"Seven--six--eleven--five--nine-an'-twenty mile to-day -- Four--eleven--seventeen--thirty-two the day before -- (Boots--boots--boots--boots--movin' up an' down again!) There's no discharge in the war!"
Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle returns to the genre he helped define with 28 Years Later, an intense and haunting new chapter in the 28 Days universe. Reuniting with Academy Award-nominated writer Alex Garland, Boyle elevates "auteur horror" to thrilling new heights, blending the raw, visceral terror fans loved in the original film with deeper explorations of survival, human nature, and the consequences of prolonged isolation.
Set nearly thirty years after the catastrophic release of the rage virus from a biological weapons laboratory, the world remains a nightmarish, quarantined wasteland. Governments fell, cities crumbled, and the infected (you know them as zombies) became a relentless, inescapable plague. Yet, amidst the chaos, pockets of humanity endure.
One such group of survivors has carved out a fragile existence on a secluded island they lovingly call Holy Island. The Holy Islanders live by a code of strict rules, their lives defined by the constant threat of infection but more so by the moral compromises required to stay safe.
Their island is connected to the infected mainland of England by a single, heavily fortified causeway that reveals itself for only a few hours a day during low tide. When firewood or other supplies are needed, a party will arm themselves with spears, knives, or bows and arrows and venture to the mainland. Upon their departure, they are warned that should they fail to return, a search party will not be sent to their rescue.
There’s also a rite of passage held sacred by the islanders whereby young boys are taken to the mainland to learn how to hunt the infected. This is where we meet the story’s twelve-year old protagonist Spike (Alfie Williams) who is taken to the mainland by his father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals) against the wishes of the family’s ailing matriarch, Isla (a wonderful Jodie Comer, Free Guy).
As the adventure unfolds, a chilling turn is revealed when a mission to the mainland plunges Spike into the decayed remnants of human civilization where secrets long buried begin to surface. What he discovers is more horrifying than the raving infected themselves. The mainland harbors not only mutated, more terrifyingly advanced infected but survivors twisted by years of distrust and desperation.
Under Boyle's masterful direction, 28 Years Later transcends the traditional zombie narrative not only by his mold-breaking fast-moving zombies, and shooting large segments of the film on an iPhone 15 ProMax, but also by focusing on atmosphere and psychological dread as much as on adrenaline-pumping action.
And make no mistake - this is a bloody and nasty film with copious amounts of blood-letting, limb-chopping, and flesh-eating gore. You can smell the stench. If you are even the least bit squeamish, be prepared to cover your eyes. The baby-birthing scene by an infected is enough to run most out of the theater. But most importantly Boyle’s film arouses an enormous amount of emotion and sympathy. We actually give a damn about his characters – something that’s very crucial, yet largely missing in most horror films.
With his lastest, Warfare and now 28 Years, Garland is having quite the year. His writing, known for its sharp intellect and emotional weight, gives the film a poignant commentary on humanity's capacity for resilience and self-destruction. Together, he and Boyle deliver a totally immersive story that leaves us gripping our seats while simultaneously asking us what lines we would cross to survive in an unforgiving world.
Despite a slightly sagging middle section, and a heavy-handed setup for a sequel, prepare yourself for an experience that is equal parts terrifying and thought-provoking, as Boyle and Garland offer a grim, unflinching look into a world where hope, in even the smallest measure, comes at the highest cost.
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 115 mins
Director: Danny Boyle
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Jodie Comer; Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Ralph Fiennes
Genre: Horror | Thriller
Tagline: In 28 days it began. In 28 weeks it spread. In 28 years it evolved.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Official Site: https://28yearslater.movie/
Release Date: June 20, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors.
