ziyah reads and writes!

I  just saw 28 Years Later in theaters last weekend and it’s definitely an 8/10!

This was a fun one actually!

28 years later is a film following the main character Spike as he survives in a pandemic and quarantined UK, where a virus turns people into fast, mind erased, human eating, naked zombies. 

In his tiny isolated village, saved by water surrounding them, he treks with his father to the mainland to practice survival skills and collect supplies that keep the society going. Especially since it’s been 28 years since the outbreak. 

Now I don’t want to go on and spoil the whole thing and I think going in blind is the best way to go. If you like movies like A Quiet Place or shows like Attack on Titan then you would love this.

Here’s the Trailer for those who are interested:

The story is based on a comic series and had two previous movies back in the 2002. In the previous movies they explain more how the infection spread and where it came from which makes me urge you to watch the originals so you can recognize all the easter eggs and understand the story more fully. If you don’t feel like watching the movie watch this video instead for a quick recap:

Now on to my review…

Spoilers Below:

Actually maybe if you’re an Attack on Titan fan you might not like this. Because the AOT is so much better. While this movie claims to be an original and maybe takes inspiration from other films it does in fact feel like a watered down AOT. It lacks the political nuisances and story arc of AOT (when 28 years later 2025 in isolation from the previous films) but the zombies are almost exactly like the titans except for size.

Here are some Attack on Titan or (AOT) Titans: (These aren’t all the types that exist in the AOT universe but these are the ones i found most similar to 28 Years Later)

Here are what the “infected” look like in 28 Years Later:

Let’s take a closer look shall we…

AOT

• different types of titans w
• Naked
• Killed by slicing the neck
• Isolated community due to high walls
• Main characters’ mother dies

28 Years Later

• different types of infected
• Naked
• Killed by arrow to the neck (but can be killed by shooting in head or heart/ except for the Alpha)
• Isolated community due to water
• Main characters mother dies

Now there are obviously other factors that make them different. The fact that one is 28 after the initial outbreak and the other is generations old, one has a prophecy aspect the other doesn’t, one has a whole academy and school for killing titans and the other doesn’t, because it’s only been 28 years so they haven’t had the time to develop this far… you get the idea.

But I digress… 

General Thoughts:

• The baby is definitely fucked up I don’t care what anyone says because if your infected and a certified zombie how are you giving birth to a perfectly healthy baby?????

• And this is explained away by the doctor saying “the power of the placenta” mind you if you drink alcohol while pregnant your kid gets fetal alcohol syndrome. So your telling me that the placenta can fight off this superhuman mind-numbing, flesh eating disease but can’t fight tequila? No I don’t believe you, so either that baby is magically immune and will save everyone in the next movie if there’s one or will kill everyone who knows- someone flip a coin.

• Next let’s talk about the Doctor covering himself up in Iodine and he’s surprised everyone thinks he’s insane.
  • First of all where the f*** did you get all this Iodine (in the middle of a forest during a pandemic mind you).
  • Second of all, where did you find an incinerator.
  • Third of all, how come the incinerator isn’t melting the bones.
  • Fourth of all, your a fucking doctor, why aren’t you in the community saving lives. You must know that community is there since the grandpa remembers you. You could teach other teens to become the next generations doctors, and then you can go back to ur monument building.
• Next the Mom, all hollering just because you have cancer, I thought it was Dementia or something weird but just for her to die of something that would’ve happened even without the virus brings the whole story full circle. 
• The dad, ooooh girl not the cheating but I lowkey understand. Imagine you live in a hick ass town and can never leave and everyone is old, ugly and two generations away from incest and here comes fine ass Aaron Taylor Johnson…

• with no woman around to fight you off, yeahhhhh #needthat but I’m sad spike had to witness that and also cheating on your wife while she has cancer is a f***ed up but also, he didn’t know she had cancer and also, she wouldn’t understand what was happening anyway because she was completely gone up there.
• And finally Spike. The only person with some balls around here. He straight up asked the Dad, “Do you want Mom to die?” Woahhhh you shot one monster and now you’re acting 20 years older. He said I’m taking my Mom to see the Doctor and none of you b****es can stop me! And he fu**ing did too!
• Also I think the scenes with Eryck the Swedish navy seal was funny asf. Those convos really show how technology has shaped culture so much. How only 28 years with no tech completely changes the lingo, the beauty standard, common practices etc. It was funny to see Eryck and Spike discuss, Botox, social media, phones, radios, and shellfish and have such a difficult time even though they speak the same language. 
• That’s the part where the film really shined, it took it a step further than pure nonsensical action, violence and gore and made it have meaning and made me connect with the characters. 
• The entire scene with the Doctor telling Spike to remember death and placing the Mom’s head on the top so she can see the sunrise was so beautiful and meaningful. It begs the questions,
  • what’s the purpose of life when society has collapsed?
  • How far are you willing to go to save your loved ones? To save a stranger? 
• Another scene when the mother helps the zombie give birth it was like in that one moment they were one. Linked together through shared pain of childbirth and motherhood. In that one moment she wasn’t an infected or a zombie but a patient needing help, same as the mother, she wasn’t a sick person. It humanized her in such a shocking way, in which the men in the movie, namely Eryck couldn’t understand and it led to his death. When Eryck made the decision that he was going to kill the baby, he chose to not imagine the impossible, he’d chosen to erase morality or human dignity and only see things in Black in White, see things through a lens of fear and survival. This also led to his violent death.
• But through the mother’s insanity she not only saves a life but dies peacefully.  She doesn’t die like a creature or animal but with dignity and respect. The same thing she gave to others. To the zombie and her child. 
• I think the mother has the most interesting story arc and yet not much is said about her. Not much is said about anyone but it’s a movie with a short run time so what can you do. 🤷🏾‍♀️
• Also the scene where the mother saves her son with nothing but a t shirt was showing how motherhood is something that even cancer can’t destroy. It tethers her to this land and to herself. 
• Side note, the boy should’ve definitely woken up from all that noise but whatever 
• Anyways those are my thoughts.
• If you want to see a more in-depth analysis of the film here is another vid that’s fun to see:

Overall, it was a cool film that asks important questions about humanity, morality, human dignity, and death. It’s horror but not too weird to where you can’t understand anything. Anywaysss….

What did you think of the movie?

Let us know below!