28 Years Later Subverts One Major Element of 28 Days Later

28 Years Later takes the horror franchise in a bold new direction by subverting a key plot point of the first movie, 28 Days Later. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland return to helm 28 Years Later after collaborating on 28 Days Later and skipping the second installment, 28 Weeks Later. Set nearly three decades after the Rage Virus broke out in the United Kingdom, 28 Years centers on an island separated from the mainland, where Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife Isla (Jodie Comer), and their son Spike (Alfie Williams) reside among other townspeople. As his mother’s illness worsens, Alfie takes her onto the mainland seeking the help of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who is rumored to have gone mad in the post-apocalyptic quarantine zone.

For the most part, 28 Years Later represents a significant departure from Boyle’s original film, including a total subversion of 28 Days Later‘s premise of humans ending up just as, if not more, dangerous and depraved than the infected. In the first movie, Jim (Cillian Murphy), Selena (Naomie Harris), and Hannah (Megan Burns) arrive at the source of the radio broadcast offering protection from the Rage Virus and learn that Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his militants were solely looking to lure in women to be sex slaves. The film’s harrowing final sequence involves Jim battling to rescue Selena and Hannah from the soldiers while an infected breaks loose and attacks. 28 Years Later initially appears poised to replicate its predecessor’s narrative twist (via Dr. Kelson), though the film has a surprising and heartwarming twist in store.

28 Years Later Changes 28 Days Later‘s Big Plot Twist

When Spike first hears that a doctor is living nearby among the infected, he presses his father for details. Jamie, perturbed by the questions, writes off Dr. Kelson and claims that he’s crazy. A flashback sequence shows Dr. Kelson with tons of corpses lined up to be burned. When Spike and Isla finally meet Dr. Kelson on the mainland, he defends them from an infected and leads them to his temple made of human bones and skulls. The first clues regarding Dr. Kelson’s persona largely support the rumors of his derangement; however, it’s here that 28 Years Later‘s story takes an unexpected turn. The film’s ensuing events reveal Dr. Kelson as an extremely wholesome (albeit mad) individual who honors the dead – infected and non-infected alike.

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Furthermore, Dr. Kelson helps Spike and Isla understand death and keeps them safe from the infected, proving he’s not the monster viewers likely expected him to be. He introduces them to the Latin phrase “memento mori,” meaning “remember you must die,” to emphasize the importance of leading a meaningful life full of love and compassion. A kind and generous soul, Dr. Kelson gives Spike, Isla, and a healthy baby born from an infected woman a place of refuge amid the carnage. For Spike, Dr. Kelson is a fresh perspective and a stark contrast to the ruthless kill-or-be-killed mentality his father tried to drill into him. Dr. Kelson also serves as the care Isla needed, but never received, informing her that she has terminal cancer and ensuring that she dies peacefully. As a survivalist living among the infected, Dr. Kelson redefines what outlasting an apocalypse means in the 28 Days Later universe. Unlike Jamie and the Swedish soldier Erik, Dr. Kelson subdues rather than slaughters his enemies. Differing from Major West in 28 Days Later, Dr. Kelson welcomes those unknown to them without an ulterior motive.

The soldiers 28 Days Later’s main characters search for parallel Spike and Isla’s encounter with Dr. Kelson in 28 Years Later, though the outcomes of each scenario could not be more different. The fact that Dr. Kelson turns out to be the polar opposite of the militants is an excellent subversion of expectations and themes. As a result, 28 Years Later offers a different kind of human story in which strangers are a source of aid, comfort, and connection, not the threats the world’s most isolated people have made them out to be. Given Fiennes’ history of playing memorable movie villains, one might have assumed that Dr. Kelson would be a threat to 28 Years Later‘s other characters, but again, the film wonderfully plays against those expectations.

28 Years Later Succeeds by Deviating From Past Movies

28 Years Later‘s staggering deviation from the franchise’s two previous installments majorly factors into its success. While there are many failed legacy sequels, such as Jurassic World and Gladiator II, which attempt to imitate their predecessors without bringing anything new to the table, 28 Years Later prevails as a standalone film with its own identity and sense of direction. In spite of its uneven tone, Boyle’s follow-up manages to capture the blood-soaked violence, palpable tension, and heartfelt emotion of 28 Days Later.

Dr. Kelson is a superb surprise of a character, and Fiennes delivers the earnestness and slight sense of humor needed to make him stand out. The emotional moments involving Dr. Kelson, Spike, and Isla work so well to offset the grim, war-tinged first half of the movie, producing a bloodless, poignant climax to 28 Years Later‘s story. Given that 28 Years Later takes place so far in the future, it makes sense for the film to explore an entirely new facet of isolationism amid the outbreak. Dr. Kelson’s subversion of the non-infected monster and mad doctor tropes is a perfect way to emphasize the need for kindness and human connection in difficult times.

28 Years Later is now playing in theaters. 28 Days Later is currently available to stream for free on Pluto TV.