In 2002, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland gave the world one of the most original, visceral, and unique zombie movies it had ever seen, 28 Days Later. Set, appropriately enough, 28 days after the outbreak of the zombie-like Rage Virus decimated England, the film was shot on digital video to give it a grainy, real feel that drug audiences into the desolate world. It was also superbly written, with great characters and a heartfelt story about found family hiding behind the horror. Boyle and Garland weren’t involved in the sequel in 2007 and, although it’s still pretty good, it was clearly missing their influence. Now the duo return for the third installment, 28 Years Later, and they haven’t missed a beat.

Almost 30 years after the events of the first movie, the Rage Virus has been contained to Great Britain under heavy quarantine. 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and his mother Isla (Jodie Comer) live in a village on a small island just off the coast. Isla is sick, though nobody knows from what, and there are no doctors on their island. So, Alfie decides to take his mother to the mainland, trekking across wilderness teeming with infected and the ruins of civilization to find a doctor that might be able to help her.

Nailing down the tone and genre of 28 Years Later is a challenge. It is at times the same kind of brutal and bloody zombie movie that we’ve come to expect. Other times, however, it’s an introspective look at the role death plays in our lives. A large chunk of the movie is also a coming-of-age adventure story. On paper it admittedly sounds a bit like a disjointed mess, and it can be, but oddly enough the shifting styles mostly mesh well.

Partially we have Boyle and Garland to thank for keeping the whole thing together. The script is tight, with no time or dialogue wasted. Seemingly random scenes and characters are all revealed to have importance and connect well in the end, creating a whole that’s maybe better than the sum of its parts. Boyle does a wonderful job with the cinematography as well. His use of tight shots and strange angles creates a sense of uneasiness and claustrophobia that keeps the audience on edge, like when Jamie and Spike are being chased early on by the massive, powerful Alpha infected. I’m not sure I took a breath until the chase was over. At the same time, though, he has the sense to open up the frame for sweeping landscape shots and poignant moments, when it’s called for. It’s masterful work from an experienced director.

The cast is also spectacular, across the board. Aaron Taylor-Johnson doesn’t get as much to do as expected, but he’s great in a limited role. His character very much felt like he was being set up for a sequel, so hopefully there’s more to come for him. The stars, however, are Comer and Williams. Isla suffers from confusion and amnesia, and Comer gives a heartbreaking performance as she struggles to keep her sanity and care for her son. Spike, meanwhile, drives the entire movie with his determination, bravery, and love for his mother. Williams is a relative newcomer and deserves heaps of praise for his ability to carry a story like this on his back. He makes you cheer, makes you laugh, and makes you cry. It’s the kind of role that much more experienced actors might have failed in, and he pulls it off perfectly.

 28 Years Later is a little bit of everything that one might want it to be. Tragic, funny, charming, scary, exciting, beautiful, you name it, you can find a bit of it here. It’s an ambitious endeavor that’s unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time. Any issues that it may have with things like pacing and tonal shifts, which it admittedly does have from time to time, don’t feel like deal-breakers when considering the whole movie. The direction, cinematography, acting, and story are all so good that it’s not difficult at all to overlook the flaws. For a film about honoring and remembering those you love, it’s only right that this one will be hard to forget.