28 Days Later: A Lurid Descent into Madness
28 Days Later weaves a terrible tale of a man, Jim portrayed by Cillian Murphy, regaining consciousness in a post-apocalyptic city of London. A deadly virus stolen from a laboratory by animal liberation activists, began a rapid spread and the city and all the rest are in despair. Humans struggle for their lives through post-apocalyptic New world desperately trying to avoid the infected while coping with tangible and realistic scenarios that directed to insights on human interactions and social commentary. What it builds is an unsettling atmosphere by capturing the desolate surroundings of London and balancing it by random outbursts of pure horror and sincere emotions. There is depth also added by British born Naomie Harris in the role of Selena, a strong and very practical partner. The cast works brilliantly to capture the shades of hope and despair of this movie.
The direction by Danny Boyle is just sensational as horror and suspense elements of the picture interconnect with its sociopolitical subtext. This makes the film a visceral experience as he passionately drives home his narrative in articulate intensity without disrupting the coherency of the film.
The sound track of John Murphy well synchronizes with the tension driven mood of this film. Music pieces such as ‘In the House – In a Heartbeat’ adds to the upping of the emotions for internalization like the film’s memorable moments.
London’s dystopia is captured by Anthony Dod Mantle’s documentary-like cinematography that lends the film the physicality and visceral atmosphere.
London looks like a post-pandemic wasteland of Borden’s production design. Dérelict city streets give the film an eerie feel, which adds depth to the plot and makes it emotionally charged.
Successive uses of makeup and other special effects are moderate and well timed to make them serve as a background to the human tragedy rather than overwhelming audiences with zombies.
Great attention was paid to the postproduction work including the editing that reinforced the movie’s pace. Clean […] cuts keep tension high but also provide space for realism and more character development throughout the episode. They manage to tell the audience how serious the characters’ situation is without melodrama.
Despite the intricateness of the film’s plot, some characters seem rather underdeveloped, and their arcs raise certain questions about the characters’ transformation. Also, the portrayal of the virus impact is built around cliches and may seem rather unoriginal to those who watched a lot of zombie movies. It’s a movie made for cinema, the horror with deep narrative – one that will stay with you emotionally. The themes concerning persistence of human spirit in the light of disasters are horrifying and enlightening at the same time which makes the film intricate part of the modern thriller cinema.
