28 Days Later (2002)
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A bicycle courier awakens from a coma to find a deserted London following a catastrophic viral outbreak.
The story
After a group of activists releases an 'infected' chimpanzee in a laboratory, a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus spreads rapidly across Great Britain, causing a total collapse of society. Twenty-eight days later, a bicycle courier named Jim awakens from a coma in a deserted St Thomas' Hospital in London. As he navigates the empty streets, he discovers the extent of the devastation and eventually encounters other survivors. The group must navigate a desolate landscape, seeking safety and information while avoiding the 'infected'—individuals who have succumbed to the virus and become dangerously aggressive.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following a viral outbreak that causes societal collapse, Jim, a courier who was in a coma during the initial infection, wakes up in a deserted London. He joins survivors Selena and Mark, and later joins a man named Frank and his daughter Hannah. They travel toward a military blockade near Manchester, hoping for safety. At the blockade, they find a military camp run by Major Henry West. It is revealed that the 'safety' offered is a ruse to lure women into sexual slavery. Jim and a soldier named Farrell are imprisoned, but Jim manages to escape. He eventually frees an 'infected' soldier, causing a chaotic escape where the others flee in a car. The film ends 28 days later with Jim, Selena, and Hannah in a rural cottage in Cumbria, waving at a passing jet to signal they are still alive.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 113
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Danny Boyle
- Writers
- Alex Garland · writer
- Cast and characters
- Cillian Murphy · Jim; Naomie Harris · Selena; Christopher Eccleston · Major Henry West; Megan Burns · Hannah; Brendan Gleeson · Frank
- Genres
- post-apocalyptic; horror; science fiction
- Themes
- societal collapse; human aggression; survival
- Tone and mood
- tense; atmospheric
- Premise and plot tags
- zombie; outbreak; survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- Inspired by Night of the Living Dead and The Day of the Triffids.
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, praised for its direction, performances, and atmosphere.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 87% · scale: percentage · review count: 240; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Best Horror Film · Saturn Award · 2003 · Win; Best British Film · Empire Award · 2003 · Win; Best Cinematographer · European Film Award · 2003 · Win
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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