Themes in 28 Days Later
The underlying theme in this movie is feeling abandoned in a world devoid of social order or government and the other of aggression. The ineffectiveness of our social and administrative structures is exposed by 28 Days Later, along with the depressing knowledge that individuals are not as well protected from danger and more particularly, the consequences of ill-treating the environment, as they think. It is a fantastic original that builds on genre tropes to represent the new extremes of rapid aggression and horror that run rampant in the twenty-first century. These institutional and social worries are expressed in 28 Days Later as a virus—an ignored horror disguised as an invasive metaphor. The ensuing apocalypse and destruction of everything familiar and secure, which are presented in the movie with tremendous symbolic force, include a dread for the contemporary world that still resonates today. Jim demonstrates some faith in the existence and capability of the government. Selena declares, "There is no government." This shows that humans have actually given up in front of the virus and more generically, the forces of nature.
28 Days Later isn't a conventional zombie movie. Instead of individuals, here they are breathing humans who have been altered by a bioengineered virus. It underlines the theme of the corrupt nature of human beings. Humans' internal wrath has been intensified by the virus, transforming them from yesterday's lumbering zombie movie into the hyperactive and aware individuals of today's hectic pace. The theme of Virus Eco- horror is emphasized by how the virus has not only made the government ineffective but also turned people against each-other. When Selena and Mark save Jim, they go over the details of the virus's behavior, including the fact that anyone can contract it by just a drop of blood or saliva. It emboldens the power of nature on human beings and how just 1 drop can destroy the entire civilisation. Jim later discovers that his parents killed themselves. He observes how rapidly the virus spreads and how it has demonstrated how easily people would turn on each other. It is also shown by how quickly Selena kills Mark, who's one of them, as soon as he gets infected by the virus. This shows how the scenario here is reversed, instead of humans damaging nature, it's the other way round and virus, a symbol of nature here in fact, shows the unreliability of humans. Additionally, rage is a bioengineered virus which again says something about humans relying on nature to destroy each-other.
Civilization is a safety net that shields against chaos. The rage virus tore holes in that net and the soldiers who were supposed to weave it back, actually ended up tearing more holes by forcing the surviving women into sexual slavery. This highlights the corrupt nature of humans and institutions that has been brought forth by the virus and actually puts into question the entire theme of eco horror in this movie by suggesting that humans are fearing and blaming nature (in this case, the virus) when they should actually be scared of each-other because they are the ones that actually cause the destruction.
The foundation of 28 Days Later's success is how accurately it captures contemporary culture in a variety of ways, commenting on enduring horror of other people and cultures, the environment, our institutions, our sense of security and the potential threats around us.
