CineCrossroads: “Resident Evil,” “28 Days Later,” and “Warm Bodies”
Not every zombie story delivers the same kind of nightmare. Some trap ordinary people in a desperate race for survival, others examine how quickly civilization can collapse, while a few discover an unlikely trace of humanity beneath the horror.
In this zombie-themed edition of CineCrossroads, we enter the infected streets of Raccoon City, awaken in an abandoned London and find romance in a world divided between the living and the undead. Qazinform News Agency correspondent wishes you an enjoyable viewing.
Movie of the Week: Resident Evil (2026)
Raccoon City is once again open for business, although surviving the night may prove considerably harder than entering it.
Directed by Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian and Weapons, the latest Resident Evil offers a new standalone story inspired by Capcom’s influential survival horror games. Austin Abrams stars as Bryan, an ordinary medical courier whose final delivery of the night takes him into a rapidly unfolding catastrophe.
As infected creatures overrun the city and chaos spreads around him, Bryan is forced to navigate a nightmare for which he has neither the training nor the weapons. The cast also includes Zach Cherry, Kali Reis and Paul Walter Hauser.
Rather than continuing the storylines of the previous adaptations, the film introduces a new protagonist and returns the franchise to its central ingredients: isolation, limited resources, monstrous enemies and the fear of what may be waiting beyond the next doorway. Released in cinemas across Kazakhstan on September 24, Resident Evil is a fitting choice for viewers seeking a tense and bloody start to the weekend.
Classic Pick: 28 Days Later (2002)
A man wakes from a coma to discover that London has fallen silent.
Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, 28 Days Later follows Jim, played by Cillian Murphy, as he leaves an abandoned hospital and gradually discovers what happened during his absence. A highly contagious virus has transformed much of the population into violent, rage-filled attackers, leaving scattered survivors to search for safety.
Although its infected are not traditional resurrected zombies, the film helped redefine the genre through their terrifying speed and aggression. Its deserted London streets create an unforgettable atmosphere of isolation, while the story examines fear, brutality and the fragile line separating civilization from chaos.
Raw, urgent and deeply unsettling, 28 Days Later remains a modern horror classic that influenced a generation of outbreak and zombie films.
Romantic Pick: Warm Bodies (2013)
Even after the end of the world, the heart may still find a way to come back to life.
Directed by Jonathan Levine, Warm Bodies follows R, a lonely zombie played by Nicholas Hoult, who spends his days wandering through an abandoned airport. His existence begins to change when he rescues Julie, portrayed by Teresa Palmer, instead of attacking her.
As an unusual connection develops between them, R slowly begins to recover emotions, memories and signs of humanity. Their relationship may even hold the key to changing a world where the living and the undead have become bitter enemies.
Blending horror, comedy and romance, Warm Bodies offers a lighter interpretation of the zombie apocalypse. Beneath its playful premise is a warm story about communication, prejudice and the possibility that genuine human connection can bring even the coldest heart back to life.
You can read last week’s edition of CineCrossroads here.
