’28 Years Later’ Review: Still Infectiously Good

How long is a long time to wait for a sequel? Recently, we’ve waited 36 years for a Beetlejuice sequel, 36 years for a Top Gun sequel, 35 years for a Blade Runner sequel, and 30 years for a Mad Max sequel. This makes the 18 years since 28 Weeks Later seem like an afternoon nap, but considering they missed out on 28 Months Later, fans have been salivating. Well, the wait is over, and 28 Years Later is here.

After the events of 28 Days Later…, the entire British Isles were quarantined to keep the Rage virus off of mainland Europe. The survivors of the virus were left on the Isles to fend for themselves.

It is in this world that 28 Years Later takes place.

A small island off the coast of England has managed to keep the Rage virus away due to its only being accessible to the mainland through a causeway at low tide. This makes the island easily defensible against the Infected, but the residents of the isolated area must go across to the mainland to scavenge for supplies every so often, and this is considered a rite of passage by the small, Wicker Man-esque community. A young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams from His Dark Materials) has just turned 12, and his father, Jamie (Kraven the Hunter’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson), has decided his son should accompany him to the mainland to make his first kill of an Infected. But, while on the mainland, Spike learns that there are things there that interest him more.

While it may be hard to say that the previous 28 Weeks Later was a misfire, it’s great to have the original 28 Days Later… team of writer Alex Garland (Civil War, Warfare) and director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) back in the saddle for 28 Years Later. Garland’s thoughtful writing combined with Boyle’s unmistakable visual style gives the movie a unique feel, so it’s not just another tired old zombie flick. Like the other movies in the series, it’s mostly a journey movie, but it also tosses in bits of folk horror and coming-of-age drama.

And it’s this coming-of-age drama that may be the movie’s weakness. The setup and the first two acts are terrific, but once Spike sets out on his own, things start to fizzle a little. While on his initial trip to the mainland with his father, Spike learns about a doctor named Kelson (Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes) who may be able to help his sick mother, Isla (Jodie Comer from The Bikeriders). So, Spike risks everything to set out and find Kelson and, in turn, hopefully, some relief for his ailing parent. And Spike does find him. And the character of Kelson is extremely intriguing, but he’s introduced way too late, so the movie doesn’t really do anything with him. Which is strange, because if you’ve got Ralph Fiennes in your movie, why wouldn’t you use him?

So, 28 Years Later is two-thirds of a good movie. And while it doesn’t exactly fall apart in that third act, it does seem like it’s working with a different set of rules. The shift in tone is unsettling, and not in the way that one wants from a horror movie. It just feels like a new movie started before the last one ended. And it’s one that raises more questions than it answers.

Those who have been waiting patiently for this sequel will be satisfied…to a point. Indeed, 28 Years Later has more of the same action horror for which the franchise has become known. It falls somewhere squarely in between the scream-out-loud horror of 28 Days Later… and the philosophical thrills of 28 Weeks Later. But it’s not non-stop visceral fright. It’s more of a slow-burn horror movie.

Fans of the franchise will also be pleased with 28 Years Later’s ultimate ending, as it sets up (yet another) sequel. And…a keen look at IMDB shows that there is an upcoming 28 Years Later movie planned with Nia DaCosta (Candyman) set to direct. Which is good, for a couple of reasons. One, DaCosta is a fantastic filmmaker. And two, there are plenty more stories left in the 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later universe. So, hopefully, the questions raised by 28 Years Later will still eventually get answered in the near future.

GRADE: B

Rating: R for grisly images, graphic nudity, brief sexuality, language, and strong bloody violence
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Studio: Columbia Pictures

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