Zombie Nation
Almost three decades ago, the rage virus ran rampant. Now, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland take us back to their post-apocalyptic Britain more than ten-thousand days later. Can time heal all wounds?
Words Robb Sheppard
It’s almost thirty years since civilisation collapsed in 28 Days Later, where rage-filled, virus-spreading infected feasted on anyone who couldn’t run away fast enough and redefined the zombie genre.
Days became Weeks. Weeks became Years. Now, on a remote island protected by a causeway buried by the tide each night, life is daresay… normal. Still under strict quarantine, everything seems under control until a father and son venture on a mission to the mainland.
The island life that once seemed close to idyllic quickly turns into a nightmare as the horrors of the past rise again alongside new terrors this world has created. The duo make a chilling discovery: the twenty-eight years since the world turned upside down have been far from kind to both the living and the living dead.
Oscar and BAFTA-winning director Danny Boyle returns to the horror series he started with his first film in six years, reuniting with writer Alex Garland, who’s made quite a name for himself as a filmmaker in the years since. They assemble a cast that’s to die for as national treasure Ralph Fiennes, 007-contender Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and the always-sensational Jodie Comer fight to survive this terrifying new chapter that must been seen in the cinema, with everyone watching through
their fingers.
Days
Rage-filled runners replacing Romero’s walkers, a star-making turn by then-newcomer Cillian Murphy, stunning scenes of the emptiest London streets before our real-life quarantine, and THAT score by John Murphy make the genre-defining masterpiece so much more than your average zombie munch-a-thon.
Weeks
Following Danny Boyle’s original was always going to be a tall order, but Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s sequel succeeds by going darker and deeper into humanity’s cowardice. Casting Danny Boyle regular Robert Carlyle showed real brains.
Years
This new era is told across an epic trilogy, with Alex Garland writing the script for a further two films. Candyman’s Nia DaCosta directs The Bone Temple, which is set for 2026, before Boyle plans to complete the trilogy. Finally, an infection we’re glad isn’t clearing up anytime soon!
