28 Days Later

Anarchy in the UK

28 Days Later has all the elements that make a movie scary, from terrifying creatures to compelling acting. Another thing that can make a movie particularly scary is the camera work. A horror movie is usually shot with a filter to make it appear as dark as possible. Also, camera angles have a large part of establishing tension in a horror movie. One overlooked aspect of camera work, is the use of digital film. 28 Days Later takes full advantage of this developing medium and as a result, the movie is significantly more horrifying.

The director of 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle, utilizes digital film in the movie. By using this style of camera work, it gives the film a grittier look. Combined with the amateur talent, the use of digital filming makes it appear that the events in 28 Days Later are actually happening, which is a scary proposition. The use of digital film also adds unusual and surreal contrasts to the normally gritty world of 28 Days Later. One of the most obvious examples of this is when the protagonists pass a field of flowers on their way to Manchester. The bright color of the flowers almost resembles an abstract picture when compared to the bleak surroundings of the highway. Another example is of the buckets placed on the roof of the apartment to collect rainwater. It serves to enhance the feeling of desertion within London, to look from the top of the building and see no life, only brightly colored buckets. This is why I believe that 28 Days Later is of best horror movies to come out this century.