I Am Legend is a good movie, but there's a better version out there, one that prioritizes themes of isolation, faith, and grief over conventional action and deus ex machina.
Couldn't have reviewed this film an better myself. Up until you see the ridiculously fake-looking mutants, it's an absolute masterpiece. One of the best apocalyptic epics ever, that gets replaced by a contrived religious message down the track.
The only way you get a version of the movie you truly want is if Will Smith isn't the star during his reign of popularity. Or if Smith is doing a smaller, art-house movie directed by some independent who's goal is to capture the solitary of the world and not produce that Christmas season's blockbuster film. WB simply won't allow it especially since they were hoping to franchise this world and make a few more.
I know you reference not knowing the source material. In the book, he is the last man on earth. Everyone else is infected, but the infection doesn't make the creatures in the movie. Instead, they are vampires who form a society, and their main issue is the last man on earth who is hunting and killing them. The vampires can speak, reason, and basically do everything one does in society. They're just vampires now. The reason Neville sees himself as a legend and the title of the book is I Am Legend, is the way the vampire society sees him as the last surviving human. It may capture the feel you are looking for in this action movie.
Also, did you know this is the 3rd movie based on Matheson's book? In the 60s, Vincent Price stars in The Last Man on Earth and that screenplay is actually co-written by the book's author. It might be closer to what you are looking for as an isolation piece. It is on Prime for free but since the movie is so old, there are other places to stream it for free. In the '70s, Heston starred in Omega Man, which takes the idea of I Am Legend but then changes everything else up. In fact, so much is changed, that Matteson says the movie is so unlike his book he has no issues with it. But it also has the feel of isolationism that Smith's version captures so well at the beginning. In fact, there are a few scenes that seem to pay homage to Omega Man in Smith's movie.
Couldn't have reviewed this film an better myself. Up until you see the ridiculously fake-looking mutants, it's an absolute masterpiece. One of the best apocalyptic epics ever, that gets replaced by a contrived religious message down the track.
The only way you get a version of the movie you truly want is if Will Smith isn't the star during his reign of popularity. Or if Smith is doing a smaller, art-house movie directed by some independent who's goal is to capture the solitary of the world and not produce that Christmas season's blockbuster film. WB simply won't allow it especially since they were hoping to franchise this world and make a few more.
I know you reference not knowing the source material. In the book, he is the last man on earth. Everyone else is infected, but the infection doesn't make the creatures in the movie. Instead, they are vampires who form a society, and their main issue is the last man on earth who is hunting and killing them. The vampires can speak, reason, and basically do everything one does in society. They're just vampires now. The reason Neville sees himself as a legend and the title of the book is I Am Legend, is the way the vampire society sees him as the last surviving human. It may capture the feel you are looking for in this action movie.
Also, did you know this is the 3rd movie based on Matheson's book? In the 60s, Vincent Price stars in The Last Man on Earth and that screenplay is actually co-written by the book's author. It might be closer to what you are looking for as an isolation piece. It is on Prime for free but since the movie is so old, there are other places to stream it for free. In the '70s, Heston starred in Omega Man, which takes the idea of I Am Legend but then changes everything else up. In fact, so much is changed, that Matteson says the movie is so unlike his book he has no issues with it. But it also has the feel of isolationism that Smith's version captures so well at the beginning. In fact, there are a few scenes that seem to pay homage to Omega Man in Smith's movie.
Good post, and hang in there.