28 Days Later (2002)

By the last act, 28 Days Later has kinda forgotten it’s about the infected. It changes the threat, slows way down and turns into a different, uglier movie, and that’s where the air goes out for me. Everything before it is nuts. Cillian Murphy wandering an empty London in hospital scrubs, calling out to nobody, is an image you can’t shake. The picture looks grainy and cheap on purpose, like a home video from the end of the world, and the infected don’t shuffle. They sprint. Naomie Harris plays Selena like she already did all her crying and has no time left for yours. Brendan Gleeson turns a London cabbie into the warmest person in any zombie movie. It made $74.9 million worldwide on a reported $8M budget. An 8.3 because the first two thirds are as tense as horror gets and the rest still has teeth. $51.81 says you hear a car alarm tonight and check the window twice.

What works: The empty London opening, the grainy look that feels like footage from the actual apocalypse, and Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson.

What doesn’t: The last act swaps the infected for a slower human threat, and the tension drains out just as the finish line comes into view.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a zombie movie that is gritty, British and short on jump scares but long on dread.