28 Days Later...

Plot synopsis:
In Cambridge, three animal liberation activists break into a medical research laboratory. A scientist in the lab desperately warns them against releasing the captive chimpanzees, which are infected with a highly contagious rage-inducing virus. Ignoring his pleas, the activists release a chimp, which infects a female activist. She then attacks and infects everyone else present.
28 days later, in London, Jim, a bicycle courier, awakens from a coma in St Thomas' Hospital. He finds the entire hospital deserted. He wanders the streets of London, finding it deserted as well, with signs of catastrophe everywhere. Jim enters a church and finds a priest, who turns out to be infected. Jim flees, attracting attention of more infected, but Selena and Mark rescue him. At one of their safehouses, they explain to Jim that while he was in a coma, a virus spread among the populace, resulting in societal collapse. They claim the virus has been reported in Paris and New York City as well, suggesting the infection has spread worldwide.
The next day, Selena and Mark accompany Jim to his parents' house in Deptford, where he discovers they committed suicide in bed together. That night, the three are attacked by more infected. Mark is bitten, and Selena kills him. She curtly explains that the virus spreads through blood and saliva and overwhelms its victims in 10 to 20 seconds. She warns that should Jim become infected, she will kill him "in a heartbeat". The two see some blinking Christmas lights from Balfron Tower and head there. They discover two more survivors – cab driver Frank and his daughter Hannah – who allow them to take shelter. The next day, Frank informs them that their supplies – particularly water – are dwindling. He plays them a pre-recorded radio broadcast from a military blockade near Manchester, claiming they have "the answer to infection" and promises to protect any survivors who reach them.
The group board Frank's cab and head to Manchester, bonding with one another during the trip. At the deserted blockade, Frank is infected when a drop of blood falls into his eye. He is killed by the arriving soldiers, who take the remaining survivors to a fortified mansion under the command of Major Henry West. West reveals to Jim that his "answer to infection" entails waiting for the infected to starve to death and luring female survivors into sexual slavery to repopulate the world. The group attempts to flee, but Jim is captured and chained next to Sergeant Farrell, a dissenting soldier. Farrell shares with Jim his speculation that the virus has not spread beyond Great Britain and that the country is being quarantined.
The next day, the soldiers prepare the girls for gang rape, while two soldiers lead Jim and Farrell to execution. When his executioners argue after killing Farrell, Jim escapes. Jim lures West and another soldier to the blockade, where Jim kills the latter and leaves West stranded for arriving infected. He runs back to the mansion and releases Mailer, an infected soldier West kept for observation. Mailer quickly spreads the infection among the soldiers in the mansion. In the confusion, Corporal Mitchell drags Selena upstairs to rape her, but Jim interrupts and kills him. The two reunite with Hannah and run to Frank's cab. Jim is shot by West, who has been waiting inside the cab. Mailer grabs West through the rear window of the cab and kills him. The trio finally leave the mansion.
Another 28 days later, Jim is recovering at a remote cottage. Downstairs, he finds Selena sewing large swaths of fabric when Hannah appears. The three rush outside and unfurl a huge cloth banner, adding the final letter to the word "HELLO" laid out on the meadow. A lone jet flies over the three survivors, the infected are shown dying of starvation, and the pilot calls in a rescue helicopter.

Tags: mystery, murder, allegory, cult, violence, horror, thought-provoking, atmospheric, insanity, romantic, suspenseful, entertaining, sci-fi

Review:
But seeing them occur in the place you call home is something that gives it an entirely new sense of reality, and one I was previously unaccustomed to.Still, judging 28 Days Later entirely on its merit as a film, it's easy to arrive at the conclusion that it's a fantastic achievement, as well as a coming-of-age of sorts for director Danny Boyle; I can't say the MTV-inspired vanity of The Beach, or the self-consciously trendy posturing of Trainspotting appealed to me, and to my shame I initially expected 28 Days Later to be given a similar treatment.
Definitely a wise choice to film this on digital video.You will occasionally meet people who thought 28 Days Later wasn't 'scary' or 'gory' enough.
That, I think, is where the real Horror of 28 Days Later lies.28 Days Later, like the Romero zombie flicks of yore, is ultimately an allegory of the days we are living in, an age in which we are constantly confronted with violence by the media (much like the ape right at the start of the film), where violence begets violence, and humanity faces an uncertain future.
I didn't get around to seeing it until a few days ago and I gotta feel like that was somewhat of an embellishment on the promoters' part.When environmental terrorists attack a lab that contains diseased chimps who are infected with a "Rage" virus, they unwittingly let loose a plague that lays waste to England and(perhaps)the rest of society.
A friend of mine told me that this movie's running zombies was what inspired the zombies in the remake of "Dawn of the Dead",but where "Dawn of..." was pretty much a full-throttle action/horror hybrid from about start to finish,this film plays more like a "What if..." movie,with less emphasis on the creatures themselves and more on the (lucky?) survivors.
By making not in precise terms a "zombie" movie- you never hear "living-dead" uttered in this film, although you do hear "infected" and a new word for what these people have, "rage".
Indeed, this is what the infected have in Britain, when a monkey virus gets let loose on the Island, and from the beginning of the infectious spread the film cuts to a man, Jim, lying in a hospital bed, who wanders abandoned streets and views torn fragments of society in front of him.
I can see their points of view, since I saw many similarities in Romero and some other films (the military scenes reminded me of Day of the Dead, though the chained up Zombie in this was done for more practical reasons, and the supermarket scene is a little unneeded considering the satirical reverence it had in Dawn of the Dead).
28 Days Later shares a striking resemblance with Resident Evil, in that it kind of starts where RE left off: after one of the most exciting intro sequences I have ever witnessed (!), a lonely average-Joe, (Jim in this particular case) wakes up in a deserted London and takes a jolly good walk through the intimidatingly empty streets.
As may have guessed by now, this will be a story of survival.While most horror films will offer a relatively exciting ride with little more than sparse scares, Danny Boyle's movie sheds a new light on the survival instinct of human beings which can damned well spook the living hell out of you - even if not in the traditional sense.
Looking at Children of Men might offer some insight into what it feels like to have no future and this itself may clear the way to appreciating 28 Days Later.I guess it's one of those rare horror films which not only enlighten the viewer with nice, gory slaughters but also with a share of psychological goodies.
28 Days Later successfully takes the zombie genre to a new level, this movie is far more than just a horror flick.
There are some great characters, that you actually care about, some you'll like, some you'll be glad to see killed, but all solidly performed.The story is well written and avoids the clichéd cheesy scripts that are too often attached to the horror genre.
And I must add that the direction is exactly what you would expect from 'Danny Boyle' top class.For me though the real difference between this movie and many others made in this genre is as follows - The infected (the zombie like folk) are more menacing, they turn instantly and they move fast, a combination that would instill fear in every one of us.I don't mean to run down the zombie movie genre - I am a huge fan of most of these films, but lets be honest its been done to death, re-animated and done again, and this was the first movie to break the mould and transcend to a new level.If you like your horror flicks, then this is certainly worthy of your attention.9/10.
Jim is rescued by Selena and her friend who tell him what has happened and start a search for other survivors and a quest to find the cure, promised by a military unit stationed in the north.I excitedly arrived at the preview for this looking forward to a tense British horror movie to make me jump with fear.
The opening sequences of this "28 Days Later" are downright astonishing and  for a moment  you suspect that you're about to watch to most brilliant horror film in a long, long time.
Jim is one of them, as he just awoke from a coma, completely unaware of the vile events that took place the past 28 days Even though the story isn't very original (Romero's "The Crazies" come to mind as well as "Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man"), Danny Boyle succeeds in portraying a gripping mix of drama, action, suspense and  oh yes  gore!
Now, I really wished I could end my user comment here and conclude that "28 Days Later" was a simply great new horror film but unfortunately the script takes a complete U-turn halfway and becomes a repetitive lesson in which Boyle and writer Alex Garland try to convince us that mankind still remains the biggest threat of all.
After a group of activists unleash rage infected apes, Britain becomes home to those infected with the virus, wiping out everybody in their way and for a group of survivors, they must do anything to survive.28 days later is a mix of strong intelligent thinking, an artistic approach to direction and an endless spinning narrative that engages viewers right in to the very core of the gritty and energetic film that is Danny Boyle's work of genius.A horror is a horror usually for the appearance of an abnormal being or 'monster' and here we see a human preaching concept of animal rights gone horribly wrong when the 'rage' virus affects people.
Boyle's sweeping landscape shots are to die for and the thrill factor in the chases is to live for, consistent and perhaps one of the finest directed British films.Murphy, Harris, Gleeson and Burns all do themselves justice without being too screamy and abnormal as most protagonists in the genre today.The sequel 28 weeks later though not directed by Boyle maintains that level of sublime scenery and adrenaline soaked excitement with a core desperate and energetic storyline whereas this 2002 hit carries a feeling of drama with the line of characters and their lives in the new world.Whereas there are lapses and the end feels rushed 28 days is exciting and penetrates the mind with some unbelievable direction and location with the writing on top form..
the daughter of Frank, she was very good in this,, there really is no NAME actors or actresses in this movie and that's what i like, you don't need that for this particular kind of film.
28 Days Later had an amazing plot, great actors, a great director, and most of all, it wasn't like all of the other horror movies.
Not to say these movies are not up to Zombie par but the heart pumping vision of Danny Boyle's film will make you short of breath rather than fighting to stay awake.
So if you're a Horror\Thriller fan and have a strong stomach for some well placed gore than I would strongly suggest giving 28 Days Later a test run, for true Zombie movie fans I think you'll find this a nice twist..
28 DAYS LATER...Aspect ratio: 1.85:1Sound format: Dolby DigitalSurvivors of a virus which turns infected victims into murderous zombie-like creatures struggle to stay alive amidst the chaos.High-concept horror from TRAINSPOTTING director Danny Boyle and novelist-cum-screenwriter Alex Garland (THE BEACH), produced on a modest budget and filmed with digital video cameras (transferred to 35mm for theatrical exhibition).
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsThose who read the James Herbert novel '48 will be familiar with the concept behind 28 Days Later.What if you and only a handful of other people were the sole survivors of a deadly killer virus and aside from finding enough food,fuel and water to survive,you also had to evade a gang of blood-hungry infected people with a psychological yearning to kill?It's an original,intriguing but ultimately off-puttingly nightmarish idea.Aside from this,28 Days Later is a film that's worth watching if for nothing else,its brilliant visual style.The look of a deserted,ransacked London is just one of the many breath-takingly original and exciting looks to the film.Danny Boyle is truely one of the pioneers in terms of British film-making,and can push us through to the next-level in rivalling Hollywood.****.
The early scenes are the most memorable, as we see the deserted city of London explored by a formerly comatose Cillian Murphy, ignorant to the devastation that the virus has caused.Stealing the show is actor Naomi Harris, with her brilliant portrayal of Selena, while Danny Boyle's direction and John Murphy's music are close seconds..
28 Days Later showed those tepid Studios that zombies are scary, and that people have an appetite for zombie flicks.Dawn of the Dead got remade, and it gave George Romero a B-12 shot right where he needed it.
And it was an approach that resulted in a fairly entertaining movie, which did bring some new and interesting things to the genre.What works in favor of "28 Days Later" is the storyline and the way that director Danny Boyle told the story.
It was a thrill ride to follow Jim (played by Cillian Murphy) from waking up in the hospital and throughout the movie right up to the end.The effects in "28 Days Later" are quite good, and that is something which also helps the movie quite a lot.
Even though it's technically a virus, I think grouping 28 Days Later into the zombie category is still acceptable since it's the majority of people in an apocalyptic world turn into unconscious deadly beings.
I'd rate 28 Days Later in my top five favorite horror flicks, close to #1, just because the atmosphere feels like reality and a dreadful mood sets in every time I sit down and watch it.
The movie has fantastic camera work, characters/acting, plot, effects, theme song, cinematography and just about all aspects of film-making I can think of.
Dead are the Zombies of Old. Although I found movies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, C.H.U.D., and Resident Evil frightening, and the zombie creatures in each pretty disturbing, the infected of 28 days Later are by far the most spine chilling.
This movie proves over and over again, that people are doomed not because they're evil, but because they are cretins.The movie starts with the creation of a zombie threat that leaves small handfuls of people trying to find their way to safety.Instead of putting the characters in the sort of jeopardy inherent to the situation, they behave with the sort of reckless abandon that you'd hardly see in normal London let alone a zombie zone.Time and again a character chooses to wander off on their own, not because the plot demands it, but because the body count demands it.A sort of artsy strobe effect is used during violent scenes that at first highlights the horror, and eventually annoys the eyes.If you want to see a movie that avoids most of the above pitfalls, see George Romero's, "Dawn of the Dead".
There are no zombies in '28 Days Later...' Much has been made about this movie being a George Romero tribute, and in some ways it is.
`28 Days Later' could easily be the fourth installment in George Romero's `Living Dead' trilogy  only this time the zombies have a bit more get up and go to them.When Jim wakes up out of a coma one day, he discovers that not only is he the only person in the hospital but virtually the only person left in the entire city of London.
Although `28 Days Later' is little more than a rip-off of those earlier zombie classics, director Danny Boyle does bring a certain level of artistry to his handling of the material, particularly with his apocalyptic visions of a London and an English countryside utterly bereft of human beings.
She gives no chances for anyone lagging behind and often remarks that "living is as good as it gets." However, there is optimistic contrast to her bleak personality.With a hard hitting beginning we expect to film to run downhill as soon as it gets far enough to have a contrived romance between Jim and Selena, and thank goodness "28 Days Later" isn't that stupid.
(unfortunately, often referred to as a "zombie" movie, though it's not) he tackles horror with excellent precision.28 Days Later opens with scenes of violence being watched by a monkey on a TV screen as he lays strapped down in a lab.
He then journeys to find his parents and then a safe place to stay, and meets a few people along the way: Selena (Naomie Harris), a survival-obsessed, leader-like woman who is with him for most of the film, Frank (Brendan Gleeson), a light-hearted, good-humored guy who probably a SWAT member before the epidemic and has holed up in his apartment with his daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns); a shy, quiet girl, Mark (Noah Huntley), a sort-of nervous, side-kick type of guy, and a squad of soldiers at an army base, led by Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston).
Romero zombie flicks from Night of the Living Dead (1968) to Dawn of the Dead (1978), Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later..." is a bloody nightmare of a film and one hell of a ride that I've had the pleasure of experiencing.
It's different than most zombie movies because this time around, somebody placed adrenaline on these creatures to make them more scary than before.The film begins after a protest outside of London, England where a bunch of PETA freaks decide to let loose a bunch of caged experiment chimps where they don't know what they've been infected with until one of them catches the disease where all hell starts to begin.28 Days Later after the incident, there's not a single soul walking around the streets or bridges of London.
No cars honking or crashing except a lone survivor by the name of Jim (Cillian Murphy in a leading heroic role) gets out of bed to see that he is the only man left on the face of England until he realizes that the apocalypse begins and there are other survivors including Selena (Naomie Harris) and her male friend, Mark (Noah Huntly), they try to see if they could find any weapons they could use to hunt the human creatures down.The way the zombies attack in this film is much more different than having the flesh bitten off, the blood of a zombie has to hit the eye or the inside of your mouth where within a couple of seconds, that person becomes a zombie and has to be killed.After Mark is attacked by zombies and killed by Selena, her and Jim run through the streets of London where they meet up with Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter.
The four of them embark on a journey where it plays like Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" with the characters making London their own personal ground stealing stuff before being chased by zombies and fighting off soldiers in a hideaway mansion."28 Days Later" is truly a virtuoso in horror cinema where in this decade, Danny Boyle must've taken notes to find out how to make a successful horror picture.It sure as hell worked for me..
Between hundreds of zombie movies that popped theaters for the last few years, there're no doubts that 28 Days Later together with Romero's second "dead" trilogy produced (and being in production) during this decade are by far the best ones already produced.
The concept of humans being more dangerous than the infected isn't new, but Boyle does a great job here and it creates a tense final act to the film.Cillian Murphy was great as the main character, Jim, who we first discover as he awakes from a coma and finds the entire city eerily deserted (making for one of the coolest sequences in the film).
That's not to say that '28 Days Later' hasn't taken influences from elsewhere, some of the scenes are reminiscent of horror classics such as Day of the Dead'.At the beginning of the movie we see a group of animal rights activists break into an animal research laboratory to release some monkeys.
you would see an infected (technically its not a zombie) run through the camera scene before anything would happen.This is why we hated the movie (those of us who hated it) We went in expecting a great horror movie along the lines of The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm street (1st one only), friday 13th(1st one), night of the living dead, 13 ghosts.
In a sense it's Boyle's version of Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead (1978), which is just one of the many films that 28 Days Later...