28 Weeks Later

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 28 Weeks Later details the chaos that ensues after the series’ rage virus returns to London after seemingly being obliterated. Filmmaker Fresnadillo, armed with a script written alongside Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne and Jesus Olmo, does an absolutely spectacular job of immediately luring the viewer into the (admittedly erratic) proceedings, as 28 Weeks Later kicks off with a memorable, gripping sequence that details the shocking act of self-preservation made by Robert Carlyle’s Don – with the impact of this opening heightened by John Murphy’s spellbinding score. From there, 28 Weeks Later segues into a compelling narrative following various figures as they attempt to repopulate Britain – with the impact of these early scenes heightened by the inherently engrossing premise and smattering of above-average performances. And while the picture palpably stumbles with the inevitable arrival of infected figures, as Fresnadillo’s needless, aggressive reliance on shaky camerawork lends this stretch a decidedly incoherent feel, 28 Weeks Later builds towards a satisfying third act that contains a small handful of appreciatively larger-than-life digressions (eg a helicopter wipes out a horde of infected) – which, when combined with a terrific final few minutes, cements the movie’s place as a decent-enough sequel that fares much, much better than its lackluster predecessor.

**1/2 out of ****