'28 YEARS LATER' ON 4K UHD STEELBOOK, BLU-RAY & DVD SEPTEMBER 23RD

Reuniting Academy Award®-winning director Danny Boyle and Academy Award®-nominated writer Alex Garland, 28 Years Later recently crossed a superb $150 million at the global box office, making it the biggest of the franchise, Danny Boyle’s third highest grossing film of all-time, and the third biggest horror film of the year.

SYNOPSIS:

It has been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory. Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of them decides to venture into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected, but other-survivors as well.

SPECIAL FEATURES

4K STEELBOOK, BLU-RAY™, DVD & DIGITAL EXTRAS:

• Days to Years

• Capturing the Chaos

• The Survivors

• Becoming The Infected

• Behind The Cameras

Steelbook and Blu-ray™ include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. VisitMoviesAnywhere.comfor terms and conditions.

CAST AND CREW:

Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Written by: Alex Garland

Produced by: Andrew MacDonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland

Executive Producers: Cillian Murphy

SPECS:

Run Time: Approx.115 minutes

Rating: R: Strong bloody violence, grisly images, graphic nudity,language and brief sexuality

REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus // 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

28 Years Later is a hauntingly beautiful return to the world that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland created over two decades ago, full of gory and horrifying set pieces, stunning visuals, sensational performances from Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Alfie Williams, and an emotional exploration of humanity after the collapse of society that is deeply moving and reflective, resulting in one of the best horror films of the year.

In 2002 (or 2003 if you live in North America), one independent film changed the zombie horror sub genre for good. Bringing a relentless chaos and devastation to the genre with fast moving, deadly zombies, while showcasing the complete fall of humanity and our own spiral into disorder and lawlessness, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland created one of the most revered zombie films amongst viewers: 28 Days Later. Becoming an instant hit, a larger budget studio sequel was ordered, but despite an excellent opening sequence and a cast that included Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots and Robert Carlyle, it failed to connect with audiences like the original did. But, that may have been for the best as it gave the time for both Boyle and Garland and the world to simmer, allowing time to give the perfect idea to return to the series with: a bold, visceral, unrelenting exploration of what remains of humanity after the spread of the rage virus in 28 Years Later. While it is unquestionably a zombie film with the brutal, terrifying and violent sequences that audiences expect from the subgenre, it is also an emotional coming of age story that explores death and life in this post apocalyptic world led by an incredible cast that makes for a unique and deep experience that builds on what came before in the previous two films and expands the genre in a breathtaking direction.

Death has always been a critical part of zombie films, with the undead feasting upon the living and multiplying their numbers. And while Boyle and Garland continue that idea with the hordes of infected running rampant across the English countryside, this is merely one use of death in the story they are telling. Set twenty eight years after the rage virus epidemic began, society and humanity has collapsed within the United Kingdom. It is now a quarantine zone overrun by the infected apart from small pockets of humanity that have managed to survive, monitored by the rest of the world to make sure the virus does not spread to the rest of humanity. There is a stillness as the death of society is explored in this new world with immense and engrossing world building that fuels the film’s first half. From the evolution of the infected, the importance of human connection in the small pockets of mankind that have managed to survive, and the lengths that humankind has gone to to survive in such dire circumstances, there is a thematic richness that Boyle and Garland use to stage the entire film with as Jamie teaches Spike about the world outside of their protected island community. It is the natural progression of themes of survival, societal collapse and the human condition that are often explored within the zombie subgenre and introduced in 28 Days Later, but given the time setting set decades after that collapse of society, it provides new light to explore these themes in. At the same time, it is never short on brutal zombie attacks full of intense gore that will make audiences cover their eyes, incredible makeup and prosthetic work to bring the infected to life, and a heart pounding relentlessness that drives the entire film.

But, at the heart of the film is a beautiful coming of age family drama that evokes an emotion that is not something audiences will expect from the zombie genre, but one that undoubtedly makes 28 Years Later a true masterclass in storytelling. With young Spike venturing off his island into the mainland in search of help and answers, the discoveries he makes on his journey are profound and life changing, grappling with ideas that he has been sheltered from in addition to the threat of the infected. It is here where the ideas of what death means and the differences from the type of death that Spike has been raised to fear that Boyle and Garland’s vision for this film truly begin to flourish. And with that unexpected change of direction heading into the third act, subverting expectations of the genre, Boyle and Garland create something profound that connects with the audience on the most humanistic level imaginable. It is there in the quietness and stillness of this final act that brings the family drama full circle, allowing the love between mother and son to emerge as the film’s beating heart, resulting in one of the year’s best scenes to close out this chapter of Boyle and Garland’s new trilogy. The film’s final scene itself is a jarring change in tone, but it feels more like a post credit scene moved up to tease the next chapter in the trilogy that Boyle and Garland have planned by debuting Jack O’Connell’s character, which is due to be released in January of next year.

Perhaps the most memorable part of 28 Days Later was the shooting style of the film, with the entire movie being captured on a hand held digital camcorder, giving it a gritty nature and an intimate feeling. Boyle returns to this idea, but with a modern technological upgrade, shooting primarily on the iPhone 15XL and using drones, and the results are stunning. Giving an intimacy to the characters as well as capturing wide shots that showcase the natural wonder of the English countryside, the footage is both clear as well as at times jarring and cutting out of focus, creating an authenticity to the images that are being captured on the screen by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. Equally as mesmerizing as it is horrifying when the zombie chaos is on screen, and amplified by an effective musical score from Young Fathers, the Scottish hip hop group, that evokes the emotion of the family drama and creates an unsettling audio atmosphere for the entire film, Boyle and his team have delivered an immersive cinematic experience to supplement the story at every turn.

With the rich storytelling and strong directorial efforts on display, it naturally follows that the entire cast rises to that same gold standard. Aaron Taylor Johnson dominates the screen while on it as Jamie, a man who has personally thrived with the transformations brought on by the collapse of society, becoming an invaluable and strong key figure within his remote island community. Taylor Johnson’s action persona works incredibly well in the film’s half, even if his character is sidelined and left waiting to be continued in the sequels where he will no doubt get more dramatic material to work with. Jodie Comer is nothing short of mesmerizing as Isla, Jamie’s wife and Spike’s mother, portraying her character’s arc with a quietness that leaps off the screen. It’s a challenging role that in the wrong hands could have come across as a bad comedic impersonation, but Comer handles it with a haunting grace, resilience and compassion that propels the film’s beautiful themes forward in every scene, making for one of the best supporting actress performances of the year so far. Ralph Fiennes is magnificent as Dr. Ian Kelson, making the most of his small amount of screen time with an unforgettable performance that helps to create one of the most impactful moments of the entire film. It’s not what you are expecting based on the images of Fiennes’s character that have been released, or the mystery surrounding his character that the screenplay builds, but it showcases every ounce of talent that audiences have come to expect from such a masterful actor. 

But, it is young Alfie Williams who is the standout of the film. Despite his age and the incredibly talented actors he is cast alongside, this is Williams’s film and he brings it to life with his performance. Embodying the fear and fearlessness of Spike as he ventures into unfamiliar lands despite great threats to save his family, Williams is luminous on screen, becoming the audience’s point of view into this brave and harrowing new world following the collapse of society with a heart, inquisitiveness and strength that is required to survive in such a harsh world. It can only be described as an incredible career-making turn that is poised to carry the rest of the trilogy at the same time of showing great promise for what Williams will bring to future projects.

Equally as mortifyingly dread-inducing as it is moving, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland have outdone themselves with 28 Years Later. Being a rare legacy sequel that does not simply rehash the narrative of the beloved original film, but instead builds off the ideas it sets up and explores rich themes while delivering blood curdling moments of terror throughout, solidifying itself as the best film of the entire franchise . Easily cementing itself as one of the best legacy sequels ever made while paving the way forward for the franchise thanks to its intelligent storytelling, excellent direction and visuals, and powerful performances from Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland create a breathtaking cinematic experience in 28 Years Later, blending deadly horror and an emotional soul while exploring the human condition in what is destined to be a new masterpiece for the zombie genre!

(Poster/Photo/Video credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

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