MovieChat Forums > 28 Days Later (2003) Discussion > What I liked & disliked

What I liked & disliked

posted 6 years ago by CinemaDemon989 (1286)
5 replies | jump to latest

I think this film has many high and low points. I really liked the beginning when Jim first awakes from his coma, only to see a world in complete despair. Many scenes at the beginning were quite eerie. But at some point, once Jim meets up with Selena and Mark, it starts to get rather boring. Things don't really pick back up until they reach the military base. If I were the director, I would've brought the military base into the story sooner. What I found particularly eerie about the military base, was that it consisted of a group of soldiers who have lost their morals, their sanity, and are running low on resources to survive. I found that just as unsettling as the infected. I thought the ending was super disturbing. The background score, especially of In the House in a Heartbeat, was some of the creepiest music I've ever heard in a horror film, right next to The Shining. There were many things about this film that was quite impressive. But like I said, there were portions of it that I thought were too slow and not that interesting. But with all of that said, it's still a classic early 2000s horror film. I liked the idea of 'the infected', rather than standard zombies. I liked how the infected sprinted and were fast moving savages.

[–] howgamer (3929) 6 years ago

I actually enjoyed the change of pace in the middle of the film. It gave as a break from all the crazy things that had happened and had a nice montage of the characters building a relationship.

The score is quite simply amazing. Although I don't watch it very much anymore, this is a horror favorite of mine. I wish a 3rd would be made, although the sequel is not nearly as good as the original, but looks like that isn't going to happen.

[–] CinemaDemon989 (1286) 6 years ago

I kind of liked the sequel. But like you said, it's not as good as the original. And yes, the score is amazing. And it's such a shame that a third film isn't being made. Though, if it were to be made, I want the original director Danny Boyle to make it. My concern is, that some uncaring sellout director will take on the third installation, and make a well-anticipated film into a cheaply-thrilled disappointment. I don't have a whole lot of faith in horror films nowadays.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

I used to dislike the sequel, then I rewatched it a few years later, and I realized it was a top 5 zombie movie for me...it's just I loved the original so much...it made the sequel pale in comparison.

I don't really agree with your particular criticisms of Days, but I see where you're coming from, but we definitely agree on the high points. In The House In A Heartbeat is one of the few times I've been entranced by a film score (I'm usually oblivious to musical choices in a movie), one of the few movie songs I dled back in the day.

It's a shame we never got 28 years later...but given that Danny Boyle said he made 28 Days Later because he hated zombie movies...well I guess we got as good as it gets lol.

And isn't it great that they changed their original ending cause test audiences said it was too bleak, and their new optimistic ending still felt chilling? lol Amazing.

[–] LetoAtreides (559) 3 years ago

I re-watched it recently and it was not as good as I remembered it.

The London intro and the climax inside the mansion are great, everything else, not so much.

The first big action scene where Mike and Selena show up throwing molotov cocktails and blowing a gas station (just like that) made little sense. Lots of quick cuts and you can barely see what the hell is going on. Frank climbing over wrecked cars using his cab as if it were a monster truck was ridiculous. Then there's the completely untainted and unspoiled grocery store. How would that ever happen while everything else is looted or destroyed? Frank gets mad when they find no soldiers at the checkpoint and wonders where they could go now, but they have been safely travelling across the UK for 3 days without running into any trouble. Proving they could easily find a place to settle in relative safety. Why are they writing "hello" sewing dozens of bed sheets together (and a perfectly square red dress) while they could save themselves the trouble of sewing a letter by writing "help" instead?

I think the movie needed a moment where Selena and Mike shake Jim up a bit when they get to his parent's house: "Ok Jim, your parents are dead as we told you, but we need to survive now so listen to us. Get dressed, find a backpack, a weapon and here's how we avoid attracting infected". Instead they let him wander in his hospital uniform using lights.

It also seems a bit weird and excessive that the soldiers all got crazy only a month after the outbreak started. They had mothers, sisters and girlfriends just 4 weeks ago, I refuse to believe that they would so suddenly turn into rapists. 1 year later maybe.

[–] Ripkens25 (2015) 3 years ago

This film is the sum of several great scenes. One example....the scene where they get caught in the tunnel with a flat tire. BRILLIANT in how much pure tension it generates.

Another example (and it has been a long time since I've seen this movie)....is the dream sequence which shows animals reacting in a field to the infection. (Finally, a zombie film with imagination enough to explore what animal infection could look like).

And another hugely effective scene....is when Frank starts to turn (after that drop of blood lands in his eye from the crow). You can see him valiantly fighting the turn.....and as he realizes he's doomed to turn, he has just enough humanity left to tell her he loves her.....and then to tell her to run. Amazing concept and execution in a horror film.