Floods and the Undead

[baavgai]

Today, we are trapped, surrounded by water... but that's just boring real life; time for a movie review. Appropriately enough, it's a film about the end of the world.

Someone recently told me about what they considered a "good" scifi film. Without looking too deeply into reviews, I found good enough buzz for a movie that had gone to video nearly five years ago. Turns out, it's a bloody zombie movie! Called 28 Days Later.

Had I heard "zombie movie" I probably wouldn't have bothered watching. It opens up with some hyper violent scenes and a forbidden lab. By the time I realize it's the Z word, I'm too far in. I want to see what happens to the Everyman character who woke up to the mess.

Surprise, it has a story. And the story, ironically I suppose, has a brain. The actors, at the time of filming, are all mostly unknowns. The most recognizable faces are support. I jumped when I saw Christopher Eccleston, a creepy bastard in this.

The zombies are actually the "infected", those who have the Rage virus. At times, there is the expected level of mindless violence and blood spatter ballet. However, this ultimately is a scifi movie cloaked as a horror movie.

Like any good scifi movie, it provokes questions about the human condition and personal morality. It gives us a what-if scenario and offers many examples of possible choices. In spite of myself, I can actually recommend this one, zombies and all.

Comments

[tashadandelion.livejournal.com]

I *love* that flick. I had to LITERALLY be dragged into the theatre to see it, being a horror wuss, but I'm glad the STBX persisted. I watched it through my fingers and pulled a muscle or two flinching, but it was so well done. What a horror movie SHOULD be, instead of the usual "protag exists to be eaten or worse".

[handymonkey]

I've not seen the movie, but there's a sequel coming out soon (another month or two, I think) called "28 Weeks Later".

[baavgai.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I seemed to recall a sequel, but couldn't find it. Probably what prompted me to watch the thing.

I seriously doubt a sequel will have any of the charm of the first. The thing that made it exceptional was that it was ultimately not about the zombies and body parts.