Latest news with #Spike
The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
After the Spike by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso review – the truth about population
As a member of the 8.23 billion-strong human community, you probably have an opinion on the fact that the global population is set to hit a record high of 10 billion within the next few decades. Chances are, you're not thrilled about it, given that anthropogenic climate change is already battering us and your morning commute is like being in a hot, jiggling sardine-tin. Yet according to Dean Spears and Michael Geruso, academics at the University of Texas, what we really need to be worried about is depopulation. The number of children being born has been declining worldwide for a couple of hundred years. More than half of countries, including India, the most populous nation in the world, now have birthrates below replacement levels. While overall population has been rising due to declining (mainly infant) mortality, we'll hit a peak soon before falling precipitously. This apex and the rollercoaster drop that follows it is the eponymous 'spike'. Most people's lives today are better than they ever were in human history, thanks to the progress, prosperity and brilliant ideas that have come with all those people. The more of us there are, the more human ingenuity there is – 'the ultimate renewable resource'. Spears and Geruso argue that future people who live alongside only a couple of billion others will have significantly worse lives than we have today. Stabilisation, not depopulation, they argue, is the right path for humanity. For that to happen, we need to be having more babies. After the Spike knocks down assumptions like skittles. Population fearmongers from Malthus to Paul Ehrlich are refuted, and evidence laid out to show what worldwide fertility is not linked to: changes in wealth, the invention of contraception or women's rights. Nor can government policies that force people to have, or not have, children do much to change long-term trends. This is as true for China's one-child policy as it is for Ceaușescu's banning of abortion in Romania, which only had short-term effects. Even when non-coercive governments support parents with childcare and comparatively generous parental leave, as in Sweden, these policies have not shifted the needle. Sweden will start to shrink in 2051. The strongest commonsense belief the authors tackle is the idea that lower birthrates are a good thing because the planet is burning and more people means worse climate change. In fact, climate change is such an urgent issue that depopulation will kick in far too late to make any serious impact. Not only that, but the difference between the contribution to climate change made by the current population versus the population at the top of the spike is not significant. Depopulation won't help the climate, then, but it will mean that there are far fewer of us left to deal with part two of cleaning up humanity's mess on Earth: removing excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Creating a good life – whether that's finding cures for disease or ways to reverse environmental damage – relies on the ideas, work and progress produced by large, interconnected societies. Why, then, are we increasingly choosing to have fewer children? The answer is likely to be a combination of cultural, biological, economic and social factors, but the best unifying theory in After the Spike is to be found in a satirical headline from the Onion: 'Study Finds American Women Delaying Motherhood Because the Whole Thing Blows'. As life on Earth has come to offer more and more rich and interesting options for how to spend our time, the opportunity cost of parenting has become increasingly less attractive. There are now more ways to make a meaningful life with fewer or no kids, even if you did want them, as gen Z is well aware. If we agree that we ought to make life good for our descendants, and that this means supporting a stable, sizeable human population, how can we achieve this? The solution proposed by Spears and Geruso is no less than a total restructuring of society around care, in which parenting is so well supported socially, culturally, economically and medically that it is seen as a joy, not a relentless struggle. Were this to have been my reality a decade ago, I might have had the football team of tumbling, laughing babies I sometimes feel a pang for. Whether humanity can achieve anything like it in time to avert depopulation seems doubtful, but if there's one thing After the Spike leaves us with, it's the impulse to back ourselves. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion After the Spike: The Risks of Global Depopulation and the Case for People by Dean Spears and Michael Geruso is published by Bodley Head (£20). To order a copy go to Delivery charges may apply.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and more (July 29-Aug. 4)
This week offers plenty of new movie options across the best streaming services, from a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller to a romantic drama set at a storied English university. Whatever sort of movie you're in the mood for, there's likely a newcomer to suit your tastes. '28 Years Later' on PVOD platforms headlines the next seven days, but HBO Max subscribers will be eager to enjoy the blood-soaked thrills of 'Final Destination Bloodlines' while over on Netflix, get your tissues out, because 'My Oxford Year' looks like a tearjerker. Looking to watch something fresh? These are the top new movies landing across streaming services over the next few days. And if you want to binge-watch, here's a guide to all the best new TV shows this week. The old saying goes, 'Time heals all,' but in Danny Boyle's apocalyptic zombie-infested Britain, that's not the case. This long-awaited second sequel to '28 Days Later' takes place almost three decades after the Rage Virus turned the U.K. into a quarantine island cut off from the rest of the world, and things have not improved in the time since Cillian Murphy's Jim was wandering around a devastated London. If anything, the situation has only gotten worse. On a remote, well-fortified island just off the mainland, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) lives with his son Spike (Alfie Williams) and ill wife Isla (Jodie Comer). Taking his son on a rite-of-passage trip to the zombie-plagued mainland, Jamie and Spike discover the infected have mutated to become even deader, and that there are additional threats to consider. Also starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell, '28 Years Later' successfully recaptures the spirit and visual style of the 2002 original and, aside from a tonally confused ending, is an extremely compelling watch. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Plus, it features more than a few references to my beloved Newcastle Utd soccer team and is set in North East England (which happens to be my birthplace), which makes it an instant must-watch in my books. Buy or rent on Amazon from July 29 Mike Flanagan has developed a reputation as a horror master after directing movies like 'Oculus," "Gerald's Game" and 'Doctor Sleep,' alongside helming chilling Netflix shows 'The Haunting of Hill House' and 'Midnight Mass." However, he trades his usual spooky approach for something a little more heartwarming with 'The Life of Chuck.' This fantasy drama has been described as 'life-affirming' and has even been mooted as a potential awards contender in the upcoming season. Based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, it marks the third time Flanagan has adapted one of the legendary author's works for the big screen, and stars Tom Hiddleston as the eponymous Charles 'Chuck' Krantz. The movie is told in reverse chronological order as we follow Chunk from his adulthood through to his younger years as he experiences all the ordinary things that make life truly extraordinary. The well-received movie also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Jacob Tremblay and Mark Hamill. Buy or rent on Amazon from July 29 'Final Destination Bloodlines' marks the return of the long-running horror franchise, and it's an excellent revival. I'd argue it ranks among the very best of 'Final Destination' movies ever, keeping the classic formula intact but with new twists that only add to the blood-soaking mayhem. Following the series' longest premonition scene to date, we flash forward more than 50 years and meet Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), a college student haunted by a grisly vision of a skytower collapsing in the 1960s. Soon enough, death begins stalking Stefani and her family, and the secret to survival might just be locked in her grandmother's past. The overly complicated death sequences have always been the main appeal of the 'Final Destination' franchise, and 'Bloodlines' packs some of the most darkly funny ones to date. And while it doesn't completely reinvent the wheel, it does take a few risks that all play off very well. It also marks the final on-screen appearance of franchise mainstay Tony Todd, who delivers a memorable last performance that might just have you shedding a tear or two. Watch on HBO Max from August 1 If you're looking for a gooey romantic comedy-drama in the vein of 'The Life List,' then Netflix has you covered this week with 'My Oxford Year.' Yes, the release timing is a little odd — a romance tale set in rainy England feels perfect for the fall — but still, I have no doubts this movie will prove popular with Netflix subscribers, even if critics might tear it to shreds. Based on the novel of the same name by Julia Whelan, it centers on Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson), an American student who fulfills her lifelong dream of studying at England's prestigious (and pretentious) Oxford University. By all accounts, her life is going exactly to plan, but her carefully-considered plan is thrown into turmoil when she meets a very charming British boy (Corey Mylchreest) and sparks fly. Guaranteed to be full of sappy dialogue and overly dramatic musings about seizing the moment while you can, 'My Oxford Year' clearly knows its audience and plays to it. Watch on Netflix from August 1 Hulu's big addition this week is a historical action epic that tells the story of William Tell, a Swiss folk hero, who was an important player in the country's attempts to fight against Austrian invaders in the 14th century. Directed by Nick Hamm and starring Claes Bang in the titular role, this cinematic spin on the legend opens with Tell, a former soldier in the Crusades, living as a huntsman. When the Austrian Empire marches into his country, he refuses to bend the knee and instead becomes part of a revolution that seeks to push back against these foreign oppressors. Also starring Connor Swindells, Golshifteh Farahani, Rafe Spall, Jonathan Pryce and Ben Kingsley, on the surface 'William Tell' looks like it has all the ingredients to be a 'Braveheart' for a new generation. Unfortunately, its critical reception was anything but epic. With a lengthy 134-minute runtime, 'William Tell' might only be one for genre obsessives. Watch on Hulu from August 1
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
28 Years Later review: zombie franchise returns with a groggy start
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Just about any list of the greatest zombie movies of all time is sure to include Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Days Later. So naturally there was a lot of excitement around the two returning for the latest sequel in the series, 28 Years Later. But does the 2025 new movie live up to its predecessor? Meh. 28 Years Later is an up and down experience. It features some of the gruesome zombie action that many fans likely desire, as well as a handful of sincerely beautiful moments. However the movie's highs don't quite reach the same level of the original movie, while some of the lows are either a bit boring or outright baffling (the ending being the biggest evidence of the latter). 28 Years Later takes place nearly three decades after the outbreak depicted in the first movie, focusing on an entirely new set of characters (rumors that Cillian Murphy would appear in this one were shot down, though he is reportedly set to appear in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, coming out in 2026). In this one, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who has spent his entire life on an island protected from the infected, makes his first trip to the UK mainland with his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When Spike learns that a mysterious doctor (Ralph Fiennes) is close, he decides to take his ailing mother (Jodie Comer) to see if he can help; if they can survive the infected first. Williams' Hollywood debut is a memorable one, as the young actor steals the movie as Spike. It's an effective choice to reintroduce this world through the eyes of a child, with Williams' effectively portraying Spike's growth as he comes to understand real horrors and hard truths. Fiennes also gives a good, supporting performance, bringing the emotional heart of the movie. Comer has a few touching moments, but I wouldn't rank this among her best. In terms of the movie's action, those who want to see gore will get a good bit of it in 28 Years Later, both humans killing zombies and zombies killing humans. Boyle and his editors also kept some of that gritty, hectic style for the action that the first movie had. Though in some instances, they may have taken it too far. Mostly relevant in the movie's first half, there are editing choices (both visually and audially) that don't make a whole lot of sense. They add a creepy, unsettling element to the movie, sure, but they don't fit naturally with the story that we are seeing unfold, or are unnecessary, jarring jumps that take you somewhat out of the moment. And if we're talking about being taken out of the moment, the ending is the chief culprit. I won't get into the details, but the movie feels like it is settling on a natural and generally satisfying conclusion before it introduces something completely off the wall that is wholly inconsistent with what we've just watched. It left me scratching my head as I was leaving the theater. 28 Years Later has the basis of a solid story and characters, with a few standouts in Williams and Fiennes. But the movie only reaches its highest potential in a few moments, while a number of the stylistic choices from Boyle are more curious oddities than compelling features. All in all, 28 Years Later opens the door for a potentially interesting story to be continued with its set follow-up and a potential third movie, but judging just on its own, it's a middling start. 28 Years Later opens exclusively in movie theaters on June 20. Solve the daily Crossword
Tatler Asia
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Movie review: Danny Boyle's ‘28 Years Later' redefines the zombie genre anew
Above We're introduced to Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) Here, civilisation has adapted in curious ways. Education has shifted from algebra and history to archery, surveillance duty at the watch tower and foraging. We're introduced to Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) on what the father dubs the boy's 'big day': his first time outside the camp. Spike is only 12—two years shy of the island's mandated age for venturing beyond the barricades—but Jamie, with defiant parental pride, defies the rules. He even gifts his son a rare strip of bacon, a delicacy in this world. Jodie Comer delivers a sharp, brittle performance as Isla, Spike's mother, who is suffering from a mysterious sickness that's left her increasingly disoriented. She opposes the mission with ferocity, at one point branding her husband a 'child murderer' for dragging their son into danger. Yet the boy, deeply devoted to his ailing mother, lies and says he is just going to school. He also tucks away the prized bacon to give to her later. Outside the safety of their community, Spike begins to grasp the brutal reality beyond their island: betrayal, cruelty and unspeakable violence, often perpetrated by the living rather than the undead. The infected themselves have changed, too. Boyle offers up a grotesque variety—some feral and unclothed, others bloated, some crawling on all fours, feeding on worms. It's not just a new generation of zombies; it's an evolution. Spike's first venture beyond their fortress mirrors the audience's own experience, as we too are seeing for the first time what has become of Boyle's world years after the last outbreak. Related: Can Disney's 'Snow White' heal your inner child? Above Spike's first venture beyond their fortress mirrors the audience's own experience Enter the 'Alpha': a towering figure who decapitates his prey. This new leader of the infected is not only powerful but calculating, a stark departure from the mindless mobs of previous instalments. His behaviour suggests strategic awareness, including the ability to navigate the tides and pursue prey back to the island. Amongst these discoveries, Spike glimpses a distant campfire and inquires after its owner. Jamie tells him it belongs to a doctor, a figure who may hold the key to his mother's recovery. The revelation plants a seed in the boy's mind. Above Unlike its predecessors, '28 Years Later' is not content to be merely a horror film. Back on the island, their return is marked by a celebratory feast. But tension simmers when Spike catches his father with another woman. The next morning, they clash, with the latter accusing his father of withholding the doctor's whereabouts to preserve his newfound relationship. Fuelled by heartbreak and resolve, Spike takes drastic action. He distracts the guards, evades the watchtower and leads his confused mother off the island, determined to seek the estranged doctor himself. Their escape leads them to a gasoline station shrouded in toxic fumes, where they're rescued by Erik (Edvin Ryding), a Navy officer stationed in the region. From here, the narrative takes a slight tonal detour, drifting into light-hearted exchanges between Erik—who casually references WiFi access and flashes a working smartphone—and Spike, who is utterly bewildered by such foreign concepts. See also: On feminist approach: A review of Yorgos Lanthimo's 'Poor Things' Above Erik (Edvin Ryding), a Navy officer The humour gives the film some breathing room, offering the occasional laugh, but at times feels like it's cutting through the tension rather than complementing it. For a while, it's genuinely fun, but the tone starts to wobble, and things begin to feel a little disjointed. One moment, in particular, stands out for all the wrong reasons. Erik shows Spike a photo of his girlfriend, only for the script to mock her appearance, hinting at cosmetic surgery with a not-so-subtle jab. It's meant to be a joke, but instead comes off as oddly mean-spirited, especially when directed at a woman. Later on, Erik joins Spike and Isla on their journey, travelling through an abandoned train carriage. It's here that things take a darker turn. Isla spots a female infected who appears to be in labour. Tensions flare when Erik demands the baby be abandoned, convinced it's also carrying the virus. The shouting attracts the Alpha, who bursts in and, in a shockingly swift moment, decapitates Erik. What follows is a frantic chase, with Isla, Spike and the newborn fleeing through the wreckage. Just when all hope seems lost, the mysterious doctor finally makes his appearance. He's covered in iodine—apparently the virus can't stand the stuff—and manages to tranquilise the Alpha just in time. 'Memento Mori' Above Dr Ian Kelson honours the dead in '28 Years Later' Above Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in '28 Years Later' Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) offers a warm and comforting presence amid the film. Upon examining the newborn—uninfected despite being born of the infected—he theorises that the infected mother's placenta may have acted as a barrier, shielding the infant from the virus. It offers a flicker of hope for a potential cure in the future instalments. Much like The Last of Us , where Ellie's immunity is traced back to the circumstances of her birth, this subtle nod to scientific possibility adds a layer of intrigue. Back at his camp, Dr Kelson performs a solemn ritual. He cremates Erik's body, but not before salvaging the skull. The fires that have long burned in the distance are not fuelled by destruction, but by reverence. The doctor collects skulls—infected or not—as a way of honouring those lost. Here, he speaks to Spike about the philosophy of memento mori —'remember that you must die,' a reminder that mortality, far from diminishing life's value, gives it weight and urgency. It's a moment of unexpected stillness, deepened by the revelation that Isla is terminally ill, her mind failing due to a cancerous brain tumour. Above Dr Ian Kelson, Isla with the baby and Spike Above Jodie Comer delivers a sharp, brittle performance as Isla, Spike's mother, who is suffering from a mysterious sickness that's left her increasingly disoriented. Overwhelmed by grief and helplessness, Spike lashes out, unable to accept that nothing more can be done. Kelson sedates him, gently guiding the boy into a dreamlike flashback of better times: he and his mother, together and embracing. The doctor whispers a quiet counterpoint— memento vivere —'remember to live.' It's a moment that lands with emotional heft, a tender reminder that love and memory endure, even as life fades. Kelson later euthanises Isla and adds her skull to his growing shrine. He invites Spike to choose her resting place. The boy places it atop the skeletal tree, where it faces the morning light. In the film's closing moments, Spike returns to the settlement alone, carrying the newborn child. In a handwritten note, he reveals the infant's origin. He asks that she be named 'Isla,' in tribute to the mother he lost, and the hope that may yet survive her. Read also : Does Disney's 'Lilo & Stitch' live-action remake do justice to the original? The Final Bite Above Tension builds in Danny Boyle's '28 Years later' It's almost impossible not to hold this third instalment up against its lauded forerunners. Unlike its predecessors, 28 Years Later is not content to be merely a horror film. There are philosophical undercurrents, moments of lyrical tenderness and yes, awkward attempts at humour. Boyle's return to the franchise offers a bold but bumpy comeback…depending on your appetite for 'genre-bending'. The infected have evolved, no longer the mindless aggressors we once knew. These creatures display social organisation and even hygiene. They bathe, breed and have begun constructing a primitive society. What made the zombie genre so darkly entertaining in the first place was its moral simplicity—you killed the infected without a second thought. Those guilt-free, head-smashing thrills are gone. Instead, the film quietly challenges our appetite for violent spectacle. Related : 'Hello, Love, Again' shows us the struggles of being an OFW under the backdrop of a love story Above The zombies are seemingly sentient in '28 Years Later' The cinematography is starkly beautiful, the performances are firmly grounded and the soundtrack fits each scene perfectly. Yet, there's a nagging feeling that something crucial has slipped through the cracks. The raw terror, the primal adrenaline rush, the straightforward satisfaction of a well-timed zombie kill. The film could have also done more with its setting, which too often drifts into sprawling forests that take up nearly 60 per cent of the screen time, rather than embracing the gritty post-apocalyptic feel fans might expect. The introduction of an 'Alpha' who is eerily intelligent and disturbingly human forces viewers into an unexpected moral dilemma, yet it holds the promise of reshaping the zombie genre for another 20 years. The question is, is it still entertainment when the undead become sentient? NOW READ 'A Minecraft Movie': when a video game adaptation gets it right 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' is one last blaze of glory How to build an apocalypse-ready home: 5 essential design strategies for disaster resilience Credits Images: Columbia Pictures
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Think 28 Years Later's Ending Has A Subtle, Twisted Pop Culture Reference That Americans May Have Missed
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Warning, there are spoilers ahead for 28 Years Later, which finally hit the 2025 movie schedule in mid-June. The ending of 28 Years Later has been discussed a lot. Not only does it bring the movie full circle from the opening scene, but it throws in a few pop culture references, and provides a 'hand off' to the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is already on the 2026 movie schedule. There is one pop culture reference that American audiences may have missed, and it involves one of the worst scandals in British entertainment history. That of Jimmy Savile, the now-disgraced (and deceased) DJ and TV personality. Let's get into it. In the final scene of 28 Years Later, Spike (Alfie Williams) has written home to his father to explain that he's taking off to be on his own for a while. As he sits on the side of a road and contemplates his next move, Spike is suddenly surrounded by Infected. As he readies himself to do battle, he's joined by 'Sir' Jimmy, played wonderfully by Jack O'Connell, and Jimmy's band of tracksuit-wearing warriors. The multi-colored tracksuits provide a nice callback to the beginning of the movie when we see Jimmy watching Teletubbies on TV as the Rage virus starts to take hold of Great Britain, 28 years before the central events of the film. It's also a nice callback to a scene where Spike decides against bringing his Power Ranger action figure on his first trip to the mainland. Those are both references that anyone in the United Kingdom and the United States would recognize right away. The third part of the reference, the tracksuits, Jimmy's haircut, and, indeed, his name, would be immediately recognizable to British audiences, but maybe not American ones. To me (and to many other eagle-eyed viewers), the reference to the notorious Jimmy Savile is obvious. Savile, who died in 2011, was the most famous DJ on Radio One for decades. He also hosted Top Of The Pops and his own show, Jimmy'll Fix It, a sort of Make-A-Wish Foundation kind of show. He was as famous for his charitable work as he was for his radio and TV presenting. That all changed after he died, and hundreds of accusations of Savile sexually abusing children came out publicly. Today, his reputation is completely disgraced as victim after victim has told their stories. So, why would writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle make reference to such a despicable person? Well, that's a little complicated, but it makes sense. This all started as a discussion on social media, and it has since been confirmed by Danny Boyle. Garland and Boyle have talked about how the movie is looking back in some ways. Remember, we're 28 years out from the Rage virus outbreak, so theoretically, in the world of 28 Years Later, the horrible acts committed by Savile were never revealed, and he was still thought of as a beloved DJ and TV presenter. This theory is reinforced by the use of the song 'Delilah' by Tom Jones, which used to be a staple on British radio but has been culturally canceled in recent years due to its problematic lyrics promoting violence against women. Again, in the world of 28 Years Later, that never happened, so the song's reputation has not suffered its true fate. While Savile's story is very well known in the UK, but, aside from a few documentaries, it wasn't a very big one in the United States. Many Americans may not fully get the reference, though some certainly will. If you've made it this far and haven't seen 28 Weeks Later, what are you waiting for? CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes gave the movie a 5-star review, and it's definitely one of my favorite movies of the year, as well.
