It feels like everywhere you turn in Hollywood these days, there’s another legacy sequel waiting in the wings. The grand return of a once-beloved franchise, revived after nearly two decades, ready for a new lease of life. You can almost picture the queue snaking out of a studio executive’s office, with only a few chosen titles getting the green light each year. This time, in 2025, it’s Danny Boyle’s turn. The world of 28 Days Later is back, only this time it’s not weeks, it’s 28 Years Later. So, what exactly does Boyle bring to the table after all this time?
A Whole Lot Can Happen ’28 Years Later’
Nearly 30 years after the outbreak, 28 Years Later drops us onto a small island colony that thrives with its limited access to the mainland. These survivors have now lived here for decades, only ever leaving the island via a land bridge that appears when the tide is low. On this island is a boy named Spike, played by Alfie Williams, whose learned just about everything he knows from his father, Jamie, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The two live with Jodie Comer’s character, Isla, Jamie’s wife and Spike’s mother, suffering from an unknown illness that can’t be treated due to the scarcity of doctors.
Now we don’t immediately meet these folks as the movie kicks off with a bit of a teaser for later on down the line, but the scene itself works well to set the tone for the film. It immediately lets its audience know that this is going to be a no-holds-barred zombie flick, well, that is only if you consider these zombies. It is a quite vicious sequence that sets a fast and harsh pace, one that continues to increase in severity over the course of the film. Without going into spoilers, some may think this sequence is misplaced, better suited for the sequel set to release next year, many may even forget about it just due to everything else going on, but in the grand scheme (this planned trilogy), its placement here is justified.
28 Years Later‘s cast is quite good and easy to keep track of since it isn’t that big of a cast, I mean, most of the people in the UK are dead or infected anyway. Taylor-Johnson surprisingly gets the least amount of screen time than you might expect, while Comer kind of takes over for him in the story. Comer is great in the film; she’s a fantastic actress, but I can’t help but feel she may not have been the best fit for the role just due to the calibre of her talent. She’s an important part of this story, but it just doesn’t feel like she was used to her potential. Ralph Fiennes delivers a quirky performance that proves the versatility of his talents. Going from playing Cardinal Lawrence in Conclave to an iodine-covered, possibly sole remaining doctor in the English countryside.
Also, just a quick note, whichever way you are expecting this movie to end? Throw those expectations out the window. I could not in a million years have guessed it, it’s pretty rad though. There’s something I’d love to compare it to that actually ties back to the first act, but if I said that, I’d be spoiling all the fun!
28 Years Ahead of Anyone Else in Hollywood
Danny Boyle must’ve slammed his face into a mountain of cocaine prior to shooting on this movie every day; that’s just how visceral his visual style is here. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a horror movie shot with such intensity in its camera movements, nevertheless, any movie shot this way. The innovation here is stunning; at first, it can come across as maybe just a tad bit jarring. Anything you’ve never seen before has a good chance at doing that. Once you get used to how Boyle uses these camera motions, you get addicted to it because you just want to see how it evolves throughout the film.
However, what makes 28 Years Later so much more chaotic is its editing. At times, it feels as if you’re being strapped to a chair and conditioned, with random footage of medieval warfare to completely unnerving infrared footage of the infected, their piercing bright red eyes staring into the camera. Others flock around food, tearing deer and humans to pieces, running, grunting, and shrieking. Its frenzied editing style elevates the films intensity tenfold, often coming out of nowhere, taking a sequence already overwhelming in its trepidation to a whole new level.
It also must be noted that 28 Years Later is gorgeous, beautifully shot and highlights the importance of filming on location. You just can’t bring to life such lush and deep environments on a soundstage like you can physically standing in it. The film makes use of old and forgotten architecture throughout Northumberland, as well as its large and at times intimidating forests that grow ferociously throughout the countryside.
Heartfelt at Its Core
One detail of this film that many may not see coming is just how much heart it has. Hidden behind a chilling and violent marketing campaign is a heartfelt family survival drama. To see the lengths a boy like Alfie, who’d only ever been on the mainland once, was willing to go to in an effort to find treatment for his mother’s illness, knowing the horrors that linger in the remnants of society. William’s performance as Alphie really is the standout of this film, as the lead, at times delivering such a heartbreaking performance while turning around and effortlessly bringing a strong sense of resilience to life through Alphie. You may not expect to go into this movie a shed a tear or two, but I bet there’s a good chance you don’t leave with dry eyes.
’28 Years Later’ – Final Thoughts
28 Years Later is an absolutely thrilling revival of the franchise, brought to life through expert and downright innovative filmmaking techniques. It’s an intense and unrelenting experience, leading you to fear every turn of a corner. Alphie Williams shines in his first lead role in a film, delivering a well-rounded performance alongside Comer, Johnson, and Fiennes. The film does a great job at establishing this world since the last time we saw it, it takes a few turns that some may not see coming, and an ending that really has me questioning what direction they could be taking this franchise in Nia DaCosta’s follow-up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
28 Years Later releases in theaters on June 20. Check out the trailer below:
