Displaying items by tag: Alfie Williams

28 YEARS LATER – THE BONE TEMPLE

UK, 2026, 109 minutes, Colour.

Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Chi Lewis-Parry, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Louis Ashbourne Serkis.

Directed by Nia Da Costa.

This chapter in the 28 series begins immediately after the conclusion of 28 Years Later. To appreciate what happens in this chapter audiences need to be quite up-to-date with the situations, the range of characters and their previous interactions and crises.

This is a film of frequently changing moods or, as one commentator put it more elegantly, “tonal shifts”. It opens with a scene of the infected pursuing a hunter, ripping his head off, eating his brains – a jolting sequence and images to begin with. And there are some jolting sequences to follow.

This is particularly true when the narrative takes up the story of the young boy, Jimmy, in the first film, in the church, saved by his father, given a cross, then surviving as an adult in 28 Years Later, finding his place in society, but gathering round him a number of young adults, all now with the variations on Jimmy in their names, his becoming a kind of satanic cult leader, especially with his new friend who was an important focus in the earlier film, Spike, Alfie Williams. He is played Jack O’Connell who has had a strange cinema year with the 228 Years Later films and his of the diabolical role in Sinners. Sir Jimmy now defies Spike to fight and to kill and to merit the name Jimmy. Sir Jimmy is now a megalomaniac leader who hears the voices of the devil, calling him Old Nick, and considers himself the Devil’s son.

Complete tonal shift: a return to the world Dr Kelson, Ralph Fiennes, who has survived for 28 years, continuing his pursuit of medicine, living in the vicinity of the extraordinary Bone Temple, skulls and bones of survivors. He encounters one of the infected, the giant Samson (and the actor Chi Lewis-Parry is noted as 6’9”). Menacing threats, but Dr Kelson nevertheless experiments with him, various medications, trying to humanise him.

Which restricts most of the action of this chapter in the series to the buildup to the confrontation between Sir Jimmy and the doctor. There are some flashbacks to the happy years, people living humanely, but then the infection and the dire takeover, violence and slaughter.

The audience knows the film is building up to a confrontation between Sir Jimmy and Dr Kelson, especially with Dr Kelson looking like a blood red warrior, the result of his taking iodine to repel infection and affecting his skin. But, he agrees to impersonate Satan for Sir Jimmy, some wild dancing gyrations on Ralph Fiennes’ part, until he recognises Spike, Samson returning more humane, remembering, speaking, and the strange vision of Sir Jimmy, reminded how God asked self-sacrifice from Jesus, now crucified on an upturned cross, asking his father forgive them for they know not what they do…

So, this is a doomed post-apocalyptic future. But, aficionados of the series will enjoy the brief epilogue, a moment with Ciaran Murphy and his daughter, taking us back 20 or more years to beginnings in 28 Days Later.

Writer, Alex Garland, seems preoccupied in recent years with current wars and future disasters with these films and Civil War and Warfare.

A strange cinema experience of changing moods and tonal shifts, from horror to humanity.

1. The popularity of the series? This film made back-to-back with this criticism? Plot continuity, sets, issues, characters?
2. The future, the effect of the plague, the infections, the visuals of the countryside, seemingly normal, the villages, the interiors, the Bone Temple and its vastness, the residence for Dr Kelson, the memories of the past, ordinary life, the train, the overwhelming infection? The musical score and songs?
3. The opening with the hunter, the infected, Samson, ripping the head, devouring the brains? Horror atmosphere?
4. The transition to Jimmy Crystal, memories of his past as a boy, and the church, the infection, his survival? His age, in the previous film, his personality, his gathering the young people around him, a type of cult leader, seeing himself as the son of the devil, Old Nick, hearing the voices, making the decisions? Violence, command, everybody’s name with a variation on Jimmy? Their appearances, the white wigs, their behaviour?
5. The confrontation with Spike, with Jimmy and the previous film, Jimmy Crystal taunting Spike, the fight, and his reluctance, eventual action, his opponent in defeat, his being given the name Jimmy? The various personalities of the group? Young girl and her friendship with, her name, Kelly?
6. The transition to Dr Kelson, the change of mood, tonal shift, his background, the 28 years survival, work as a doctor, in the previous film with the community, his going to the Temple, his laboratory, chemicals, books, his appearance, yellow, iodine stain, Jimmy mistaking him for Old Nick?
7. Samson, infected, his size, his community, the encounter with Dr Kelson, his hopes for healing him, the chemicals, for memory, for sound, speech? Samson and his leaving, the community, the gradual coming back of memories, the train, as a boy, so the last, the book, the moon? Saying the word, moon? His eventual return to Dr Kelson?
8. The savage sequence of the cult, the young people hunting, the pregnant girl, the old people in the house? The group arriving, brutality, mocking them, tying them up, peeling their skin, entrails, verbal brutality? Wanting them to fight? The young man, cutting down, the attacks and fights? The youngsters watching, Spike watching? The fire and destruction?
9. Spike, the challenge, with the young man, with the pregnant woman watching, trying to escape, her fear of him and running away? The young girl? Combining with Spike, their hopes to escape?
10. Jimmy Crystal, madness, arrogance, the binoculars, seeing Dr Kelson, equating him with Old Nick? His visit, Dr Kelson’s decision, playing along with the situation? The conversation, issues of faith, belief, the devil?
11. The gathering, Dr Kelson and his performance, the dance and writhing? Jimmy Crystal content? Controlling the group? Dr Kelson recognising Spike, the change of attitude?
12. The violence, Dr Kelson and his shrewdness, quoting the Gospels, Christ giving his life in the world, therefore Jimmy Crystal to give his life, the crucifix, upside down, his screams, father forgive them?
13. A return to some kind of normality, Samson coming back, with the group, his memory, beginning to speak? Spike, the young girl – and a future?
14. The pessimistic aspects of the film? Some survival? What hopes for the future of humans and the world?

28 YEARS LATER

UK, 2025, 117 minutes, Colour.

Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Directed by Danny Boyle.

In 2002, 28 Days Later, the blend of drama and horror, made quite an impression. The screenplay was by Alex Garland who had collaborated with director, Danny Boyle, with The Beach. Boyle was to go on to win an Academy award for slum dog millionaire. Alex Garland continued writing that made a number of thoughtful and significant dramas including Civil War and its vision of America as well as the stark and challenging, Warfare.

They produced but were not so involved in a sequel, 22 Weeks Later, continuing the story, written in the grip of a plague, a virus of rage released, transforming humans into zombielike creatures, the threats to civilisation, the violent rampages…

Now, while this film does open in 2002, highlighting a young boy along with other children, protected from the rage, but then being attacked, his finding refuge with his clerical father praying in the church, a gift of a cross, but then the infected coming through the stained-glass windows in attack.

This film is the first of a trilogy set in the 2020s. The transition is to an island, protected from the mainland, survivors managing by the way of life cut off from the modern world (Europe not infected).

The central character here is a young boy, Spike (Alfie Williams in a persuasive performance), relying on his hunter father, Aaron Taylor Johnson, his mother, Jodi coma, mysteriously ill.

The first part of the action is the boys initiation, at age 14, venturing across the causeway with his father, running the risk of infection, with bows and arrows to shoot the infected. It is a demanding experience for Spike, not as confident a warrior as he might have thought, hearing news of a Dr surviving on the mainland. Concerned about his mother, and alienated from his father, he decides to return to the mainland, carrying his ill mother in order to find the Doctor.

While the central drama is enough to keep audience attention, there is always the stalking by the infected creatures, dangers, escapes, confrontations. A moment’s pause with the young Swede stranded and talking of modern Europe to the uncomprehending boy. They do find the doctor, played by Ralph Fiennes, and some personal drama with the mother and her illness, and the finding of a baby born from an infected mother.

To be continued, 28 Years Later, Temple of Bones (the temple and the bones we have already seen).

1. The impact in the 2000s of 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later? England, infection, the zombie transformations? The threats, the characters, the struggles?
2. This sequel almost 2 decades later? The beginning of the trilogy? The impact of zombie films over the decades and this British production taking its place with so many serious zombie films as well is the exploitation films?
3. The focus on 2002, the threats of the infected, the horror sequences, the threats to the community, Jim, the family, urging his escape, going to the church, his father, giving him the cross, his father’s apocalyptic martyr mentality, the infected coming through the stained glass, destroying him?
4. The transition to the present, the community on the island, the visuals of the village in the past, the rows of houses, the decay of the houses over the decades? The small community and survival, separated from the mainland, preserving their health? The various members of the community, their functions, lookouts, keeping the gate, the meetings and organisation?
5. The focus on Jamie, Spike, Isla? At home, Spike and his age, relationship with his father, his mother ill and her moods? The breakfast, Spike giving her the bacon?
6. The coming of age, going to the mainland, bows and arrows for defence and attack, the proud father, the village people seeing them off? Going to the mainland, the tides and the time? The dangers? The quest to kill the infected? The responsibility for return, no search parties for any who disappeared?
7. The experience on the mainland, the tension, the appearance of the various infected, Spike and his arrows, sometimes hitting, sometimes missing? His father protective? Seeing the vast land, Spike and his curiosity, to go inland, the mystery of the fire and smoke? The dangers, the pursuit, the visualisation of the infected, naked, running, zombielike, the taking refuge in the house, going to the upper storey, the deaths? The return, the achievement, the final pursuit, the infected so close, getting the gates?
8. The celebratory party for Spike, the crowd, the joy, the drinking, his father’s speech? His father going out with the girl, Spike observing them, his disillusionment with his father? Going home?
9. The news of the doctor, Spike and his decision to take his mother, his father’s reaction? Going on the causeway, on the mainland, searching for the doctor and the smoke? The various dangers and pursuit? Hiding? As mother going into the train carriage, the pregnant woman, infected, giving birth? Taking the baby, the encounter with Eric, his saving them? Carrying the mother, saving the baby?
10. The confrontation on the train, fleeing, Eric and the discussions, Europe not infected, Spike and his ignorance of the modern world? Eric and his phone, battery going, throwing it away, the photo of his girlfriend and Spike’s diagnosis of her illness? The attack, Eric and his death?
11. The doctor, finding mother and son, the baby, the iodine as a prophylactic, taking them to his house, the monument of bones and skulls? Spike, anxious, the doctor and his personality and story, surviving, his diagnosis of cancer, the mother understanding, handing over the baby, the doctor taking her away, her death, the processes of cleaning skulls, Eric’s skull, the mother’s skull, and Spike placing them on the monument, his mother on top?
12. The baby, Spike taking it back, leaving at the gate, to be named after his mother, and Spike going back out again – and the preparation for the sequel? And the flashing images of the story throughout the final credits?