Monday, June 23, 2025

28 Year Later: Review: Streaming Ruined Older Directors

A grab bag of ideas that make for what might have been a really nice streaming show, not a well thought out movie. I'm not sure why the movie is getting so much praise for a disjointed film taking ideas that at points can be utterly touching about humanity, family, and mortality and then you having flopping dicks and people's heads getting ripped off. Is it a comedy or drama or action movie, because it certainly wasn't a horror movie it was just seeing old zombies ideas mixed in with some beautiful shots.

For writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle making a film that's both indie and a touching drama this late in the game...I don't even know how to put it. Grow the f*ck up or choose the movie you want to make instead of trying to make a trilogy. 

I guess, it's like getting angry at Eli Roth on how basic Thanksgiving is. He knows how to make a horror movie, that's it, he can't make anything else. 

The problem with these two was possibly too much freedom from Sony, which has the worst track record of any studio in my mind especially with dated sequels. Men In Black 4, do you even remember it?

(Spoilers)

After a very painful; honestly it grated my nerves having to hear it, artsy poem mixed with footage of The History Channel on Britain you meet a son and a Dad living in a small community island. It's been 28 Year Later and life doesn't have any modern conveniences. We get to know the son and Dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and a Mom suffering from something.

Sorry, there's a set-up for the sequel at the start, negating time to to getting to know the main cast. We learn of Jimmy. Now Forget IT!

We follow the kid and his Dad, learn about the community for the first half of the movie 'till all of that is thrown away for an adventure with the Mom on the main land filled with zombies. There's a tense utterly great seen with the Dad and Son on his first zombie hunt, that could have ended the movie. Or Hell, just been about that. Way, to waste Aaron Taylor-Johnson on a part perfect for him. And, boy, would I have loved to just learn more about that community and work through that Father-Son relationship.

Nope.

SOME NEW FRIENDS YOU'LL MEET@steel_neck
We then have a struggling adventure with the kid and Mom. Who enjoys sadness? A little bit of time with a comedic new character way too late in the game. That could have been a different movie too. Really, any team up with the kid could have been it's own movie. And, of course utterly touching moments of humanity. What it means to live and die that might stay with you.

Oh, then back to Jimmy and I swear a scene I thought was like Eli Roth's first film Cabin Fever with the kid who goes, " Paaaaaaaancakes!" and has stop motion with karate moves.

I'm leaving out parts, because this is supposed be a quick review and I didn't get into new type zombies that are very much like video game types. Too much thrown at the board, too many changes in tone. 

What a mess. It made Sony money, so I'm assuming they'll make the third one. The second one's already done and ready for release in January 2026. No need to be like the running screaming zombies, you can wait for this one.

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