"Dammit, I know Big Ben is around here somewhere."

Have you been feeling too relaxed lately? Nerves not jangling enough? Then go to see 28 Days Later. I can almost guarantee that it’ll drive up your angst level a bit.

I mean that in a good way.

This creepy, zombie-flavored horror flick opens with a group of animal rights activists breaking into a British research lab. A terrified scientist tries to stop them from releasing the chimpanzees, saying they’re infected with “The Rage.” Within seconds, one of the chimps has attacked his liberator, who immediately goes berserk herself.

Twenty-eight days later, a young man named Jim awakens from a coma in a deserted hospital, and walks out into the also deserted streets of London. The only thing worse for Jim than having his cries of “Hello” go unanswered, is what happens when they do attract attention. It’s then that we get our first glimpse of the Infected, as a priest unfolds himself from a pile of seemingly lifeless bodies and launches himself at Jim, arms flailing, face contorted with raging lunacy.

Jim, honey, don't taunt the Infected.

A word about the Infected: Geeyaaah! Not zombies exactly, because they haven’t died, they seem motivated by nothing but an unreasoning urge to kill. I’ve never seen human actors look so un-human with such minimal makeup. And unlike traditional movie zombies, they can MOVE, and I don’t mean dance. Their rapid fire twitching and the way they run full-tilt at their victims, combined with director Danny Boyle’s fast-paced almost documentary-ish technique give the movie not the sense of mounting dread you get with many horror films, but a feeling of immediate, overwhelming danger.

Back to the story: Jim is rescued by some other survivors and we learn about the virus that has swept Britain and had spread to the U.S. and France before all communication ceased. The infection spreads through blood or saliva and once a person is infected you have about twenty seconds to kill them before they start to rage. There’s that immediate danger again!

I won’t tell you much more about the plot except that it takes a turn in the third act that didn’t feel quite right to me. I’m not sure that twenty-eight days is enough time to turn people that crazy. Though it does set up the operatic, blood-drenched climax, so . . . yay? Seriously, these scenes are compelling and cathartic, but also unsettling and gruesome; be ye warned. Screenwriter Alex Garland’s script follows all this up with an ending that feels a little tacked on (and is soon to be replaced with a grittier version, from what I hear.)

Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris

So you’ve got your gut-punching horror. Is there a softer side to 28 Days Later? Why yes there is, and it comes in the form of characters that we grow to care about, and whose actions we can (mostly) identify with. I found myself worrying about these people, agonizing through every moment of safety because I knew there would be trouble ahead. Kudos go not only to Garland and Boyle, but to a talented cast, including Cillian Murphy as Jim; Naomie Harris as Selena, a tough-minded survivor who shows him the ropes; and Brendan Gleeson as Frank, a concerned father who wants only to protect his daughter Hannah (Megan Burns).

Not to get all philosophical on y’all, but as I watched this bleak, post-apocalyptic horror movie I found myself thinking about the fragility of life and the importance of human connections. 28 Days Later is harsh but rewarding, a compelling and wrenching piece of cinema. It’s definitely a hard movie to watch at times, but an even harder one to stop thinking about.

Gorilla Pants rating: 3 out of 4 bananas