Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
- Awards
- 10 wins & 32 nominations
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Writer/Director Alex Garland, Ranked
Writer/Director Alex Garland, Ranked
Alex Garland's movies and TV series are ranked by IMDb ratings. We have included his screenwriting credits to keep things competitive, but we didn't include The Beach and other titles where his novels were adapted by a different writer.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFor the scenes on the motorway, the production got permission to shoot on the M1 on a Sunday morning between 7.00am and 9.00am. The police gradually slowed traffic in both directions. Using 10 cameras, the filmmakers managed to capture a total of one minute of usable footage.
- GoofsSelena and Mark claim that there is no electricity, yet when they enter Budgens to loot the store of food, all the lights are clearly on.
- Quotes
[Jim enters a dark abandoned church when he sees writing on the wall]
Writing on a Wall: 'Repent, The End Is Extremely Fucking Nigh'
- Crazy creditsOther than the Fox Searchlight logo, there are no opening credits whatsoever. The title of the movie, 28 Days Later, only appears as a descriptive subtitle.
- Alternate versionsFox Searchlight attached an alternative downbeat ending to all 1400 US prints of the film, while it was still in U.S. release. The revised ending was the one that appeared in the original script, but the script's ending was ditched in favor of a happy ending after it did not test well. Director Danny Boyle decided "We can't do this to people, because it was such a tough journey anyway."
- ConnectionsEdited into Cent une tueries de zombies (2012)
- SoundtracksEast Hastings
Performed by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (as Godspeed You Black Emperor)
Appears courtesy of Kranky, Ltd.
Written by Efrim Menuck, David Bryant, Roger Tellier-Craig, Thierry Amar, Mauro Pezzente, Aiden Girt, Bruce Cawdon, Sophie Trudeau and Norsola Johnson
Published by Rough Trade Publishing
Featured review
Last Of The "Real" Zombie Movies
Upon its release in 2002, "28 Days Later" made lots of noise as critics called it the scariest film since "The Exorcist." Indeed, the movie is quite terrifying. While zombie movies have since edged further towards the action-adventure genre, "28 Days" remains unambiguous horror.
Director Danny Boyle creates this horrific energy through practical effects that strengthen a suspenseful atmosphere. One of the main ways that zombie movies have transitioned from horror to action in the 21st Century is the increased use of CGI. Nowadays, most on-screen zombies are depicted in massified, computer generated armies. "28 Days Later" might be the last time that such infected antagonists look truly real - simply because they are actual actors dressed in decrepit makeup and dowsed in fake blood, moving jerkily against shaky frames for an unnerving effect.
The movie furthers this authentic energy through its sets. Like the zombies themselves, the deserted worlds in today's post-apocalyptic movies usually appear digital. "28 Days Later," however, was clearly shot on actual locations. The crew even emptied out massive parts of London to create a post-exodus city. This faithful depiction of a humanless planet makes it all the more believable and therefore eerie.
In other instances, the practical sets take the story to more intimate places. Dark hallways, abandoned buildings, and creepy hideouts all render the characters and viewers claustrophobic. Although the story's zombie-creating virus is a global phenomenon (as emphasized in the vacant London sequences) these small-scale settings reinforce the fact that there is nowhere to run.
Furthermore, the zombies are not of an overly high or low mimetic. They retain their human mortality, but are unconsciously resilient in their efforts to infect. Because of this, the movie doesn't overdo its zombies, making their selected appearances of greater significance and intensity.
Boyle really does offer a master-class in how to create a zombie movie here. "28 Days" is enthrallingly scary, visually compelling, and offers all the philosophical muses of post-apocalyptic survival without jamming them down the audience's throat. While the characters could use a little more development, they are all believable enough, and each actor pulls his or her own weight.
A couple cherries on top of this movie are John Murphy's music ("In The House¬ - In A Heartbeat" is a superb score) and its distinct Britishness. Like Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man," "28 Days Later" would be somehow less effective if it weren't an English production. Watching a place as developed and orderly as the UK fall into disarray is uniquely uncanny, thus adding to the fear factor.
If only more films in this genre could've followed "28 Days Later's" lead in the past couple decades. Then, we'd have more quietly brilliant zombie movies rather than unremarkable videogame imitations that prefer action-packed extremity to subtle cinematic thrills.
Director Danny Boyle creates this horrific energy through practical effects that strengthen a suspenseful atmosphere. One of the main ways that zombie movies have transitioned from horror to action in the 21st Century is the increased use of CGI. Nowadays, most on-screen zombies are depicted in massified, computer generated armies. "28 Days Later" might be the last time that such infected antagonists look truly real - simply because they are actual actors dressed in decrepit makeup and dowsed in fake blood, moving jerkily against shaky frames for an unnerving effect.
The movie furthers this authentic energy through its sets. Like the zombies themselves, the deserted worlds in today's post-apocalyptic movies usually appear digital. "28 Days Later," however, was clearly shot on actual locations. The crew even emptied out massive parts of London to create a post-exodus city. This faithful depiction of a humanless planet makes it all the more believable and therefore eerie.
In other instances, the practical sets take the story to more intimate places. Dark hallways, abandoned buildings, and creepy hideouts all render the characters and viewers claustrophobic. Although the story's zombie-creating virus is a global phenomenon (as emphasized in the vacant London sequences) these small-scale settings reinforce the fact that there is nowhere to run.
Furthermore, the zombies are not of an overly high or low mimetic. They retain their human mortality, but are unconsciously resilient in their efforts to infect. Because of this, the movie doesn't overdo its zombies, making their selected appearances of greater significance and intensity.
Boyle really does offer a master-class in how to create a zombie movie here. "28 Days" is enthrallingly scary, visually compelling, and offers all the philosophical muses of post-apocalyptic survival without jamming them down the audience's throat. While the characters could use a little more development, they are all believable enough, and each actor pulls his or her own weight.
A couple cherries on top of this movie are John Murphy's music ("In The House¬ - In A Heartbeat" is a superb score) and its distinct Britishness. Like Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man," "28 Days Later" would be somehow less effective if it weren't an English production. Watching a place as developed and orderly as the UK fall into disarray is uniquely uncanny, thus adding to the fear factor.
If only more films in this genre could've followed "28 Days Later's" lead in the past couple decades. Then, we'd have more quietly brilliant zombie movies rather than unremarkable videogame imitations that prefer action-packed extremity to subtle cinematic thrills.
helpful•156
- AW_McGOWAN
- Nov 28, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Exterminio
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $45,064,915
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,061,858
- Jun 29, 2003
- Gross worldwide
- $84,661,434
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1(original ratio)
- 1.85 : 1
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