Why Cillian Murphy Didn’t Think of 28 Days Later as a Zombie Movie

When an actor lands a role in a film, especially their breakthrough role, you might think that the actor knows what type of film it is.

In a SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation reported in February 2024, Cillian Murphy recalled that he had not been particularly aware that "28 Days Later" was a zombie film, according to coverage of the conversation. This is even though Murphy was playing a role where his character had woken up from a coma to discover that society had broken down due to a rage-inducing virus. The film’s infected people move fast, unlike the shambling undead familiar from some other films in the genre.

An infection, rather than the walking dead

"28 Days Later" came out in 2002, with Danny Boyle directing and Alex Garland writing the screenplay. Murphy plays Jim, a bicycle courier who has been in a coma while the infection spreads. When he wakes up, he has no idea what has happened. The hospital is empty, and so are the streets outside. He has to work out what is going on at the same time as the audience.

Why the images returned during the pandemic

One thing Murphy did note during the interview was the relevance of "28 Days Later" to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that he saw people sharing memes from the film on social media and that he was also sent memes about everyone having to stay at home during the pandemic and no one being outside.

The empty streets and protective clothing made the film feel newly relevant to viewers. That resemblance does not mean its fictional rage virus predicted COVID-19.

A gap in his horror viewing

Another reason Murphy did not think of "28 Days Later" as a zombie film was that he had never seen some of the world's most iconic zombie films, particularly those created by George A. Romero, who directed films such as "Night of the Living Dead."

Murphy said he had never seen those films. His starting point was the story in front of him, rather than the history of the genre.

However, many people will argue that "28 Days Later" is not a zombie film. One argument for this is that those who have the virus die because they don't have enough food, whereas other zombie films show those with the virus can go on without food. What also tends to define a zombie film is whether an infected person has to be dead before their behavior changes, which is also an argument as to why "28 Days Later" is not a zombie movie.

Murphy’s recollection leaves room for both readings. He was approaching a story about infection; viewers could also recognize a zombie-film tradition. The label does not change Jim’s problem: he has to find a way to survive in a world he no longer understands.