There was a time when zombies were lumbering. They slowly made their way, stalking prey with grey faces and unheard-of moanings. But then director Danny Boyle made28 Days Laterand changed all that.
With that film came a young actor namedCillian Murphy. He would go on to make movies and TV shows that would excite and ignite popular culture. But what was it about this movie that gave Murphy the perfect place to start his career?
What Is 28 Days Later?
When a group of eco-terrorists breaks into a secret animal lab, they unleash the rage virus. It creates zombie-like symptoms, meaning those infected become mindless, furious, and ravenous. All they do is kill and infect.
Following the lab incident, we flash forward 28 days and find our main character, Jim, naked and unconscious in a hospital room. He wakes up to find that everyone is gone. The world is empty, and London looks like a wasteland. Soon, he encounters the creatures that have taken over, and he begins running. Jim does quite a bit of running in the movie,and Danny Boylegives Cillian Murphy a chance to show the horror of realization even as he attempts to make his way to safety.
Related:How 28 Days Later Redefined the Zombie Movie
Along the way, he runs into various survivors, including Selena (Naomi Harris) and Mark (Noah Huntley). The three travel to Jim’s childhood home to find his parents, only to discover that they’ve killed themselves before they could be infected. When Mark becomes infected, Selena kills him, and she and Jim team up to find a safe haven.
At one point, the two encounter Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns), a father and daughter who are well-protected but running out of supplies. The four team up and decide to follow a radio signal to what they believe to be safety. Upon arriving, they realize that nobody is there. Frank becomes infected, and when soldiers arrive, they kill him. The three survivors are brought to an outpost where they believe they will be safe but are taken prisoner by the soldiers.
The soldiers attempt to kill Jim and take the women as sex slaves. However, Jim is able to save them but is shot in the process. The three are able to escape, leaving the soldiers to die at the hands of one of their ownwho became infected. The movie ends with the three survivors having found a safe cottage to live in and the apparent hope of rescue as foreign jets fly overhead.
What Makes the Movie So Important?
When28 Days Laterwas released in 2002, it took a flagging genre originally started by George Romero and brought it back to life. Though the creatures are zombie-like, the entire concept of zombies was reborn in the public consciousness. Director Danny Boyle, who had previously given us films such asTrainspotting, knew that his movie needed action, gore, and something extra to really make it pop. That something extra was Cillian Murphy.
Related:These are Cillian Murphy’s Best Performances, Ranked
The film was Murphy’s breakout role, and his enthusiasm and vulnerability showed through. The first time we see him, he is completely nude on an unmade hospital bed. It is an introduction that is both strange (we hardly see male nudity in the film) and a leap for an actor who is only just starting out.
If the film had been a flop, that scene might have led to parodies and laughter. But in the context of the film, it is a jarring reminder that this person has been completely vulnerable even as the entire continent has crumbled around him. He is a survivor without having actually earned it. The rest of the film is about him earning his right to have survived.
This is one of the main reasons the film works. Zombies had been a fad for quite a long time but had died. They neededa new direction, and having a main character that was not a soldier, not a hero, and not aware of the depths of danger he found himself in was a complete 180 from most types of horror. The buildup is not in avoiding the plague but in the audience realizing, along with the character, that something is horribly wrong.
There is also the idea of retrospect. We have seen the incident in the lab but are unaware of its implications until much later. We also see Murphy’s Jim walking through London, yelling at the top of his lungs, trying to find people. Later, we realize just how innocently naive this was. It is a masterclass in callbacks as we watch Jim go deeper into this new world.
What Did the Film Do For Cillian Murphy?
28 Days Latertook Cillian Murphy into an overnight success. He would go on to star in a variety of popular films, includingThe Wind that Shakes the Barley(2006), and become a key member of director Christopher Nolan’s stable of actors. This started withBatman Begins(2005), continued withThe Dark Knight(2008) andInception(2010), and a cameo inThe Dark Knight Rises(2012).
He also garnered quite a bit of attention with the showPeaky Blinders(2013-2022) as Tommy Shelby, which garnered him multiple awards and further cemented his spot as an actor to watch.
Cillian Murphy is now starring inChristopher Nolan’s 2023Oppenheimer, set to be released later this month.
