It’s been almost three decades since the outbreak of the rage virus in Britain. While the contagion has been pushed out of Europe, and the rest of the world continues to move ahead, Britain remains isolated and largely forgotten outside the blockade ships ringing the coast. On the Island of Lindisfarne, separate from the Mainland by a causeway that floods for the most part, a survivor society has reverted back to almost medieval development but the citizens remain safe and for the most part seem to be enjoying their lives. Spike is a twelve-year-old boy waking up on the morning of his first trip to the mainland with his father and first infected kill. During the trip things naturally go south, with an Alpha infected (explained later) leading to the duo fleeing from contact. Spike learns that a fire seen in the distance is maintained by the reclusive Doctor Kelson, who is a medical doctor from before the outbreak. Returning home, Spike after being crushed by his father, decides he is going to take his mom to Doctor Kelson, as she has some unknown illness. This is going to led to Spike learning about death, deciding there’s more than the life he is used to, and eventually meeting another society which may not be entirely sane.

Danny Boyle continues the franchise traditions of kinetic action, exploration of the human element, and presenting us with a story that is ongoing and not static in what is being shown. I know a lot of people didn’t like this movie, because it seems for many they didn’t get what they expected, which for mine is a strange criticism, as a society we no longer want to be surprised? But if going to the movie based off the trailer then be aware what you are going to sit through over a couple of hours isn’t what the trailer leads you to expect.

Our central character is Spike, a twelve-year-old living his best life in the sheltered community on Lindisfarne Island. His dad is taking Spike to the mainland in order for the boy to get his first zombie kill. Now normally this wouldn’t happen till the boy is at least fourteen but Dad reckons he is ready. During this first journey to the mainland we get the full skinny on how the infected have involved. We still get the fast moving, Boyle and scribe Alex Garland pretty much invented this zombie subgenre, rage filled zombies, but we also get larger slower moving zombies that seem to live on a diet of worms and bugs and anyone not having situational awareness. This type of zombie can sneak up on the unwary, but seem to have the same level of intelligence as the fast moving originals. And finally we get the Alphas, who are a lot bigger and stronger than the fast moving infected, and seem to be able to command them. The Alpha’s also have pretty big slongs, hey the movie focuses on it dudes like the big swinging blue slong that is kind of in your face during Watchmen. The Alphas are somewhat intelligent and seem to be like Canadian Mounted Police, they always get their man/woman by being like a dog with a bone once on the trail of an individual.

Spike’s second trip to the mainland, this time taking Mum to see if the Doctor Kelson can diagnosis her illness, is due to a confrontation with his father. During their journey they fortuitously meet Eric, a survivor of a combat team washed ashore after their boat hit something and sank. Eric helps the audience to be aware that the rest of the world has moved along with technology etc., while Britain has reverted to a previous age. Remembering at the end of 28 Weeks Later, the infected were out and about in Paris, Eric can tell us the rage virus was thrown back from Europe and contained within Britain. Also Mum discovers a pregnant Infected who is in the process of giving birth, strangely the two females have a moment in the birthing process but the Infected goes psycho once the birthing is completed. Mum adopts the baby and Eric makes quick work of the infected mother. But it’s an interesting moment, underlying Boyle and Garlands exploring of life and death in the ashes.

Eventually Spike and Mum make it to Doctor Kelson’s temple, for want of a better word, and discover the good Doctor might only have a tentative grasp of sanity. He has built a high pile of skulls, and reference’s Tom Savini’s remake of Night of the Living Dead with the comparison of the living to the dead. It’s in Doctor Kelson that we get the exploration of death, and the whole concept of “memento mori” or “remember death”. The Doctor does eventually examine Spike’s Mum, and the diagnostics are not good. Cancer has metabolised in her body and spread to her brain, hence the memory loss – she constantly refers to Spike as father on their journey, and the pain she is suffering. Doctor Kelson offers a way out, a painless death, and Mum decides to take that option rather than face a future that is not going to improve. Eventually Spike adds her cleaned skull to Kelson’s tower of death’s remembrance.

After dropping off the new born baby to his community Spike makes his third and the movie’s final journey to the mainland. He wants to expand his horizon and see a part of the mainland that is not dominated by the Ocean. Along the way, and yes we in the midst of a hero’s progress, Spike comes to the attention of a mob of infected. Unfortunately, his escape route is cut off by a steep rock fall, or was it an artificially created barrier. Coming to his aid is Jimmy and his team of Kung Fu monks! Yes, the ending of this movie is definitely swerving into the realms of the bizarre. Everybody is Kung Fu fighting, except for the infected who are getting their bums handed to them.

Now before you claim this ending is all left field, we have meet Jimmy previously in the prologue scene and through constant referencing during the course of the movie. He is the lad that escapes the tellie tubby room massacre, weird comparison to the chimps forced to watch violence in the 28 Days Later movie that kicked off the franchise. Young Jimmy watched his friends and family massacred by the infected but managed to escape the house that dripped blood, running to his Dad’s church. Daddy dearest isn’t holding onto reality and believes the rage outbreak is being delivered by God, damn I was going with Donald Trump, and Jimmy has to do a runner again. He now appears all grown up and doing a Negan, everyone is called Jimmy – yeah we noticed, and clearly isn’t going to be dealing from a full deck of cards. Anyways Jimmy is clearly introduced here but will be focal I guess in the sequel The Bone Temple. Slight aside, directed by Nia DaCosta, I’m not going to rush to see that one, expecting a complete disaster as DaCosta wasn’t employed in the disaster that was her last movie (The Marvels) based on her resume, read into that one what you want. 

While we may not get the movie we were expecting we get an intense exploration of themes, relationships, and life in the ashes wrapped with the stunning visuals Danny Boyle is renowned for. We have a coming of age story, with a young Spike forced to face the realities of the situation way too young, we have a father and son relationship, a mother and son relationship, and an exploration of life and death. Not bad for a movie running a couple of hours.

Acting throughout the movie is outstanding, newcomer Alfie Williams (Spike) nails his role and clearly has a huge future. He plays a boy becoming a man, who has to learn to use his tools - bow and arrow, and as opposed to your usual Girl Boss, is not good when the brown stuff first hits the fan. Jodie Comer (Isla/Mum) hits all the right notes, confused, suffering, and showing a huge maternal personality. And finally the ever dependable Ralph Fiennes (Doctor Kelson) brings some gravitas to the movie, he really is worth the price of admission by himself.

In terms of horror tactics, this is a Danny Boyle movie, so kinetic action, a feeling of constant danger, and don't take your eye off the screen he is coming at you. I was a bit amused by the Alpha tactic of ripping out skulls and spines, put me in mind of a Predator rampage.

I was held spellbound by what director Boyle delivered for me. Nothing was left hanging from the two previous movies, action scenes were intense, and the locations brilliantly used. If I had one criticism it would be the pacing is sort of off in this one, which lets the audience off the meat hook, not a good result in a dark genre outing. People have been complaining, or as we say whinging like little bitches about zombie movies being all the same, and now Boyle once again delivers something different and the same people, mainly Seppos, are still whinging as the thematics fly by them, and the movie commits the cardinal sin of exploring relationships. I would suggest to these people that they check out the latest Terrifer flick, it’s more their speed. Full recommendation on this one, fingers crossed we get a boxed set in 4K in due course. If you want a zombie epic geared towards adults, then you are in the right place.