What is most surprising about director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland’s 28 Years Later is the tender heart beneath the story. Considering both are known for their hard-hitting approaches to the subjects of their films, the third installment in the trilogy that began with their collaboration 28 Days Later does not hold back on the tension and horror. However, after the first hour, it shifts direction to bring us something poignant and intimate in the second half.

As indicated by the title, the story is set 28 years after the rage virus destroyed the United Kingdom. The world was able to contain the pandemic within the UK and has since moved on, but anyone left in the country must fend for themselves. On a small island off the coast of Scotland, a community is thriving. Remote and accessible only by a causeway that disappears when the tide is high, the community has found a way to survive. Here, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is taking care of his sick wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and their 12-year-old son, Spike (Alfie Williams). In this town, part of the children’s education includes learning to fight and protect themselves from the infected. Jamie is taking Spike to the mainland, against the elders’ wishes, as the rite of passage usually happens at 14 or 15, so he can make his first kill.

In Scotland, the infected are scattered. Without the rush of industry and civilization, Boyle and Garland imagine the rich, bountiful Scottish landscape as a forest primeval. Jamie is preparing Spike for more adult responsibilities. What appears to be a father-and-son hunting expedition is actually a test of Spike’s survival instincts, stamina, and his ability to stay calm and collected.

Of course, things do not go as planned. They are chased by a pack of infected, now led by a bigger, stronger one who is smarter than the rest, whom they have called Alpha.

Jamie and Spike are forced to spend the night on the mainland before they can attempt to return, hoping that the low tide has made the causeway passable. Throughout the first hour of the film, the atmosphere is filled with tension and suspense. And despite Taylor-Johnson’s charm, his character Jamie is marked by a toxic masculinity that contrasts with Spike’s more gentle nature.

As the relationship between father and son becomes more and more fractured, Spike takes it upon himself to bring his mother back to the mainland after discovering that there is a doctor there who may have gone insane. The second half of the film is the reverse of the first, with the tenderness between mother and son providing a striking counterpoint. They have their own misadventures, but it is the contrast between both parents makes the movie what it is.

There’s a highly stylized filmmaking approach that Danny Boyle takes for ‘28 Years Later.’ His fast-paced editing intercuts scenes with gory images and old video footage, creating a link between the past and the present. This broken world has been broken before. This is not an unfamiliar world. These dangers, and the means of survival, are nothing new. It makes for a stirring watch – not to mention there are fantastic sequences that are wonderfully cinematic including the traverse through the causeway. 

The music by Young Fathers and the exceptional sound design make this world feel visceral and emotional. It never stops, even in its quiet, somber, and tender moments. When they finally meet the doctor (Ralph Fiennes), the story shifts in an unexpected direction and features impressive production design elements that turn the film into a visually stunning cinematic experience.

Taylor-Johnson and Fiennes are amazing, and Williams grounds the film by reminding us that he is portraying a 12-year-old so his choices are less rational and more idealistic. He is an amazing anchor for the film and hits the right buttons. However, it is Jodie Comer who completely steals the spotlight in the latter half of the film, revealing the beautiful heart at the center of this story.

This is not the film I was expecting to see, but I enjoyed every bit of it. It is character-driven, and the world-building is solid as it expands the lore behind the infected. It teases a sequel and there’s talk about a new trilogy to follow starting with this one. I was pleasantly surprised by this film, and I am in it for the rest of the ride.

My Rating:

Witness the evolution of fear and survival.  28 Years Later is now in cinemas. Check showtimes and book your tickets here.