Alex Garland rose to prominence in 1996 when his debut novel The Beach became an international bestseller. The book was made into a movie in 2000, with Leonardo DiCaprio starring and Danny Boyle directing.
While Garland didn’t write the screenplay for The Beach (John Hodge did), it was his entry point into the movie business. He would go on to write the next movie for director Danny Boyle (28 Days Later).
Even though The Beach lacks his direct involvement, my relationship with that movie is somewhat emblematic of my relationship with Garland’s work as a whole: I want to like it more than I actually like it.
That being said, almost every movie Garland touches has my interest. I like the cerebral nature of the stories he tells, the end product just doesn’t always completely work for me.
But when it does work—as it does with his best movie Ex Machina (which he wrote, directed, and received a best original screenplay nomination for)—it slaps. Which is probably why I keep going back to the Garland well no matter the results.
Beyond Ex Machina, which I feel like everyone already knows and loves, here are three of my favorite Garland joints:
1. Dredd (2012)
If you hear the title and your brain loops back to the 1995 cheese fest Judge Dredd starring Sly Stallone, it’s time to rewire. This is one of the most underrated action movies of the 2000s. Unlike the 1990s version, Garland’s script gives this Dredd grit and intensity—with a story that’s part video game and part The Raid: Redeemption. The film’s star Karl Urban has said that Garland also basically directed this movie (though he is uncredited), and the movie definitely has a unique (and beautiful) visual flair. Too many people haven’t seen this one; I’m continually surprised it hasn’t built up more of a following.
2. Civil War (2024)
One of A24’s biggest hits, this one is worth the price of admission for the Jesse Plemmons scene alone—which is intense, thrilling, and pitch-perfectly written and performed. While this movie taps into the discourse and division of our current moment—Garland said he started writing it a few months after COVID arrived and a few months before the Trump/Biden election—it’s also just a great journalism movie. Rather than focus on the fighters and why they are fighting, Garland focuses on the need to objectively document what’s taking place, so that we the people can extract the truth from the stacks of bullshit constantly being dumped on us.
3. 28 Years Later (2025)
With 28 Days Later, Garland introduced the (then) novel concept of fast zombies in 2002. This legacy sequel reteams Garland with director Danny Boyle for the third time (the two also worked on Sunshine, which cannot be mentioned without talking about its soul-crushing third-act collapse) to move the story in some new and surprising directions. Both Garland and Boyle feel energized and experimental here, breathing new life into the zombie genre. Along with giving a substantial amount of screen time to a giant zombie dong that is probably lying poolside somewhere receiving residuals, the movie also serves up a truly meaty part for Ralph Fiennes (who reprises it again in The Bone Temple).