Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘28 Days Later’

Written by Scott Edwards

Since 28 Weeks Later came up in a conversation the other day and now that I want to watch it again, I figured it would be a good time to revisit the first movie. I remember when this film first made its way to DVD, I would go out and buy a copy once a month, because I could never remember if I had one. Now I have three copies and need to stop buying it. Not saying that I don’t like the movie, but I am saying that my money could be used to buy another movie that I do not have in my ever growing collection.

Waking up in an abandoned hospital, Jim is unaware of what is happening around England since an infection has taken over. Looking for anyone, Jim finds that his homeland has become a wasteland and there does not seem to be any signs of life anywhere. Making his way to a church, Jim sees the bodies piled up, but when he lets out a yell, he sees that a few 'survivors' seem to have something wrong with them. Fighting off an infected priest, Jim has no idea what has happened to these people and why they are looking to harm him rather than help him, but he has no time for questions as he needs to escape their madness.

While running from his attackers, Jim hears someone call for him and spots Molotov cocktails being thrown in his general direction. Finding his way to safety with the help of Mark and Selena, Jim finally gets to hear what has happened to the city, along with the world. Not wanting to believe that his parents were dealt the same fate, Jim is able to convince the two survivors to venture with him to his home. When arriving, Jim sees that his parents were not infected with the virus but decided to end their own lives. Deciding to hold up in the house for the night, Jim finds old family movies and decides to watch them, but the light through the window attracts the infected to the house. As Selena and Mark show what they are made of to protect their naive new friend, Mark gets a cut on his arm that could have sucked in some of the infected blood. Not taking a chance, Selena kills her traveling companion without hesitation as she knows the infected change within a matter of seconds and there is no time to lose.

Starting their trek back into town, Jim sees flashing lights in an apartment building and the two decide to investigate. Being able to beat the infected upstairs, Selena and Jim are greeted by Frank and his daughter Hannah. Wanting to get to a place that is safe, Frank has heard a radio broadcast about a military outpost that promises a haven from the infected. With the group in agreement, they set off to try and locate the coordinates on the broadcast and meet very little opposition along the way. Reaching their destination, but nobody being around, Frank loses his mind and gets himself infected by one of the dead. Being shot by soldiers before he could pass the infection on, Hannah, Selena and Jim have been saved, but the more Jim is around the troops, he feels less and less sure that this is the place the group needs to be.

As a different type of zombie story came to life with 28 Days Later, I must admit that I really like this movie. As the infected may not be flesh craving monsters like in other movies, they are filled with Rage and ready to pass it on by any means necessary. I don’t know really how Rage could be a blood disease, but you know what, it is a movie and it does not have to be scientific fact. The interactions in this movie are what made it so special in my eyes. You never knew what was going to happen next, much less if the infection could be passed along by other means. Then you have the whole Jim growing up and adapting to a new world storyline, which when the ending comes into play, you may never have expected the former courier to come up with such sadistic plan to save his friends. Stay Scared.

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