Preamble
Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful 2026. I honestly did not know what the first post of the year should be. However, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is coming out soon, so what better way to prep for it than bringing back the one great shot series of posts? It’s been a while since I’ve done them, and they’re an excellent way of revisiting a film. So, with that said, what’s your favourite shot from 28 Days Later? Let me know in the comments below.
One Great Shot
It’s amazing how much time can change the perception of a famous shot. Back in 2002, the above shot of Jim (Cillian Murphy) probably played as a statement piece. Zombie movies were rarely, if ever were set in the UK, and seeing one of London’s most famous landmarks (Big Ben) cements the sub-genre in our cinematic lexicon. However, in a post-COVID world, the shot takes on a starker and more haunting quality.
It’s no longer a novelty to see a Zombie film set in the UK. Instead, it’s a reminder of how life imitated art, as an empty London was precisely the state of affairs during the early stages of the first lockdown. In fact, the shot was like a short hand for what we were seeing on our television screens as a nation stayed indoors. At the same time, the shot has gained a newfound resonance in a post-pandemic world.
Jim’s occupation as a courier takes on a great significance because they was one of many essential workers who sacrificed their safety during the lockdown period. In this way, 28 Days Later is oddly prophetic in depicting what life would be like in a post-infection world. The humbleness of Jim’s occupation is also a great reminder of his simple beginnings and where he ends up, thus proving that any one of us can tap into our primal rage to save the ones we care about. It’s a vein that I hope is tapped into more in subsequent instalments of the 28 Years trilogy.
SGS On Film 
I appreciate your resonance with this shot. Interesting to identify the unconventional setting, represented by Big Ben, as integral to its iconic status.
I have to be honest and say that I’ve only seen (most of) 28 Days Later on TV and so I don’t have a specific memory of the shots. That said, in a similar vein, this reminds me of The Last Man on Earth from 1966 with Vincent Price and the sheer stillness of the shots in the opening scenes. Silence, deserted cars and shells of buildings, no motion until you realise that flutter of fabric in the lower third of the screen is the clothing on a body in the street. Very chilling in an understated way.
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*1964 actually is the year
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Thank you for reading and commenting, Gail! It’s definitely worth finishing 28 Days Later (if that movie is to your taste, etc). And The Last Man on Earth is an excellent reference point! You describe it very vividly and well! I’ve not seen any of the three adaptations of Richard Matheson’s novella. However, I’ve read it. Have you read it? And if so, what do you think of the various adaptations of it over the years?
P.S. No worries about the typo!
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