Carl Roberts 
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes face the rage in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later. Was it worth the wait, or did it leave us raging?
Time didn’t heal anything. In 28 days, it began. 28 weeks later, it spread. In 28 years, it has evolved. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have stepped back into the Rage virus-ravaged world for a third time with 28 Years Later. The film features Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes leading the cast, with support from Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Emma Laird. After the scares and heart-stopping moments we experienced with the first two films, was the film worth the wait? Or did it leave us raging, like an infected person?
THE PREMISE
Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus escaped a medical research laboratory, survivors have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When a father and his son leave the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, they discover the secrets, wonders and horrors of the outside world.
THOUGHTS
For all those who will point out that it is only twenty-three years since the first chapter, you’re right. But who’s counting? Not when you have a film like this, a continuation of the franchise that began in 2003 and scared the pants off of us. The film is split into three unequal parts. The opening and ending of the film are one part. The section featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams is another. The third part features Williams again alongside Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes. The opening and closing comprise one short story. The next part concerns father and son going out on the son’s first forage to the mainland and his first kill. The last part concerns the son taking his mother to the mainland in search of a doctor to help treat her increasingly severe medical needs.
The opening sets the scene nicely. A group of young children are sitting in a cosy sitting room in a house in Scotland, gathered around a TV, and watching Teletubbies together. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to predict that we are being set up for some graphic, bloodthirsty horror to come within a few seconds. While we think this sequence is just a scary opening, it comes back into play at the film’s climax, weaving a plot thread which will be picked up in the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, due in January of 2026. From this point on, Alfie Williams as Spike, Jamie (Taylor-Johnson) and Isla’s (Jodie Comer) 12-year-old son will be our guide throughout the film. We follow Spike’s journey through fear, aggression, anger, leadership and loss. It is emotional at times to temper down the violence and gore.
ALFIE WILLIAMS
While Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes are the big names on offer here, the young Alfie Williams is the standout. The teenager portrays Spike expertly. We follow his journey from a young boy eager to please his father, care for his mother and fulfil a destiny he doesn’t want to become a man in a teenager’s body by the climax. It is an extraordinary performance from the actor. We feel Spike’s emotions during the film as we sit and watch him on the screen. We want to take him in our arms, to hold him and assure him everything will be alright. Of course, we know it won’t be deep down, but the journey we follow him on is superb. Alfie Williams has a vast future based solely on his performance here. He truly is outstanding.
AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie, a scavenger and Isla’s husband, gives us mixed feelings. On the one hand, we can see his love for his son, to make him what he needs to be. His pride when Spike makes his first kill is the pride any father would feel in his son. Ok, maybe by not killing someone, but you get the idea. Jamie is teaching his son to be able to survive when he is no longer around. For the central part, we can empathise with him. But shortly down the line, we get to see Jamie in a drunken state committing an act that shocks and sickens his son. When confronted by Spike about what he saw, Jamie hits out, striking his son. This sudden turn of emotion makes us wary of Jamie for the remainder of the film.
Jamie quickly reverts back to the person we’ve been championing, but even his softer side has us on edge. From this point on, Taylor-Johnson is almost done with his role in the film, save for a fleeting appearance near the end. The actor gives us yet another outstanding and deeply resonating performance. Jamie is doing what he needs to do to keep his wife and son safe from what lies outside the island’s walls. In this respect, we can fully believe Taylor-Johnson to be the character he portrays. With almost every performance he gives, he is getting better and better. The actor is a master of his craft and continues to be someone we love seeing appear on the screen.
JODIE COMER
Jodie Comer, as Isla, we wrongly believe, has been shortchanged in her role. For the first half of the film, she is hardly present except for a few fleeting appearances of her, mostly lying in bed. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the film’s second half, she is front and centre with Alfie Williams. While the first half was about Jamie’s relationship with his son, the second half has mother and son on a journey together. A journey Spike hopes will cure his mother of her sickness. The tender scenes between the actress and the young actor tug at the heartstrings, bringing some raw and much-needed emotion to proceedings. Once again, the actress gives a solid performance as the sick Isla.
After an incident with an infected female leaves Isla with a newborn baby, we are on a slightly different journey with the pair. Here, we see how the sickly Isla still has her mental faculties to tend to the newborn child. The actress has us in the palm of her hand throughout this part of the film. When she discovers her diagnosis, we in the audience are shattered, emotional, and saddened. We have come to love this character during our time with her, and that is all down to Jodie Comer’s incredibly moving and subtle performance. The actress proves she is a force to be reckoned with, especially with quiet, emotional and understated performances as she gives here.
RALPH FIENNES
Ralph Fiennes, as Dr. Ian Kelson, a survivor of the outbreak, you would assume, plays a mysterious villainous role. Not so, the actor gets an extended cameo here, but a vital one to the plot and what’s to come. As Kelson, the actor looks fierce and imposing but comes across as warm, kind-hearted and someone we can easily rely on. The actor also gets to give some hilarious one-liners and gently rib his background as a Shakespearean actor. Kelson also provides the huge, imposing form of the Alpha male of the infected the name Samson. Considering that this beast of a man has been chasing Jamie, Spike, and Isla during the film, the name is not only apt but also a form of endearment. In his brief but essential role, Fiennes provides some much-needed comfort and some emotion that we wouldn’t expect. He is charming in such a small role.
Don’t be fooled by the names of Jack O’Connell, Erin Kellyman, and Emma Laird in the cast list. The three appear briefly at the end of the film and no more. However, the trio will appear more prominently in the next movie.
DIRECTION AND WRITING
Danny Boyle returns to the franchise as director for the first time since the original film. He brings his distinctive style to proceedings, making the film look like a chase thriller at times, with fast-paced editing and some shaky camerawork. He also portrays the world he has put us in as bleak and dour as possible without going overboard. Boyle knows what he is doing throughout. Much has been made of his use of iPhones to film the movie partly. I’m not going to lie, we can see where traditional cameras have been used and where mobile phones have taken over. The style switches from a clean image to a grainy one at times. This could be in keeping with the original movie, but it can be jarring. Sadly, it also takes us out of the film at times.
Alex Garland’s script is in keeping with the franchise. However, instead of a straightforward horror film like the first two, this is more of an emotional, family tale told in three acts. Anyone expecting to see blood, guts, gore and violence by the bucketload needs to look elsewhere. The film does contain what fans will be craving, but it is a more restrained film than we expect. The writer, either correctly or wrongly, also does away with the second film’s ending. This is referred to in the opening writings, but it feels like an abandoned opportunity. Garland manages to sneak in some knowing references during proceedings. He also isn’t above poking fun at a few things and companies. No spoilers, but keep your eyes out for the name of the petrol station seen around the three-quarters mark.
VERDICT
Was the film worth the wait? That is up to the audience to decide. For me, it is a worthy watch, even if the film can’t match the quality of the first two movies. It feels like the starter for a big meal, the Hors d’oeuvres before the main course. In that respect, it succeeds. With the feeling of isolation and quarantine still fresh in our minds after the COVID-19 pandemic, the film is almost a timely reminder of those days of lockdown, while also becoming a decent starting point for the plot. Some may say it hits a little too close to home. They may be right. But it is a good piece of social commentary that we have started to shy away from. And it fits into the franchise brilliantly.
With its focus on love, fear, isolation, desperation and loss, 28 Years Later hits the mark. Its blend of social commentary, horror, and emotion may not fit everyone’s tastes. In that respect, their points are valid. The film can never please everyone. No film can. For the majority, however, the film has kick-started a new horror and survival horror trilogy. If you pardon the pun, it has injected fresh new blood into the franchise, one it may not have needed but benefits from nonetheless. Entertaining, nasty, good storytelling, it’s a decent night’s entertainment. Just remember to take tissues with you. You’ll need them for a variety of reasons.
28 Years Later will be in cinemas starting Friday, courtesy of Sony Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
