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| DIRECTED BY |
| Danny Boyle
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| STARRING |
| Cillian Murphy |
| Naomie Harris |
| Megan Burns |
| Brendan Gleeson |
| Christopher Eccleston |
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Warning: Minor Spoilers
I can give director Danny Boyle credit for a number of things with this film. He certainly had enough chutzpah to delve into a subject area that he previously didn�t even touch on � the zombie horror genre. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of creating an affective horror film is atmosphere, and there are more than a few sequences in �28 Days Later� that have a terrifying atmospheric ambience about them. The camerawork is very dexterous, the soundtrack is commendable, and it contains a few shots that I won�t soon forget � such as when Jim glances up to the sky to see a jet flying above, confirming that civilization does indeed exist elsewhere.
Since his smash hit with �Trainspotting,� Boyle has been known for his kinetic directorial style. He has not only remained true to that reputation with this film; he�s actually gone overboard with it. Some sequences are edited so tightly that the viewer can�t even make out exactly what�s happening. I understand that Boyle was going for the �in your face� scares here over the more brooding, psychological approach of some horror films (usually the best ones,) but that still doesn�t make the film particularly frightening.
The early sequence involving Jim, ostensibly the only remaining survivor of this viral epidemic, aimlessly drifting throughout the streets of London is nothing short of brilliant. From there, the film had created a fascinating milieu for itself that I wanted to know more about. But when the storyline began to delve into a subplot about reproduction, the film became � to put it simply � messy. Even if its statements on the immorality that the human race may be lowered to in the event of such a disaster are vaguely interesting, everything appears to try to wrap itself up too quickly and the slightly ambiguous ending appears to be stolen directly out of John Sayles�s �Limbo.�
The vomit-spewing zombies are frightening, however, and when Boyle�s overly hectic direction doesn�t get in the way, �28 Days Later� can seem like a memorable horror flick. I was genuinely disappointed by the opening sequence, though, when I realized that the screenwriter took the standard route by attributing the viral epidemic to simians. I immediately knew that any film that gives me flashbacks to �Outbreak� can only be so good, and �28 Days Later� doesn�t redeem itself a whole lot by the end.
