28 YEARS LATER (2025)
Time for a legacy sequel, or what seems to be one the surface. While the previous two films in this series were five years apart this one comes much later, suggesting a pretty cynical motive. The titular time jump isn't quite the amount of time which has elapsed, however, there have been various rights issues between studios over the years. Is this just a way of reanimating a long dead franchise in a financial sense or does it have something to say? The original director and writer have returned; do they have any new ideas or is this a collection of all too familiar tropes?
There are a lot of clichés to cover here as the story follows grizzled dad Jamie (Aaron Taylor Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) on a 'rite of passage' type journey, at least for the first act or so. This kind of tried and tested formula has been done plenty of times before, recently in certain gaming storylines, so it's refreshing (if frustrating) that after a while the thread is cut. Still, it manages to get in plenty of world building as their lives on an island commune are depicted. Some of the more peculiar details involving masks and pageants are glossed over, but perhaps that will be part of the planned sequel.
Unfortunately not all of the plot details can be given a pass with this sort of reasoning. Spike becomes disillusioned with his father after their hunting trip and the subsequent party, deciding that it's time to leave with his very ill mother Isla (Jodie Comer). Which is almost the kind of dumb decision making found in the previous 28 Weeks Later story. Isla, suffering from what seems to be a mixture of fever and dementia, is taken away from safety by her twelve year old son. All because someone mentioned a mad doctor on the mainland and didn't explain what a doctor can actually do.
The early narrative beats about what it means to be a man and a husband aside, this branch undermines a lot of what has been set up. People not explaining to Spike things such as operating theatres and medical treatment result in him sneaking away with Isla into dangerous territory. Or what would be dangerous if the threat level was consistent. The infection threat, Spike's untested skills, and Isla's crumbling mind, are all things that change whenever the plot demands it. Armed troops from Europe are decimated but a boy and his mother have just the right number of arrows to keep going.
The characters are at least well acted and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) stands out from the ensemble as the most intriguing member. With the islanders needing a tidal path and a fortress to keep safe his existence in the wild is another point of contention, but at least he's interesting. Stained orange by iodine (in the second of two references to Tango) his outlook on the situation, as well as life and death, feeds into several contemplative moments. Some of it might be too saccharine given the circumstances, and yet it's all compelling. Though again it's unclear how this will pan out in part two and if it will explain where he gets all his supplies.
Beyond the survivors and purely as a mixture of horror spectacle and suspense there are plenty of moments to enjoy. Some ropey day-for-night effects might be distracting during one chase sequence but it's often striking in moments of peace and moments of brutality. Some of the most gruesome deaths are heightened by the sound design, although the same can't be said of the music overall. John Murphy's score from 2002 is sadly gone and none of the tracks here evoke that kind of harrowing or dreamlike atmosphere. Outside some of the jukebox moments feeding into an eclectic mood or a heightened reality the results are pretty poor.
Overall it's a strange mixed bag of ingredients to say that least. It's not a straight up fan-service rehash which is to be commended, but it's not exactly a slam dunk either. There are new ideas among so many boiler-plate elements but not all of them land. Parts of it are stylish but parts of it are over-edited and distracting. Some sequences are gripping but others are hard to take seriously. It's generally a small scale story but at the same time a lot of details are lacking definition. The use of so much gaming logic (new enemy types and fetch quests) is sometimes fun not always effective. Which means again the sequel has some of its work cut out for it.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
THE MONKEY (2025)
Meanwhile this is a film that is impossible to take seriously. Absent father and sometime airline pilot Petey (Adam Scott) sets up the whole thing in the first scene before his family takes possession of... The Monkey. This cursed wind-up toy (with a drum and not the usual cymbals for legal reasons) is the centre of various The Omen-esque deaths (or Final Destination if you prefer). Blood and entrails flow freely as the family drama continues, leading to tragedy for his wife Lois (Tatiana Maslany) and twin sons. The script alludes to this being about sibling rivalry and dysfunctional families but overall it's a farce.
The children (both played by Christian Convery) eventually try and throw the toy down a well, but of course things don't go to plan. Many years later the brothers (both Theo James, also the narrator) are estranged but more peculiar incidents are afoot. Hal (the quiet one) grows up to be a similar dead-beat dad while Bill (the bully) has become a sinister recluse. Soon the absurd number of deadly accidents means that the curse has gone beyond their immediate family and Hal must figure out how to avoid involving his own son Petey (Colin O'Brien).
It's a stupid film in which people say odd things and die in odd ways. But it's also very funny thanks to a lot of deadpan dialogue and blood-soaked slapstick. Many scenes are comically violent although not all of them are done with great visual effects. But there are enough weird moments and weird cameos to carry it along before it runs out of steam ten minutes towards the end. It's a shame that the meticulous design and foreboding mood of director Osgood Perkins' last feature Longlegs are absent, but some ideas about facing past trauma remain. Still, as a ghoulish refresher after that darker tale it's a lot of fun.
3/5
