Preamble

Today is my birthday. Rather than fixate on the existential angst of growing a year older or the general nonsense of the day, I thought I’d rather get on the proverbial writing mic, and deliver some late night musings.

Since first seeing it, 28 Years Later has lingered with me. Perhaps it’s the inherent Britishisiness or the strong case that it’s the first horror movie to contend with Post Brexit Britain. But on its viewing, I think it’s something far more evocative. As an aside, I will not be discussing the ending. I think my last brief piece covered my interpretation of it. Plus, there’s so many other excellent perspectives on it that are worth seeking out as opposed to regurgitating. The same goes for viewing the film as a post Brexit tome. So, with that said, have you ventured back to cinemas to watch Danny Boyle’s latest? Let me know in the comments below.

Further Thoughts

28 Years Later provided something far more primal for me on a second viewing. This comes from the film’s structure. The first half depicts Jamie and his son, Spike leaving their island to the mainland for the preteen to kill his first few infected. The paternal section is an exercise in tough love whereby respect is earned via seeing the central creatures as entities without a soul or humanity.  It also gives rise to embellishment and myth-making as Spike’s time on the mainland is exaggerated for the sake of community jubilation. It also introduces the notion of a far-off Doctor, who may be able to answer what ailes Spike’s mother- Isla. But more fundamentally, the section represents the fall of the father, his mindset, practices and cycle of toxic tough masculinity. During my initial viewing, I read this as a cycle of how we perpetuate young men being prepared like soldiers for war (a romanticism of WW1 and 2). But right now, it reads as something far more emotive in its coming-of-age narrative. 

The second section, which charts Spike’s journey with his mother to find Dr Kelson is the antithesis. It’s emotional, empathetic and powerful in its showcasing of maternal instinct. In fact, it’s such a primal emotion that it can come to the fore in situations that seem counterintuitive. The first example shows Isla in a dreamlike scene killing an infected before it even has a thought about attacking Spike. The more prominent example shows Isla coming across a pregnant infected woman. She consoles and connects with the mother-to-be before delivering her baby. It contrasts with Jamie’s view of the infected and shows how in a post-apocalyptic world, we can still connect (even if it’s in the most primitive way).

The result of the two sections is Spike being able to express his truth (via a letter sent to loved ones back on his island). Much like Across the Spider-Verse, 28 Years Later is about the conflict between parents and kids. The latter want to spread their wings and tell their story. But it’s also about how parents die in their children’s eyes, whether it’s a literal death, or a perspective shift in how you once saw that person you once held in high regard.