It's often a sign that it's going to be a bad day when you wake up naked in a hospital, having been locked in your room from the outside and the key slid under the door. At least it is for Jim, who awakens to find London abandoned and is set upon by rabid red-eyed folk with a taste for fresh meat. Most of Britain has been infected with the "rage" virus over the past 28 days or eaten by someone who has. Jim's only hope is to team up with the handful of survivors he finds and head north to the source of a radio broadcast that promises salvation.

28 Days Later... manages to be unique without being terribly original. Its plot themes are blatantly lifted from Romero's Dead trilogy, and we've all seen shaky-cameras-make-things-scarier movies before, but 28 Days Later... manages to add its own paranoid, yet optimistic bend through the creation of solid characters and never trying to be more than it is (hell, the thing is so low-key it doesn't even bother with opening credits!). 28 Days Later... is a brilliant example of what can be achieved with little known actors, almost no money and a lot of vision (this is definitely the best thing Danny Boyle has done since Trainspotting - maybe even better). For me, this was THE movie of 2003.

Rene (Mason) has just been named 'Miss Catch of the Day' in the northern Australian town of Berkley when her family farm is repossessed by the bank. In the process of reluctantly escaping to Brisbane, her ride and the town are struck by a barrage of meteors with the power to make zombies of any citizen caught in the crossfire. Rene is forced to take cover with Berkley's own alien fanatic and gun-toting vigilante, Marion (Mckay). Together with four other misfits, they fight their way from one point of interest to another with Marion's triple barrelled shotgun and a four wheel drive.

Undead, reportedly made for under a million dollars, packs in satire, blood, Matrix references and still more tasteful blood for one hell of a splatter film. Almost everyone makes great (and debut) performances, including writing/directing pair Michael and Peter Speirig. Visual effects are surreally top notch for any sort of budget, another feather for the Speirig brothers and their laptop. The plot twists and somersaults, with an end you really won't see coming. Undead is gruesome and fun Australian horror. Make it your 'Catch of the Day'.