28 DAYS LATER
Directed by: Danny Boyle.
Produced by: Andrew Macdonald.
Written by: Alex Garland.
Director of Photography: Anthony Dod Mantle.
Edited by: Chris Gill.
Music by: John Murphy.
Released by: Fox Searchlight.
Country of Origin: UK. 108 min. Rated: R.
With: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns & Christopher Eccleston.

DVD Special Features: Director & Writer Commentary. Deleted Scenes. Alternative Theatrical Ending. "Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later." Production Gallery. Polaroid Gallery. Trailers. Animated Storyboards from the UK Web Site. Jackknife Lee Music Video. French/Spanish Audio. English/Spanish Subtitles.

During the course of 28 days, an infectious virus, which is spread by blood and turns its victims into homicidal maniacs, has wiped out the population of London. Jim (Murphy), waking from a coma, finds himself eerily alone in what is now a ghost town only to be pursued by the infected. Saved in the nick of time by two non-infected survivors, existence becomes a day to day struggle where, according to his rescuer Salina (Harris), being alive is as good as it gets. Part Outbreak, Night of the Living Dead, and even Dracula (the threatened virginity of a teenaged girl), this is like a Hollywood action flick where the thrills take priority, the characters second, and there’s enough violence, scares and suspense to get the adrenaline flowing. With plenty of coincidences - the right key is found among the wreckage, rescuers pop out of nowhere, problems are solved rather too quickly - suspension of disbelief is required. And the blurriness and graininess of digital video is more than appropriate to this dank post-apocalyptic world. However, in the climactic haunted house sequence on a dark and rainy night, it’s too difficult to distinguish who’s killing whom. Fortunately, Days does have heart, especially in Harris’s vibrant performance as a determined commander, just enough to keep the viewer invested.
June 27, 2003

Extras: No need to panic if you haven’t seen the alternative ending. Though gripping, it is much less hopeful than the present resolution, which is a much needed anecdote to the film’s bleakness. The threat of infectious diseases is under the microscope in the scaremongering “Making of...” featurette. Facts, such as 25 percent of worldwide deaths are due to communicable diseases, are stated without attribution. Heavy on production details, the commentary by the director and writer does sound a bit like two aunties going on and on. And some of the extras, like the gallery of Polaroids used for continuity, is a bit superfluous. KT
October 28, 2003