This 28 Days Later scene stayed with me the very first time I saw the movie. One reason is how great it is with almost no dialogue. There is not even any sound or music in the first half of the scene. It is only in the second half that the beautiful background theme, “East Hastings” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, starts playing.
The Corona Connection
It was during the Corona lockdown in 2020 when this scene had a double impact on me. This time, I was actually living the scenario of the movie in real life. Of course, there were no zombies, but going out carried a major risk. I even imagined Jim (Cillian Murphy) walking through Mumbai’s famous places all alone, shouting, “Hello… Hello.” It was really crazy, and I believe many others who have seen the movie probably replayed this scene in their minds too.
Dropping Us Into The Mystery
Coming back to the movie and this 28 Days Later scene. What is great is how little is shown to us before this starts. We know a bad event happened 28 days ago at an animal testing lab. A virus was accidentally released onto some activists, turning them into monsters. But then the movie cuts directly to this scene. Just like Jim, We are left trying to understand: where are all the people? Why is the hospital empty? Why are the roads empty? Is anyone even alive? What really happened?
I like the small, funny moments happening throughout the scene. Jim picks up any food or drink he finds. Without knowing it, he is making sure he does not starve before he faces the real danger outside. It is also funny when he takes all the money he can get his hands on, not knowing money is now useless.
The Power of a Simple “Hello”
A special mention goes to the clever idea of keeping “Hello” as the main dialogue in this 28 Days Later scene. He only says “Is anyone there?” one single time. If you watch carefully, the tone of Jim’s “Hello” changes many times. At first, he says it casually, thinking someone must be in the hospital. Then, he says it in a tone that means, “Stop playing a prank on me.” Finally, he says it in a confused and worried tone when he realizes no one is answering back.
28 Days Later Scene Is A Masterclass In Storytelling
This whole scene would have completely failed if the director had just done a quick 1-minute video montage. Instead, director Danny Boyle builds it up slowly. He lets Jim walk through many famous places after leaving the hospital. Only after three or four minutes does the pace start to pick up. The background music rises, a car alarm goes off, and an old newspaper finally reveals to Jim (and to us) what has happened.
It is an amazing idea, and it was filmed perfectly. If I were a film teacher, I would use this scene to teach my students about great storytelling.
Want to read another deep dive? Check out my Scene Decode: Jordan’s Heartbreaking And Empty Fame in Rockstar (2011)
