We've got a good one in theaters this weekend: 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle's long-awaited sequel to his massively influential 2002 zombie epic 28 Days Later. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't wait. Few directors use music better than Boyle, who famously made awesomely ominous use of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in 28 Days Later. John Murphy scored 28 Days Later, as well as its 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, which Boyle didn't direct. For the new film, however, Boyle has turned to the rap-adjacent Scottish trio Young Fathers, a fascinating choice.
Young Fathers released their most recent album Heavy Heavy in 2003, and they teamed with Massive Attack and Fontaines D.C. for the Gaza-relief benefit EP Ceasfire later that same year. They know how to make some eerie atmospheric music, but they've never scored a movie before 28 Years Later, though Danny Boyle did use a bunch of their songs on the soundtrack to his 2017 film T2: Trainspotting. On first listen, their 28 Years Later Score is surprisingly heavy on actual songs, with vocals and everything. Stream it below.
The 28 Years Later score is out now on Milan/Sony.
