Horror fans everywhere are buzzing about the upcoming film 28 Years Later. The trailer alone has set the genre world on fire. Everyone is showing their love for the return to this brutal, post-apocalyptic world. However, a haunting secret is embedded within that trailer that most viewers are missing. Its history makes it genuinely terrifying. I’m referring to the unsettling music playing in the background. It’s not a new composition; it actually dates back to 1903.
The Origin of “Boots”
This chilling audio began as a poem titled “Boots,” penned by the renowned journalist, poet, and author Rudyard Kipling. It was directly inspired by the relentless, maddening rhythm British soldiers experienced while marching seemingly endless distances through South Africa during the Second Boer War. These soldiers would often march for weeks with no clear destination, and the monotonous sight of the boots in front of them would frequently drive them to the brink of madness.
In 1915, actor Taylor Holmes was asked to record the poem, delivering it as if he were one of those soldiers, reliving their grueling experience. The resulting recording is incredibly chilling, and knowing its historical context only makes it all the more unnerving.
The brilliant use of this poem in the 28 Years Later trailer amplifies the film’s sense of dread and relentless despair, linking the psychological torment of war to the new horrors faced by humanity. As the recording picks up speed, its intensity increases until it reaches a fever pitch.
About 28 Years Later
The film introduces us to a group of survivors who have found a fragile semblance of safety on a small island. This island is connected to the desolate mainland by a single, heavily fortified causeway. While exploring, they make a horrifying discovery. The virus has mutated in the infected and has spread its corruption to previously uninfected humans. This new threat twists and corrupts other survivors, posing a danger unlike anything seen before in the “28” universe.
The star-studded cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes. Cillian Murphy, who starred in the original 28 Days Later, returns. The specifics surrounding his character’s return are, understandably, tightly guarded.
Danny Boyle, the visionary director who helmed the original 28 Days Later, is back at the helm for this highly anticipated sequel. His return promises to recapture the raw intensity, visceral horror, and groundbreaking filmmaking that made the first film so impactful and beloved.
Knowing the song’s dark origin and its connection to psychological breakdown only makes the 28 Years Later trailer more disturbing. Watch the film in theaters on June 20, 2025. Get your tickets now.
