28 Years Later
Drama
Review: ‘28 Years Later’ is a Hard-Hitting Sequel that Explores the Emotional and Psychological Fallout of Living in a Zombie Apocalypse
June 19, 2025Ben MK
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George A. Romero may have invented the zombie genre with 1968's Night of the Living Dead, but it was Danny Boyle who revolutionized it for mainstream audiences over three decades later. With 2002's 28 Days Later, Boyle not only reinvigorated the fan-favorite horror concept — transforming the once slow-moving undead into fast-running "infected" — he paved the way for future genre entries like Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland and Train to Busan. Now, 23 years after shocking moviegoers with one of the most iconic zombie films of all time, Boyle is back with a long overdue followup. But does this third entry in the franchise make the return to quarantined Britain worth the wait? Set in 2030, the story follows 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), a boy who's never known about the world that existed before the terror of the Rage Virus. Unlike his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and ailing mother, Isla (Jodie Comer), who lived through the outbreak that all but decimated the U.K., Spike has spent his whole life in a small village called Holy Island, isolated from the mainland and the horrors that dwell beyond its gates. For him, civilization is a simple place free of modern technology and all the distractions that come along with it. However, now that Spike is on the verge of becoming a teenager, Jamie has decided to take his son on an expedition to experience the mainland for himself. Journeying by foot through the dense wilderness that lies just steps from shore, Jamie and Spike encounter new breeds of infected, from bloated, worm-eating ones to the now familiar fast-moving ones. Most terrifying of all, though, is the Alpha, a subspecies of infected for whom the Rage Virus has had a surprising effect, making them stronger and virtually unstoppable. Incurring the wrath of one particular Alpha named Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), Jamie and Spike must somehow find a way to escape the mainland and make their way back home. But even after doing so, will that be the end of the cycle of violence? Frustrated by the fact that his mother's health has been worsening and no one on the Holy Island has been able to diagnose her affliction, Spike decides to seek out the help of a reclusive former doctor named Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). But when they find Kelson deep within the mainland's forests, will they be prepared for what he has become in the decades since society has crumbled? Obsessed with constructing a morbid memorial to the victims of the Rage Virus — one comprised of the skulls and bones of the dead — Kelson has gone years without speaking to another soul, a solitary existence that has only served to make him a cautionary tale for the denizens of Holy Island. For Alfie and Isla, however, Kelson may just be their only hope. And when Samson catches up with them, it's Kelson who will stand between them and certain death. Written once again by Alex Garland, who marks his long-awaited reunion with Boyle after embarking on his own successful directing career, the result doesn't quite follow in the footsteps of Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Instead, 28 Years Later takes more of a slow-burn and dramatic approach, carefully exploring the psychological and emotional fallout of the Rage Virus, making it feeling more in theme with the original movie rather than its action-packed successor. Make no mistake, there's still a decent amount of zombie action, with a fair number of gory kills and brutally bloody set pieces. If you're going into this threequel expecting something of a lightning-paced horror thriller, however, you might be in for a disappointment. Either way, Boyle and Garland have certainly found an intriguing way to navigate around the usual pitfalls of such a decades-later sequel. For not only does 28 Years Later feel like a worthy and hard-hitting followup to a genre classic, it also introduces new characters and new narrative tangents that help build the anticipation for what the duo has in store for the series' next two installments. Suffice to say, this definitely isn't your ordinary zombie epic. And for fans of 28 Days Later, that should be music to undead ears. 28 Years Later releases June 20th, 2025 from Sony Pictures. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, graphic nudity, language and brief sexuality. Its runtime is 1 hr. 55 min. |
