"I think so."
After nearly two decades, this third film in the cycle was definitely worth the wait. Opening with a typically brutal attack highlighting (foreshadowing?) the fact that no community is safe in the Rage-virus-ravaged situation, what then unexpectedly emerges is an absorbing and intelligently-written coming-of-age/rites-of-passage tale that follows twelve-year-old Spike, as he makes his first trip from their isolated island community with his father to the unsecure Infected-filled mainland and finds himself facing the nature of mortality and some harsh realities concerning both parents. The film cleverly places this current tale into the of 28 Days/Weeks world through conversational drop-ins (with the ending of the second film dismissed in a single sentence on the opening title screen), a couple of which very humorously highlight the boy's isolation as the rest of the world has moved on in ways familiar to us today. It is very, very Danny Boyle, and cinematically uses many signature tricks from multiple and unusually-deployed cameras, near-experimental collisions of visuals and sound, flash-cut action and masterful moments of beautiful visual composition, which might not be to the taste of casual fans of The Walking Dead looking for a straightforward zombie munch-fest (although the film does not stint on that aspect, with brisk attack sequences that are uneasily tense and full-blooded). The evolution of the Infected gives a new edge, with the pack mentality and the mighty Alphas offering a new threat. The film also veers off into unexpected and interesting places, notably in the second half and particularly after a pivotal heartbreaking central family scene and a subsequent decision that fuels the rest of the movie, which maintains interest and develops both story and emotional core well. The lead family trio is nothing short of superb, with utterly captivating performances by Jodie Comer as the ailing mother, Aaron-Taylor Johnson as the gritty practical father and a truly remarkable turn by young Alfie Williams as their son Spike who carries the film so well, and there two very strong character performances from Ralph Fiennes and Edvin Ryding. A couple of seeds are sown as potential for the second film in this proposed new trilogy (with no end-credits scene(s)), including a final scene which has a tonal shift that is somewhat jarring and may suggest a somewhat different film without Danny Boyle in the director's chair. Nevertheless, 28 Years Later is elevated horror that offers a genuine and absorbing emotional journey and is extremely well made.
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