28 Days Later – Thursday 26th June 2025

Finally watched it for the first time.

I was aware of the story, knew that it was shot on digital video (which was a big deal at the time) and had seen the iconic shots of a deserted London, but zombie films have never really been my cup of tea. I wasn’t a huge fan of Danny Boyle either, so despite the hype, I never felt any desire to watch it.

Decades later, the latest sequel is in the cinema (with Danny Boyle returning to direct); I figured I may as well see what all the fuss is about.

It’s good. Not the least bit scary though; it’s a survival film, and very much a social commentary more than anything else. There are moments of tension, but nothing too intense, or frightening. The zombies aren’t the undead brought back to life (which is what zombies used to be), but victims of a virus who become rabid. This ‘last man’ type of story has been done many times, and I guess the main thing that sets this film apart is the fact that it’s set in the UK and not the US.

The use of ‘digital video’ was a needless gimmick that didn’t add anything to the story or the way it was told; after all, we weren’t witnessing ‘found footage’ or CCTV. In fact, the low quality of the image actually detracted from the story, making it seem way more dated than if it was shot on film.

Glad I finally got around to watching it, but I have absolutely no appetite to watch the sequels. Zombie movies still ain’t my thing.