Zombies dominate my recommendations for what to watch this weekend, with "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" opening in cinemas and Adult Swim’s "Primal" having just kicked off its third season.
I love zombies. They’re the perfect blank slate for commenting on humanity. Back in 2002, Danny Boyle reanimated the zombie film with "28 Days Later,” giving us not the traditional Romero-style zombie, but rather flesh-eating, viral-infected creatures that sank their teeth into social commentary with renewed energy and rage. But the subsequent sequels, like "28 Weeks Later," have been pretty much DOA. Until now. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta — who directed the reboot of "Candyman" — returns the franchise to its original glory with "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple."
'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'
The Bone Temple and Ralph Fiennes were the only good things in the previous franchise installment, "28 Years Later" (directed by Boyle). Fiennes reprises the role of Dr. Ian Kelson, a doctor who dares to perceive humanity in an infected behemoth he calls Samson. He looks into the creature's eyes and ponders if there is still humanity inside, questioning how these infected creatures might perceive the world.
In the press materials, DaCosta said, "In a world like this, where everyone's fending for themselves and the societal structures don't exist, some people choose anarchy and violence, and some people choose love."
Kelson chooses love — in part out of a doctor's duty to anyone afflicted, and in part out of a deeply human need for companionship that he has lacked in this new dystopian world.
A film that chooses love over anarchy and displays empathy for the "other" seems radical in today’s political climate. The chaos of the zombie apocalypse, in many ways, mirrors our current anxieties, and Kelson allows us to lament what’s been lost.
Kelson notes in the film, "The world had an order. The foundations. They seemed unshakable."
But as he — and we — are discovering, foundations can be rocked.
In DaCosta’s film, humans are more terrifying than the infected. The infected are unaware of the horrors they commit, but the human character of Jimmy — played by Jack O'Connell, who was so good at being evil in "Sinners" — goes out of his way to be brutal and then cruelly call it charity. DaCosta gives us horror, but not always where we expect it. And, of course, we need to remember that the root of all the chaos and infection was caused by humans experimenting on monkeys.
The film also delivers a stunning set piece, with one of the best uses of Iron Maiden's music, and Fiennes dialing the satanic up to 11.
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" reminds us that zombie films, at their best, have always been about what makes us human. And while it may not be a perfect allegory for current times, it does ask us to consider who the real monster is.
Adult Swim's 'Primal'
On the small screen, Adult Swim’s "Primal" also turns to a zombie narrative, as its caveman Spear is reanimated from the dead, looking and behaving a lot like Samson from "The Bone Temple."
"Primal," which could also be titled "Brutal" for its ruthless violence in the name of survival, was conceived by Genndy Tartokovsky, the genius behind "Samurai Jack" and the only person to truly let Jedi kick ass in his "Star Wars: Clone Wars" interstitials that aired on Cartoon Network from 2008 to 2013.
"Primal" began as a completely wordless series in which Spear, a Neanderthal man, becomes friends with Fang, a T. rex, after both lose their families. Yes, that’s completely unrealistic, but this show exists on an imaginary plane, and you just have to take a leap of faith — off a cliff — with it.
Now in Season 3, Spear is in search of both his humanity and Fang. The show boasts an inspired visual style that is bold and action-packed. Every episode may be blood-soaked, but each is also filled with a surprising amount of soul and pathos. If you have never seen the show, please start from the beginning so you can fall in love with these characters and empathize with their struggle to survive in a brutal world that seems determined to kill them. It will make you gasp in awe, but it will also break your heart. I can only hope that Tartakovsky will eventually take pity on Spear and spare him from any more suffering.
