28 Weeks Later: Review

When 28 Days Later was released in 2002, Danny Boyle unleashed a terrifying vision onto the world of a barren London that stood as the finest achievement in pure horror since Stanley Kubrick's 1981 masterpiece, The Shining. Startling in its creation of a post apocalyptic England, 28 Days was a highly entertaining yet ultimately disturbing look at the nature of human violence that had enough thrills to satisfy the everyday horror fan but enough brains to appeal to more thoughtful audiences. Knowing this, it was with great apprehension that I heard it would be receiving a sequel, cleverly named 28 Weeks Later, when it seemed like a film that would best stand on its own, without a franchise weighing down its thoughtful scares. Luckily for myself, 28 Weeks ably lives up to its predecessor and while it doesn't quite surpass Boyle's classic, it should rightfully claim its place as a modern day Aliens, that is, a more amped up sequel that comes dangerously close to equaling its masterful source.

That being said, the first two entries into what will undoubtedly become a full on franchise, are wildly different films in tone and execution much like Alien and Aliens were. When placed side by side, 28 Days Later reveals itself to be the more thoughtful and ultimately more rewarding experience while 28 Weeks Later is the more visceral counterpart that focuses more on sheer terror than theme. Thankfully, Weeks doesn't entirely forgo the brains of the operation and contains a sharp and clever wit that pervades the numerous memorable set pieces sprinkled throughout the narrative's running time. And my oh my, what set pieces these are as Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, in his English feature debut, cooks up a tension in each segment that is palpable. It is disappointing that the film's climax is a bit cliché and predictable but by that point, the first hour and 20 minutes have been so entertaining that one does not feel let down. The closing frames of the film are as chilling a set up for another installment as I can remember and it is with an eager anticipation that I await its inevitable release, given Weeks’ strong performance at the B.O.

Fresnadillo, a relative newcomer, displays a ferocious gift for thrills and his camera plays an active observer, quickly moving around the action in a frenetic and at times disorientating pace. Rather than feeling like a trite regurgitation of MTV visuals and editing, in Fresnadillo's hands, this technique seems well fit for the action on screen, adding to the tension and ferocity of the zombie attacks rather than taking away from them. In the more deliberately paced moments of the film, he wisely reigns in his virtuoso camera moves in favor for more static shots, many taken from oblique angles, creating a skewed perception of the film's events. Even the calm moments carry an almost unbearable intensity and from start to finish, the film is a roller coaster ride that is more of a true zombie horror film than 28 Days Later, which so brilliantly mixed existential musings with sheer terror.

The cast here does well with the material, more often sinking their teeth into each other than any significant character conflicts but all in all, it works. They all seem to realize that the film does not need forceful, overwhelming performances and each contribute a restrained, quiet intensity into the mix. Robert Carlyle is as reliable as ever and after seeing him in more animated performances, it is interesting to see him play a grieving and conflicted father who barely escapes an opening attack in hair raising fashion. That sequence features one of the great shots of the film as Carlyle runs for his life through the English countryside as the camera swoops around to show the hills alive with sprinting fiends, coming ever close to our newly introduced protagonist. The sequence serves to set the mood of the film, that of no mercy, and it is that mood that pervades throughout. At its harshest and most detached moments, of deathly quiet aerial shots of the abandoned streets of London, the film possesses the same smoldering intensity that was present in Days and which I feared would be toned down in the sequel. In fact, for those who enjoyed those moments from Boyle's installment, will find a great deal to admire here with most of the film taking place on the urban wasteland of London.

Weeks is a significantly darker film than Days, which seemed to possess a humanism that kept the film from feeling downright depressing. In Weeks, that is eschewed for an economical storytelling in which characters are introduced and quickly taken care of. As the count rises, the film sinks into darker depths than Days did. Combined with the final frames, the film is an electrifying and altogether exhausting bout of terror that is a must see for any fans of the original (or really horror in general). I would have never believed this following statement if you had said it to me in early April but the 28 series is well on its way to equaling Romero's Night, Dawn, Day, Land of the Dead series as the new watermark in horror filmmaking. Weeks more than carries the weight of the series, putting forth an entertaining, scary good time that starts the summer off with a bang. Come the end of August, there is a good chance that it might be standing on the top of a heap of blockbusters, in a position similar to 28 Days Later, as the very best film of the hottest months of the year.

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