Although it was already one of the most anticipated films of the year, 28 Years Later took many viewers by surprise with how emotional it was. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland can always be counted on to deliver interesting science-fiction concepts and exhilarating set pieces, but the legacy sequel to 28 Days Later featured a gripping storyline centered on the relationship between the young boy Spike (Alfie Williams) and his mother, Isla (Jodie Comer). Her performance as a traumatized, disaffected mother in the midst of an apocalyptic event has already been cited as being award-worthy, but Comer delivered another moving portrayal of maternal anxiety in the underrated survival thriller The End We Start From. Comer’s performance proved to be the most surprising aspect of 28 Years Later, as Isla ends up having more agency than what may have initially been expected of her. Despite being riddled with illness and learning firsthand from Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) that she is approaching death, Isla has the courage to protect the child of an infected person, which gives Spike a new mission to go on. Although it’s a genre film that relies heavily on religious allusions, Comer brought a sense of dignity and empathy to a very realistic character. The End We Start From presents an upsetting, speculative apocalyptic scenario, making Comer’s inspirational performance feel all the more heroic.
What Makes ‘28 Years Later’ and ‘The End We Start From’ Similar?

Despite having overt genre elements, 28 Years Later is particularly eerie because of its allusions to real-life events that viewers are familiar with, such as the COVID-19 crisis and Brexit. Similarly, The End We Start From presents a plausible end-of-world scenario in which climate change triggers catastrophic weather events, which quickly deplete the world’s food and medical supplies. Comer stars as an unnamed woman who is forced to leave London in the midst of a catastrophic flood, despite having just given birth to her young son, Zeb. She seeks assistance from her husband, R (Joel Fry), but he is separated from her in the midst of a family tragedy; R’s mother, G (Nina Sosanya), is trampled to death while trying to acquire food, and his father, N (Mark Strong), dies by suicide. As each shelter she attempts to find protection in is preyed upon by looters and savages, Comer’s character questions what she can do to ensure her child’s protection. Both 28 Years Later and The End We Start From question the ethics of raising a child amidst a horrific global event, which could easily be taken as a metaphor for many current world issues. While Isla in 28 Years Later is shown to have already raised Spike to become a man, the character in The End We Start From must find an environment in which she can give Zeb a happy life. Her concerns aren’t just for his protection, but for the world that he will grow up in, as she is forced to watch London collapse as its resources and natural beauty are destroyed. There’s something universally relatable about wanting to protect an innocent child, but Comer makes her performances more intimate thanks to her incredibly physical acting. In 28 Years Later, she crafts a tasteful depiction of a woman who can no longer recognize the world she has survived, and in The End We Start From, she shows the burden placed upon someone who was not offered appropriate postpartum care.

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‘The End We Start From’ Is One of Jodie Comer’s Greatest Performances

The End We Start From relies almost solely on Comer, as she is at the center of nearly every frame of the story. Although there are many characters that come in and out of the story, including a kindly stranger played by Benedict Cumberbatch, much of the film focuses on her character reacting to the strange and upsetting crisis that emerges. While there’s a sensitivity to how earnest she is, Comer does not play a passive character, as she is constantly questioning the sanctity of her environments, and determining what the future will look like. Many of the other travelers she meets are looking only to survive, but Comer’s character knows that she needs something more nurturing, open, and ultimately beautiful in order to give Zeb a life worth living. Even if this means that she needs to protect her own life, it’s because no one else would be able to carry the burden of parenthood. The End We Start From is often a difficult film to watch, as it examines both the natural fallout of environmental damage caused by humans and the ease with which society could collapse upon the devastation of infrastructure. While these themes may hit close to home for those anxious about the shocking global events in recent memory, Comer’s performance is also quite inspirational, as it suggests that those with love in their heart may rise to the situation. 28 Years Later was able to reach a broader audience because of its connection to an established franchise, only to give Comer the opportunity to give a realistic depiction of a mother’s undying affection. While The End We Start From may not have found the same commercial success, it is no less worthy of attention.

The End We Start From

Release Date

January 19, 2024

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Mahalia Belo

Writers

Alice Birch