Murphy plays a bicycle courier named Jim, who awakes from a coma in 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle’s heralded action epic.
He’s been asleep less than a month, but a lot can happen in that time — including the collapse of society due to a virus called “Rage” that turns its victims into mindless aggressors.
The Z-word is never uttered throughout the film.
It’s a star-making turn for Murphy, only 24, who not only carries the film but holds his own against such impressive actors as Brendan Gleeson and Naomie Harris as fellow survivors.
Jim is discovering everything at the same time as the viewer, and Murphy makes the perfect audience surrogate, taking everything in with a shocked but level-headed demeanor.
He’s not a traditional action hero; he’s just an ordinary man trying to navigate an entirely new world.
