Jodie Comer's 28 Years Later Role Is A Reminder To Watch Her Forgotten 2023 Thriller

Summary Jodie Comer set to star in legacy sequel 28 Years Later, continues themes of survivalism and societal collapse.

Comer's role expected to be standout among all-star trio of actors, first venture into zombie horror.

The End We Start From compliments 28 movies thematically, showcasing Comer's capability to lead horror franchise.

Jodie Comer is confirmed to appear in Danny Boyle's upcoming legacy sequel 28 Years Later, but the movie has a surprising connection to a previous project in the actress' resume. Although 28 Years Later has been in the works for nearly two decades, it is expected that the movie will continue to explore the franchise's established themes of survivalism, the human experience, and societal collapse. Thanks to these concerns, the 28 movies have connections to other films and stories that extend far beyond the typical zombie genre.

Although 28 Years Later's story is unclear, it seems Jodie Comer will play a prominent role in the story. Cast alongside the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes, the 31-year-old Liverpudlian completes an all-star trio of actors more prominent than any seen in previous 28 movies. Although she has had some high-profile movie roles – notably Free Guy and The Last Duel – 28 Years Later will mark Jodie Comer's first foray into zombie horror. However, even though she is new to the genre, one of the actress's previous projects makes for an interesting 28 Years Later companion piece.

Jodie Comer's The End We Start From Is A Perfect Accompaniment To 28 Years Later

The two movies have very similar stories

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Released in 2023, The End We Start From is an acclaimed environmental survival thriller that pairs very well with the 28 movies. Made on a budget of just £9 million, the independent British movie features the likes of Katherine Waterston, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Mark Strong in prominent roles, while primarily focusing on Comer's unnamed "Woman". The setup, which sees Comer's character trying to survive biblical flooding in southern England, explores a more ecological message than 28 Days Later. However, despite being completely devoid of zombies, Jodie Comer's The End We Start From is actually a great precursor to her 28 Years Later role.

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Comer's character's story has clear similarities to the journeys seen in both 28 Days and 28 Weeks later. Just as in the successful zombie horrors, the unnamed woman must face off against external threats, undertake an arduous journey north, and ultimately overcome the oppressive regime she finds when she finally makes contact with other survivors. Although the danger she faces is often explicitly human, rather than infected, the story beats are very similar to what was seen in 28 Days Later, making the movie an interesting alternate take on the 2002 movie's story.

The End We Start From Has Thematic 28 Years Later Connections

Both films explore the same questions

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It's not just narrative similarities that make The End We Start From and the 28 movies interesting companion pieces. Because of their similar settings, the stories also explore very similar themes of human experience, the importance of family, and what happens when societal safety-nets are taken away. For instance, the remote island commune in The End We Start From plays a similar role as the soldiers in 28 Days Later – albeit less brutally – allowing the film to reflect on how the destruction of the individual can create isolationist tendencies that fail to respect liberty and autonomy.

Perhaps the most interesting thematic link concerns family. In The End We Start From, the woman is determined to protect her new baby while worrying about the best way to set up a secure family unit with her husband, R. This explores the same ideas as Jim's pseudo-family unit with Selena, Frank, and Hannah, as well as Tammy and Andy's determination to find their mother in 28 Weeks Later. Although using an apocalyptic setting to explore the extreme limits of human connection is nothing new, there's no doubt that The End We Start From and the two 28 films do so in a very similar way.

The End We Start From Proves Jodie Comer Can Handle 28 Years Later

She's already succeeded in a similar setting

While The End We Start From's story and themes have clear parallels to 28 Days and Weeks Later, where the movie might be most interesting for the horror franchise's fans is in providing an insight into how Jodie Comer might lead the series' next installment. Her portrayal of the unnamed woman at the center of the 2023 thriller's story was universally praised, with the Rotten Tomatoes consensus highlighting "Jodie Comer's gripping performance in the central role". Combined with her previous work in projects like Killing Eve and The Last Duel, this just provides further evidence for how capable Comer is of leading 28 Years Later.

In each of the previous 28 movies, the most important elements have been the characters. While the innovation of running zombies was scary and shots of abandoned London remain iconic, it was Jim's empathy as a main character and the supporting presence of Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and Christopher Eccleston that made the original 28 Days Later so compelling. The End We Start From not only suggests that Jodie Comer can do the same for 28 Years Later, but also provides a big clue as to what her performance might look like.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes