Alex Garland Opens Up about his Favorite Films and How One of Them Inspired his Upcoming ’28 Years Later’ 

Alex Garland Opens Up About His Favorite Films: Alex Garland needs no introduction. The filmmaker is currently in the spotlight for his upcoming film Civil War, which is being hailed by the critics following its premiere. The visionary director is primarily known for directing films in the sci-fi genre. His notable films include Annihilation and Ex Machina. The latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and won him three British Independent Film Awards, including Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best British Independent Film.

Garland, who is also a great writer, has a profound taste when it comes to observing the best films. Apart from delivering some great films, the director’s choice of films apart from his creations is indeed attention-worthy. The filmmaker recently participated in Alamo Drafthouse’s Guest Selects series and Screen Rant and presented a video detailing his picks. In the video, Garland opened up about his five favorite movies and shared their significance in his life. 

What are Alex Garland’s top favorite films, and why?

While discussing his Guest Selects picks, Alex Garland shared that his favorite picks are movies from 1979 and earlier, admitting that those films had an influence on him as a filmmaker.

Praising his choices, Garland mentioned the three films that reflect his diverse taste in movies. His first favorite is Justine Triet’s 2023 film Anatomy of a Fall. Another film that adds to his favorites is The Third Man, which he claims has “real moral murkiness.” It’s a 1949 noir-thriller film directed by Carol Reed, starring Joseph Cotten. 

The next film is the 1979 musical/semi-autobiographical fantasy film All That Jazz, based on Fosse’s life and career as a dancer, choreographer, and director. Garland calls the film “brave” and praises the “trippy” quality of Phantasm. 

As Garland mentioned, these films have influenced his directorial career. After learning the names of his top picks, a slight resemblance can be drawn between his films and the aforementioned. For instance, his 2002 film 28 Days Later has a trippy beginning. Meanwhile, his film Ex Machina has elements of moral murkiness. 

Last but not least, Garland mentioned another film that impacted him a lot, which he openly claims to rip off, or his upcoming threequel 28 Days Later. While addressing the 1969 film Kes, the director said, “In the film scripts I delivered to Danny [Boyle], what I did was ripped off this film called Kes. Very unexpected thing to rip off in a zombie movie. I think the script I delivered and Kes both focused on the experience of a young lad to the extent it’s tonal. Those are the most obvious ways, but there are some slightly more subtle things to do with landscape as well. And sort of, humans and nature.”

Garland’s film choices provide insight into the cinematic influences that have molded his filmmaking career. Throughout his career, the director has earned a reputation for his thought-provoking storytelling and innovative direction. 

Garland’s upcoming film Civil War is scheduled to release on April 26, 2024.