28 years later, we're once again asking very big questions about zombies.

28 Days Later is a movie that I hold dear to my heart. Danny Boyle's classic horror film came out in 2002 and single-handedly revitalized zombie movies with its lo-fi approach to the end of the world, sending lumbering undead corpses into marathon pursuit of human flesh. transformed into a running ferocious monster. A creature that seeks only pure, uncontrollable rage. It scared, intrigued and inspired me as a child, and still does now, 20 years later.

Naturally, I protect that world, the narrative, and the characters. Miraculously, 28 Weeks Later was a compelling sequel with similar, intimate themes that explored how the simplest decisions humans make can throw the world into chaos. Acting on our ideas of passion, guilt, love, desire, and justice can destroy society if we allow it, leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces. I love chaos, so the 28 Years Later trilogy, which takes us so far into the future, leaves me with a lot of questions, both good and bad.

28 years later the trilogy is very different than before.

Both previous films are deeply unsettling because they're not afraid to explore how quickly society collapsed after the Rage Virus was released. A person can become infected with a drop of blood and turn into a zombie after a few seconds. One infected person in a large crowd can spell doom for thousands, and by the time the danger is realized it is already too late.

Whoever decided to insert Rudyard Kipling's 'Boots' into the trailer's soundscape is a genius. It's a war poem that reinforces the themes of the film in some way. Despite this brief moment, it is undeniably haunting.

It's pure horror that convincingly explains to both the audience and the characters in this universe that there was no coming back from the cliffhanger. But zombies would starve to death if they acted on pure instinct, just like humans, without anything to support them.

Cillian Murphy on the bridge in 28 Days Later.

The idea that the threat of society collapsing is eliminated thanks to the realities of human biology is fascinating, and one that few other zombie media have attempted to explore. Instead of the classic trope of having to do terrible things to survive, humans waited for the zombies to take down themselves.

The virus has spread to the point of irrelevance, allowing governments outside of Britain to swoop in and reshape the empire in their own image. Despite its simplicity, there are many layers to this film and the way they envision tried-and-true horror staples takes us 28 years later and into the debut trailer.

28 Weeks Later Featured Art

There are already plenty of comparisons being made between The Walking Dead and The Last of Us, with some fearing the trilogy will feel somewhat derivative. However, the setting contains a lot of Viking history that 28 Years Later can explore, either explicitly or symbolically.

The upcoming trilogy, starring Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Innes, takes us to England and the lonely community of Lindsfarne Island, also known as the Holy Island. It is connected to the mainland by a massive causeway (although often covered by high tide), and for decades survivors have made it their home.

Exactly how the universe evolved is unclear, but it appears that the world eventually collapsed as the outbreak continued and society was placed in a continuous stream of very strict quarantines. Survivors can be seen wielding bows and arrows, leading mules and livestock, or adhering to traditional roles in society. These roles allow them to survive and work together in a world forever on the brink.

The zombie sequel is about religion, survival, and humanity.

28 years later

A major turning point in the story eventually causes Aaron-Taylor Johnson's character and the young child to venture to the mainland in search of something, not only the infected, but also forming their own religious sect and Mad Max-like gangs. It's very post-apocalyptic and covered in overtly religious imagery and ideas, and I think this will be a mainstay throughout the trilogy.

Even though I have too many questions and am worried that the imagery and overall concept of the trilogy will feel derivative, I have faith that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland will put a distinct spin on things. Are these communities aware that the world has ended or that they have become so separated from society that they risk extinguishing themselves and destroying society again? Or has the idea of ​​infected people starving to death been completely reconsidered? There's clearly more that the trailer doesn't show, and how exactly this community operates and reacts to the Rage Virus will likely play a big role in whether the movie works or not.

Cillian Murphy transformed into a zombie 28 years later

One scene has a child being lifted up and celebrated in some kind of church setting, so perhaps the child with fresh, uninfected blood can be seen as a savior of sorts.

A later scene in the trailer follows some form of military moving cautiously through the darkness before being attacked by humans or infected, which leads us to believe there must be some sort of crossover between this isolated community and the modern world. Nothing is as it seems, and this trailer wants us to come to a conclusion before we keep going back to ourselves.

I'd be perplexed if the infected were now forever-living zombies, but there's enough imagery in this trailer that the zombie rising from the ground with little to no meat on its bones looks like it could be Cillian Murphy. Our expectations will be dashed.

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