Sense of realism creates genuine horror

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2007)

There are legions of zombie movies out there as there are legions of gory movies. We've seen 'em all and we've seen it all. What sets 28 Weeks Later apart, what makes it unique is that its story is in the realm of reality. Viruses mutate in nature, viruses are tampered with in military labs. It's not so much of a far fetched scenario that a genetically designed virus somehow slips its confines and gets out of control, effecting a major break-out. And 28 Weeks Later takes this proposition the viewer easily accepts as being plausible even further with its quasi realistic visual style. You'll see a lot of hand camera work here, and virtually no over-the-top, larger-than-live visuals your usual Hollywood action-horror movie indulges in. On top of it you've got characters not much different from the guy next door. There are no heroes nor villains. No fancy or pathetic wise-cracking, gung-ho dialogues or one-liners. There are simply ordinary characters in extraordinary situations. There are those who have to kill and those who are targeted to be killed. And in your ordinary thrill ride movie the first are the bad guys and the latter are the good guys. But 28 Weeks Later not only blurs the line between good and bad, it actually states that there isn't a thing called good or bad. There are only choices to be made, and each character is trying to make the right choice. And as it is in real life, what is the right choice for you might be a bad choice for the guy next to you. There are those who want to contain the virus no matter what, and you don't blame them given the body count the virus has caused. And there are those who want to flee the potential infection no matter what, and you don't blame them either. What motivates and also justifies the actions of both parties is their legitimate will to survive - the strongest force of human nature. Each character started out to act with the best of intentions causing the worst of outcomes in the effect. As they say: the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
And this unique quality of this movie is maybe its only downside. You go to the movies you want to get entertained, thrilled, excited, aroused. And even a movie like for instance Dawn of the Dead will deliver these demands - because you figure it is fiction. But 28 Weeks Later's realistic approach puts fiction out of the equation. It is this sense of realism that creates genuine horror and dismisses you crestfallen: You know you just saw a great movie, but it totally ruined your day.