28 Days Later

Strong as a whole, but unconvincing in the development of the plot, or solid filmmaking that is hard to keep up with. Either way, Danny Boyle is a very good and smart director who, in the broader narrative context, elevates his film above the level of B-movie (whether in the naturalistic intro or in the end, where is bluntly suggested that the aggressive infection is actually part of the human DNA), but the explicit meanings at times feel so loose and dumbed-down and the character development so hasty that they hurt the film’s added value. The intentionally cheap look is fitting, what is more arguable is the adequacy of the music, and personally I was bothered by some editing montages and the dumb behaviour of the characters. An interesting take on the material that actually deserved a more thoughtful and psychological layering. 65% (26/03/2020)

Danny Boyle won over audiences with Shallow Grave and cemented his reputation as a talented filmmaker with the cult classic Trainspotting. Naturally, expectations were high for his next project, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the hype, although I still give it 4 stars. It's a film that approaches its subject matter too timidly and indecisively. The pacing of the film fluctuates, the screenplay is awkward at times, and it ends with a disappointingly happy ending. Within its genre, it's still above average, but from the director of Trainspotting, I simply expected more. Overall impression: 70%. (09/12/2007)

A well-written reproduction of the subject of Romero’s mediocre Day of the Dead, spoiled by unsuitable visuals and music. I want a big-budget, celluloid remake by Guillermo del Toro with music by Marco Beltrami! (26/05/2003)

First of all, I was surprised that Boyle would venture into something like zombie (or rather, contagion) horror. But as such, I understood it at the beginning and therefore wondered about the inappropriately placed scenes, unsuitable for this genre. Even the unusual musical score suggested that something was amiss. And in the second half, it became clear. Against the backdrop of the struggle for survival, Boyle attempts to portray the behaviour of people in a liminal situation, when they have a choice between retaining a shred of their humanity or being overwhelmed by an instinctive desire to survive at any cost, even at the cost of harming others, and he really doesn't give people the best report card. One of the soldiers in the film says that people killed each other before and will kill each other in the future, in that sense, they are not really that different from the infected. The "infected" themselves are very reminiscent of the aggressive running zombies from Snyder's remake and can occasionally cause a few hear attack situations. (08/12/2003)

The film that discovered Cillian Murphy, an actor with an exceptional voice, charisma to spare, and who has masterfully played often alternative characters in films of various genres, for example, 28 Days Later, a pared-down, raw piece in an incredibly grainy and authentic execution that appeals only to a select few connoisseurs. (07/02/2014)