20th Century Fox and Fox Atomic present a 99 minute R rated film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and starring Catherine McCormack (Alice), Robert Carlyle (Don), Jeremy Renner (Doyle), Harold Perrineau (Flynn), Rose Byrne (Scarlet), Imogen Poots (Tammy), Mackintosh Muggleton (Andy), Emily Beecham (Karen), Idris Elba (Stone) and a vast cast of supporting characters and extras.
As a continuance to "28 Days Later" this film starts off with a small group of people having a typical dinner in a farm house set in the countryside of London. But not soon after this candlelit dinner begins does all hell break loose. Sometimes a knock at the door only invites trouble when you welcome it in. The infected soon take over the farm house and Don cowardly leaves his wife Alice behind to be ravaged by the infected.
Six months after the virus has wiped out most of mainland Britain the virus has starved itself and officials are now welcoming survivors back into a part of London protected by soldiers as a way to rebuild and repopulate. Don who escaped the infected meets up with his two children Tammy and Andy explaining that there was nothing he could do to save their mother. One must remember that eventually all lies sooner or later get revealed.
Andy at the age of twelve happens to be the youngest survivor. He worries that eventually he may forget what his mother looks like so he and his sister flee the heavily guarded city to return home and collect some personal photos and belongings. They encounter more than they bargained for. Alice, their mother, immune to the virus is discovered and taken to the inner city for medical observations. Even though the virus is species specific and not airborne sometimes it takes just one kiss to create an outbreak. The infection runs wild throughout the city of 15,000 civilians and code red has been initiated. Lockdown is mandatory creating entrapment rather than protection. The military tries to kill the infected in hopes of creating containment but overall has no choice other than the violent extermination of everyone in the city.
Doyle, a military soldier sets out to help several survivors as they race against time and those that are infected. Scarlet, Tammy and Andy are three of the current survivors that try to work their way to the stadium to meet Doyle's friend Flynn so a helicopter can take them to safety. Along the way sometimes silence leads to rage, lives are lost, the infected pursue and Andy is eventually reunited with his father fearfully asking that one important question, "am I one of them"? He is truly a momma's boy inside and out. In the end, like in life, sometimes it always ends up to just us but some say Paris is lovely 28 days later or is it!
This thrilling, horrific zombie gore fest film is extremely well directed and written keeping the audience on the edge of their seats for the perfect length of theatre time. Any longer this film may have lost its appeal. Amazing cinematography throughout London that brought back so many memories of my visit there years ago. Grant it during my trip there were millions of people on the streets of London. This movie amazed me how they filmed these intense scenes showing nothing but desolate streets. Thank God during my visit there were also no raging flesh eating zombies to encounter. Definitely left open for a sequel, hopefully fulfilling the originality and well executed acting throughout this film. Maybe the next version will create a bit more character development along the way though. Who knows maybe the pigeons, swans and family pets will have a starring role in the sequel. Virus's have been known to mutate. Hey, just a thought!
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.