Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later is, on many levels, an impressive continuation of the franchise's innovative horror worldbuilding. While 28 Days Later explores the Rage virus's initial decimation of the U.K., and 28 Weeks Later explores a second outbreak, 28 Years Later follows what's become of those left stranded on quarantined Great Britain, or at least in a small island town of survivors. It's gorgeously shot and boasts great world-building and solid tension, but there is substantial tonal and narrative dissonance between the film's different sections.
28 Days Later (which was incredibly hard to stream for a while) changed the game for zombie-style films, creating a high-speed and science-based threat in the dangerous, aggressive Infected. Weeks gives audiences a window into what's become of the U.K. and continental Europe in the aftermath of the new infection wave. We learn that the Infected reaching Europe were easily pushed back, but the U.K. has been quarantined wholesale, leaving isolated, low-tech communities in hardship.
28 Years Later shows what's become of the Infected and the people stranded in their proximity, but the bulk of this new story centers on a singular family in crisis. It's a coming-of-age story of sorts that leads directly into the simultaneously shot follow-up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, coming out January 16, 2026.
28 Years Later Is A Stealth Coming-Of-Age Tale
Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) lives in the aforementioned island community with his ill wife Isla (Jodie Comer) and their 12-year-old son Spike (Alfie Williams). Early into the film, Jamie takes Spike inland for his first Infected kill, a ritual usually reserved for the town's teenagers.
The pair sees an unexpected flame in the distance, they have a few close calls, and return home in celebration. Spike realizes that the fire comes from the residence of the mysterious (and rumored to be insane) Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a man spoken of in hushed tones.
The boy decides to sneak off with his mother in hopes of getting her treatment for whatever's ailing her. The ill-advised decision to trek into the main island is believably tense, given that the lad's barely had one successful foray into Infected territory. Now he's in charge of leading his ailing mother, who suffers both pain and a disconnection from reality.
The journey is aided by two human characters who effectively split it into two. First, they're momentarily aided by a stranded Swedish soldier who adds considerable comic relief, shepherding the pair through a train where Isla decides to help an Infected woman give birth to what seems to be a healthy child, before being chased by an Alpha towards Dr. Kelson's Bone Temple. The second, of course, is the mysterious Doctor himself.
28 Years Later Is Intriguing, Gorgeous, But The Narrative Is Dissonant
The narrative of 28 Years Later is effectively cleaved into different sections, each with wildly different tones. The first leg sets up Spike's coming-of-age moment, his tension with Jamie, and the mother's undiagnosed but debilitating illness. It's the film's scariest section (earning it its R-rating), showcasing the might of the new Alpha Infected, while also exhibiting the beauty of a retaken nature. Aaron Taylor-Johnson gives a commanding performance as Jamie, trying to be a good father despite the obvious tension of Isla's condition.
Alfie Williams is exceptional as Spike, still clearly a child, yet being thrust into dangerous situations. Jodie Comer gives a strong performance as Isla, though occasionally the scripting of her character's episodes feels forced, causing issues at times or being entirely absent based on whatever the plot needs her to do.
Ralph Fiennes is electric as the mysterious, kind, eccentric Doctor, though his beautifully shot section feels a tad like a section of an entirely different film cut into this one as Spike, Isla, and Dr. Kelson get to wax poetic on the topic of death.
28 Years Later has some exceptional moments. Every scene between Spike and Jamie is strong. The new Alphas are terrifying. Fiennes' Doctor is curious and powerful. The finale introduces Jimmy (Jack O'Connell) and his cultish band of tracksuit-wearing Infected killers, giving the story's final act a burst of electricity that bodes well for the film's follow-up. The performances are top-notch across the board.
That said, too much of 28 Years Later rests on arbitrary choices. Spike was terrified on the main island, but simply decides to go rogue with his often ill mother when it doesn't make sense. She stops to deliver a baby in a deadly situation just because, and her illness manifests or doesn't based on whatever moves the plot from one point to another.
It's full of big ideas, gorgeous imagery, and strong performances backing cool characters. It's also a hefty hodgepodge of ideas and shifting tones, and sudden character decisions and plot contrivances make Spike's quest to take his mother inland feel like we're following a side quest, not the main story.
Final Rating: 7/10
28 Years Later releases in theaters on Friday, June 20, 2025.
