason to fight for survival. That hope becomes their driving force as they push forward.
Later, they encounter a group of soldiers, seemingly offering salvation with promises of food, shelter, and protection. However, the soldiers’ true motives are soon revealed—they intend to exploit Selena and Hannah, turning them into a horrific harem. The trio quickly realises they must fight not only the infected but the human monsters too.
The film’s climax is filled with intense battles, desperate escapes, and plans that fall apart. In a final act of defiance, Jim releases a chained infected soldier the soldiers had been using as a test subject. This enraged creature wreaks havoc, eliminating the cruel soldiers. As the chaos unfolds, Jim spots a plane trailing a jet stream overhead, a symbol of salvation. They race towards it, knowing it offers hope.
In the final moments, the trio escapes in Frank’s taxi, but they’re not out of danger yet. A soldier sneaks into the car, but Hannah cleverly throws it into reverse, allowing the infected to storm the vehicle and drag the soldier out to his gruesome fate. They drive towards the distant plane, carrying with them their renewed hope.
Twenty-eight days later, Jim recovers in a cottage in Cumbria. The infected are left starving and dying, while the survivors, having made a large “HELP” banner, signal the plane overhead, hoping for rescue.
28 Days Later is a film rich in symbolism, filled with themes of hope, survival, and the fight for a better life. The film’s impact even inspired a series of comics and graphic novels titled 28 Days Later: The Aftermath, which follow Selena’s journey as she flees to a refugee camp in Norway.
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