Time: 115 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Bloody violence, horror, offensive language, nudity & content that may disturb
Cast:
Alfie Williams as Spike
Jodie Comer as Isla
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie
Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian Kelson
Director: Danny Boyle

28 Years Later was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025. I personally regard 2002’s 28 Days Later as one of the best zombie movies. It did get a sequel in 28 Weeks Later, but it surprisingly didn’t get a 28 Months Later, and it was assumed that the franchise was done. So it’s a surprise that nearly 20 years after the last movie, we are getting another sequel. It has a really great cast with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes but most notably, 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are returning to the franchise. I had high hopes based on the talent involved and with its amazing trailers, and 28 Years Later turned out to be far better than I thought it would be.

While it does carry over the concept of the virus and zombies and how the infection works from the previous films, 28 Years Later is largely a standalone movie. While I’d highly recommend watching 28 Days Later, you can just go into this new movie without any issue. Compared to 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later feels far more in line with the original film, while being original and going in its own unique direction. The oppressiveness and bleakness of this world is conveyed very well with a strong atmosphere, and even the occasional humour works really well here. I also really like the worldbuilding and how they expand on things, especially with the different forms of infected people that we get to see. It finds a way to be creative and inventive even within the zombie genre. It’s certainly a weird movie and might not be what you expect if you thought you’d get a standard zombie film. The excellent trailers do a wonderful job at not spoiling anything from the movie and I really recommend going into this one blind. It goes in different directions which you don’t expect. It’s such an empathetic, intimate and human movie about life and death which hits hard, especially in its third act. Watching 28 Years Later, you can really tell that Boyle and Garland actually had something they wanted to say and convey with this movie, they weren’t just making a sequel to one of their most popular films. The ending will throw a lot of people off; it has quite a tonal whiplash but it’s also very much a sequel hook. 28 Years Later is the first film of a planned trilogy, with the second movie being helmed by Nia DaCosta and titled The Bone Temple, and the third movie being helmed by Danny Boyle. At the very least, this ending has me very intrigued to see what comes next.

28 Years Later also benefits from some incredible performances. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is stellar and gives career-best work, Jodie Comer is heartfelt and vulnerable, and Ralph Fiennes delivers an unexpectedly tender performance that has to rank amongst his most memorable roles. However, the standout is probably Alfie Williams in his debut feature film performance. He is absolutely fantastic, especially considering the amount that’s put on him. This movie is his character’s story, we see his relationship with his parents, how he reacts and changes to everything he sees and learns. Williams conveys all of this excellently and he is truly phenomenal here.

Danny Boyle returns to the 28 Days Later franchise and he hasn’t missed a beat. It is very distinctly his style and his work is outstanding. The cinematography is fantastic and beautiful, and the camerawork and editing is very inventive and experimental. It utilises POV, drones and plenty of other techniques that are outstanding, especially when it comes to the action sequences. It delivers on being brutal, grotesque, gnarly and grimy with amazing makeup and effects, and I really like the different kinds of zombies they show here. While it doesn’t have John Murphy’s iconic music from the previous two movies, it has an incredible score from Young Fathers, which fits the film perfectly.

28 Years Later is an intense, frenetic, and surprisingly empathetic and moving zombie horror, with phenomenal and creative direction, and outstanding performances. One of the best “legacy sequels”, one of the best zombie movies I’ve seen, and one of the best movies of the year. I’m excited to watch the next movies in this planned trilogy.