28 Days Later 10 Ways Danny Boyles Masterpiece Changed The Zombie Genre
28 Days Later: 10 Ways Danny Boyle’s Masterpiece Changed The Zombie Genre
Contents
From the introduction of fast-moving zombies to explaining where the outbreak came from, 28 Days Later changed the zombie movie landscape.
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The zombie genre can easily be split into multiple periods; George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead changed everything in 1968, and, for the next couple of decades, everyone was looking to cash in on what Romero had popularized. Of course, there were some creative outliers, but, for the most part, everyone stuck to a specific trope-y guideline.
That is until Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later in 2002. Not only was this movie widely praised, but it helped revolutionize the stagnating zombie genre. With a slew of original ideas, 28 Days Later flipped everything on its head and carved its own path within the zombie landscape.
10 Fast Zombies
Perhaps the biggest and most obvious change that 28 Days Later employed was the use of fast zombies. Traditionally, zombies are slow, brain-dead creatures whose lack of motor control and brain function causes them to mindlessly shuffle and eat flesh.
In 28 Days Later, the “zombies” run fast and screech loudly. It seems far more personal this way, and it’s arguably even scarier. Following 28 Days Later, many zombie movies would employ the fast zombie trope, including Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead.
9 Not-Quite-Zombies
Another thing that 28 Days Later is known for is its unique brand of monster. To this day, 20 years after its release, fans and movie lovers are still debating whether the creatures in 28 Days Later are zombies or not. Some say yes because they follow most of the tropes.
Others say no, because they technically aren’t walking corpses—rather, regular people infected with a virus that makes them intensely angry and violent. It’s a fun little gray space, and it continues to help make 28 Days Later a unique viewing experience.
8 Gritty Atmosphere
Zombie movies are either brutally serious or incredibly campy. The serious movies are typically few and far between, and it largely stems from the commercial failure of Day of the Dead. People loved the campy fun of Dawn of the Dead, and they were put off by the overly serious and dark nature of its sequel.
As such, many zombie films of the ’80s and ’90s went in a more hokey and comedic direction. 28 Days Later returned the genre to its dark, scary, and gritty roots, and to this day it remains one of the most unsettling entries in the beloved genre.
7 Sense Of Scale
No other zombie movie has captured a sense of loss quite like 28 Days Later. The movie’s opening sequence with Jim wandering the empty streets of London has been regarded as one of the most iconic scenes in horror history, and it’s arguably 28 Days Later’s major claim to fame.
The scene is simply incredible, conveying a horrifying sense of emptiness, destruction, and loss. It’s the gold standard of apocalyptic zombie horror, and no other movie in the last 20 years has been able to re-capture its magic.
6 A Focus On Humans
28 Days Later is a surprisingly realistic zombie movie, and that’s because it treats the story with delicacy and care. Whereas other zombie movies are prone to focus on the monsters and the violence, 28 Days Later is more interested in how normal, everyday people respond to a seemingly world-ending crisis.
The movie has a surprising lack of violence, and the zombies typically tack a backseat to the human drama. Not only that, but the primary antagonists of the movie turn out to be humans, not zombies. It was a very unique twist on the genre, and many have copied its approach.
5 Quick Turn
George A. Romero established a particular zombie trope, and, for some reason, few filmmakers have been willing to diverge from it. In most zombie films—including Romero’s own—humans typically have a few days between getting bit and turning. This allows for some nice drama, but it doesn’t make for scary viewing.
In 28 Days Later, humans turn in a matter of seconds. It was a fascinating and exciting subversion of the zombie trope, and it resulted in one of the most emotional sequences ever seen in a zombie movie.
4 Everyday Heroes
A part of what makes 28 Days Later so magical is its relatability. In many zombie films, the heroes are typically larger-than-life figures with impeccable survival skills and nerves of steel. In 28 Days Later, however, they are normal people who are left utterly defenseless in the midst of violence.
The cast consists of a taxi driver, a bike courier, a teenager, and a woman whose softer nature betrays her cold exterior. They are also completely helpless when it comes to the zombies, as they are forced to run rather than fight. It lends a very realistic tone to the movie, and it helps viewers relate to the characters and their harrowing situation.
3 Distinct Cinematography
28 Days Later isn’t exactly a found footage horror movie, but it may as well be. 28 Days Later is quite notable for its distinct cinematography, as it forgoes traditional “cinematic” qualities to portray a far more gritty and grounded approach to the genre.
The movie was shot almost entirely on video with Canon cameras, and, while the results are less-than visually pleasing, it lends the movie a very realistic tone. It looks like something someone filmed on their home video camera, and it helps the action and horror come across meaner and more visceral.
2 Happy Ending
One of the wildest divergences from the usual zombie tropes is the movie’s happy ending. Most zombie films come with either a downbeat or a bittersweet ending. Even the “happiest” of endings typically end with zombies ruling the world, but not 28 Days Later.
In a rather refreshing break from tradition, the zombie outbreak ends—they all die of starvation—and three of the four main characters survive. This wasn’t the intended ending, but it’s the one that everyone got, and, for the most part, it works just fine.
1 How It All Started
Zombies are a type of supernatural creature, and, like most stories involve supernatural creatures, the stories don’t often explain where they came from. Romero was never really interested in the source of his zombies, and most films follow in the same suit. Viewers are simply asked to accept the evolution of zombies, and everyone happily does.
In another break from tradition, 28 Days Later actually explains the source of the outbreak and tries to give it a realistic edge, but whether it entirely works or not is up to personal preference.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/28-days-later-danny-boyule-best-zombie-movie/
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