28 YEARS LATER
15 (115mins)
★★★★★
IT seems to be the season of the sequel, with a whopping 19 follow-ons being released this year.
So it was with some trepidation that I watched another instalment from Danny Boyle’s 2002 cult classic, 28 Days Later.
My concerns quickly disappeared when this astonishing started.
Having dipped out of directing 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, Boyle is back with writer Alex Garland to make a terrifying — and strangely beautiful — film.
We meet the family of Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife Isla (Jodie Comer) and their son Spike (Alfie Williams) in their threadbare house on an island off the coast of North-east .
It’s 28 years since the deadly virus escaped a weapons lab, and while much of the rest of the world has carried on, Britain is in . That means if you’re on it, you are never getting off.
Zombie hunter
Pockets of communities around the country have tried to survive, including this one.
The island feels very The Wicker Man — an eerie hierarchy has been created and beliefs have a cult-like following. The men and women have traditional roles. One of those is the men go to the mainland, crossing the defended causeway, to hunt zombies.
Jamie has been training 12-year-old Spike to become a zombie hunter and the pair leave the island with their bows and arrows to take some hits on the bloodthirsty undead.
Meanwhile, Isla is bed bound, fighting another illness that’s quickly making her lose her grip on reality.
It makes for a fascinating juxtaposition between the family members, and Comer, as always, is spectacular.
Boyle cuts back and forth to black-and-white war footage of young boys being trained, reminding us that Britain has a long of sending our youth off to fight. It’s only the enemy that changes.
During his heart-racing expedition, Spike realises all is not as sold by his dad.
There are other things happening on the mainland — and the infected are their own civilization now.
The thumping soundtrack by Young Fathers is electrifying and fizzing with adrenaline. Very much like this film.
Closing on a cliffhanger, and with two more films to come, it’s good to know they’re coming back for another bite.
THE. LAST JOURNEY
PG (95mins)
★★★☆☆
THIS warm, funny and often deeply moving charts Swedish TV presenter Filip Hammar’s attempt to bring his 80-year-old father Lars back to life – figuratively, at least.
Since retiring from his job as a French teacher, Lars has become increasingly withdrawn and frail. So, Filip decides to buy a battered old 4, and whisks his dad off on a nostalgic road trip to the south of , hoping to reignite a spark.
They’re joined by Filip’s longtime TV partner Fredrik Wikingsson, and the pair’s banter keeps the film fun, even as emotional undercurrents start to appear.
The journey is nearly derailed early on by a nasty fall, and though Lars is slow to warm up, glimpses of his old self soon begin to reappear, particularly when surrounded by the culture and language he has loved for so many years.
At times, the film veers close to manipulation. But what shines through is Filip’s deep affection for his father, and a quietly powerful message about ageing, legacy and the bonds between parent and child.
It’s a bit uneven, but The Last Journey has heart to spare – and plenty of charm.
LINDA MARRIC
ELIO
PG (98mins)
★★★☆☆
SPACE and sentimentality are the linchpins of and Pixar’s latest animated adventure which encourages you to dream big.
Sci-fi obsessed Elio Solis (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) is a cape-wearing cosmic obsessive adopted by his Aunt Olga after his parents pass away.
When extraterrestrials make contact, Elio doesn’t hesitate to respond, and before you can say “Martian”; he’s beamed up to a kind of cosmic UN Committee from various galaxies, including Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana).
They believe he’s the leader back on and Elio doesn’t correct them.
He’s soon tasked with negotiating an alien peace treaty with baddie Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), but this quickly turns into a journey of self-discovery as, along with new wiggly best friend Glordon (a cutesy Remy Edgerly), our hero realises what really matters to him.
Reminding us that there’s no place like home, there’s many Wizard Of Oz homages here, as we transport through solar systems and scary villains. Intergalactic, nourishing, family fun.
There’s a cameo from JLS singer too.
LAURA STOTT
