If you have read many of my reviews, you know that I look for stories that investigate man's internal nature, and expose the truth and lies of what we believe about ourselves. In most situations of everyday life, the deepest parts of our nature are not revealed, because as higher thinking beings we can layer our reactions to hide our true thoughts. We lie. What makes us become honest is almost never self evaluation, but mostly brutal reality scorching us in times of intense vulnerability.

And vulnerability is never more present than in crisis situations. Enter- 28 Days Later. This is a movie about an apocolyptic viral infection that, instead of killing instantly, leaves infected victims in a super-rabbid like state in which they are turned into crazed attackers. The story is set in modern day London, and moves from crowded city to empty streets, with a single man waking up in a isolated hospital room. Injuried before the outbreak occured, Jim is a man who presummably was in a comma during the ravages of the outbreak, when humanity was all but whiped out.

You walk with him through the streets and are lost, like him, trying to find what has happened, why, and what is left, if anything. The camera work here is so abrupt and gritty that the frightning "jump-out-of-the-dark-at-you" scenes are not for anyone under 17, in my opinion. This film was rated R, but the fear and horribleness of the devastation and suffering here needs an NC-17. The use of digital camera work makes the zombie attacks (people who have been infected and are in the rabbid state) seem so real and powerful it will be more than most adults will be able to handle.

Jim is able to find some other survivors and eventually make his way through horrible situations to a semi-safe compound held by militant survivors. But the path to safety from the blood crazy infected ones requires the kind of decision-making that is stomachable for no child. Again, no kids at this movie, people. In fact, one of the most gut wrenching scenes is when an infected child attacks one of our main characters. But all of this is second to the kind of morality story being told amongst the compound of the "uninfected". And while they don't have the mind-crazying virus coursing through their viens, they are nonetheless infected with a darker, more sinister kind of virus- one that has always been apart of the dark history of humanity- when people allow their strength to become power, and that power gives way to depravity.

The acting is perfect, the visuals gritty and amazing and the direction is absolutely epic. The content is so disturbing, however, this is definitely not a film for most people. It isn't gore / horror without reason, but even with a compelling reason for it, this film is deeply disturbing visually. If you can handle it, this will be one of the best thrillers you will ever watch. Easily the best apocolyptic film ever made, including 12 Monkeys which was brilliant!