To celebrate the release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — a film we are… let’s say cautiously sceptical about — we decided not to review it at all.

Instead, we’re heading back to where it all began: Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s grimy, raw, pulse-pounding horror classic 28 Days Later, the film that kicked off this apparently new franchise and redefined fast, angry “infected” (they are not zombies, thank you very much).

We pit it against another lonely, end-of-the-world favourite: I Am Legend — a glossy Hollywood blockbuster with a very different take on isolation, survival, and yelling at mannequins.

Same ruined world. Very different vibes.

One is documentary-style, bleak and uncomfortably real.

The other is big-budget, star-powered and unapologetically cinematic.

But which one actually does it better?

To find out, we put both films through our highly rigorous, completely unbiased, definitely scientific scoring system. Four categories. Five points each. No vibes. Just facts™.

• Story & Emotional Impact
• Craft & Tone
• World-Building
• Tension & Set-Pieces

The overall winner takes home the prestigious, imaginary trophy for Best Zombie (Sorry, Infected) Movie.

What better time to get spooky than January? Other than that other horror month of course.

Press play, lock the doors, and join us as civilisation collapses - again.

FULL SPOILERS FOR 28 DAYS LATER AND I AM LEGEND IN THIS EPISODE. You have been warned.

Agree with our scores? What would you score these films? We want to know!

Email us at thirdreelpod@gmail.com or through the socials @third_reel_pod

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Preamble

00:09:51 - Category 1: Story & Emotional Impact

00:48:53 - Category 2: Craft & Tone

01:06:54 - Category 3: World-Building

01:23:32 - Category 4: Tension & Set-Pieces

01:43:55 - Final Scores

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