The latest entry in Danny Boyle’s legendary zombie films has been out for a couple of weeks at this point, and there’s already a growing number of fan theories and discussions taking place surrounding the film. Such topics include the themes explored, Jodie Cormier’s performance, and even the presentation of the Alpha. The movie has caused a large divide among fans, with many either loving the film or feeling betrayed by the overall experience and its ending. Surprisingly, there are not nearly enough people discussing how 28 Years Later has mastered action horror. When people think of genre benders, they immediately think of dramedies or romcoms. To be fair, it’s easier to inject comedy than it is to combine horror with action. The pacing alone can be tricky to maintain, with either genre requiring nuances of its own. How can viewers be expected to be scared if a character can just pull out a machine gun and turn everything on screen into Swiss cheese? Boyle seems to have found a way with 28 Years Later. Expect major spoilers ahead.

Who is Woo?

What better way to discuss horror and action than to bring up two of the literal masters of their respective genres? George A. Romero and John Woo are two of the most renowned directors in their respective genres, with each one leaving a distinctive mark on their industry. With regards to Woo, he is known for employing bullet time in some of his most iconic action films, which adds a flair to his already suspenseful films. This process involves slowing down frames, which makes gunplay even more dramatic. Woo’s signature would never work in a film like 28 Years Later. Instead, Boyle injects some originality into Woo’s recipe and stops the action, having the camera change angles, creating a unique effect which complements both the horror and action occurring in these scenes. Another key ingredient in this “poor man’s bullet time” is the use of arrows instead of actual bullets. This not only fits within the world of this film but also in terms of immersion. Unlike a gun, which allows an operator to simply pull a trigger or even hold it down, a bow and arrow are much more involved. So much work goes into just aiming and firing just one. So every time they employ this sort of bullet time, time isn’t only freezing for the viewer but also the characters on screen as they’re pausing their breath since any shot could be their last.

Bringing up Romero while talking about 28 Years Later inherently feels odd, considering Boyle has long distinguished his films from the classic Romero trilogy. Fast zombies are what initially differentiated the first film from every other zombie film up until that point. This latest entry, however, seems to take a note from Romero’s Day of the Dead. That film explored the idea of a zombie learning. An evolution where zombies were no longer “brain dead.” 28 Years Later does something similar–Army of the Dead does try this too, but could not maintain the horror aspect–with the infected evolving into hierarchies. The most fearsome of these new infected are the Alphas, who are capable of withstanding dozens of arrows and bullets, making them seemingly unstoppable. They also don’t forget about their prey even when they lose sight of them. The infected are hunters at this point.