What’s It About

It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory. Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of them decides to venture into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected, but other survivors as well.

MOVIESinMO REVIEW

28 Years Later tries to bring back the zombie magic from the original 2002 hit, but it mostly falls flat. Despite having the same director and writing team that made the first movie work, this third chapter feels more like a long setup for future movies than a complete story on its own. The movie takes place 28 years after the “rage virus” turned most of Britain into screaming, naked zombies. A small group of survivors lives safely on a remote island off Scotland’s coast. They hunt, gather food, and try to stay alive the old-fashioned way. The story follows Spike (Alfie Williams), a 12-year-old boy who lives with his dad Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and sick mom Isla (Jodie Comer). As part of growing up, Spike gets to go zombie hunting with his dad on the mainland. But when his mom gets sicker, Spike decides to find a mysterious doctor (Ralph Fiennes) who might have a cure. Danny Boyle knows how to make things look cool. The chase scenes get your heart pumping, and the zombie fights are intense and bloody. The movie was shot on iPhones, which gives it a raw, handheld feel that matches the first film’s style. Young Alfie Williams does a solid job as Spike. He shows both the innocence of a kid and the toughness needed to survive in this harsh world. Ralph Fiennes also stands out as the weird doctor who covers himself in iodine and lives surrounded by human skulls. The movie tries to say something deeper about survival, family, and what makes life worth living. It even touches on Brexit and isolation themes, though it doesn’t explore these ideas very well. The biggest problem is that nothing really flows together. The story jumps around without building up characters or relationships properly. One minute, you’re watching zombie action, the next, you’re getting heavy drama about family, and then suddenly, there’s weird religious stuff thrown in. The script feels scattered and confused. There’s a zombie baby subplot that makes no sense based on what we learned in earlier movies. There are random medieval war scenes that look like something from a Monty Python sketch. And don’t get started on the tracksuit-wearing religious fanatic who shows up out of nowhere. The movie spends too much time setting up future sequels instead of telling its own complete story. The ending doesn’t really wrap anything up – it just stops and basically says, “Wait for the next one.” What made the original 28 Days Later so good was its smart mix of zombie horror with real human emotions. It felt fresh and scary while also being about something important. This new movie tries to copy that formula but misses what made it special. The zombies aren’t very scary this time around. Some are slow and bloated, others are fast and aggressive, but none of them create the same sense of dread as the original infected people. The movie relies too much on gore and shock value instead of building real tension. The characters feel thin and underdeveloped. Jodie Comer, who’s usually great, barely gets anything to do as the sick mom. Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character makes decisions that don’t make much sense. Only Spike feels like a real person with real motivations. Visually, the movie has some interesting moments. Boyle uses his signature style of quick cuts and tilted camera angles to create energy. The iPhone footage gives everything a gritty, immediate feel that works for the apocalypse setting. But the editing feels choppy and jarring. Sometimes, it seems like the movie is glitching on purpose, like a scratched DVD. While this might be intentional, it’s more annoying than artistic. 28 Years Later is supposed to be the first movie in a new trilogy. That might explain why it feels incomplete – it’s basically a very long, very expensive trailer for what comes next. But that’s not fair to audiences who want a complete story, not just a setup. The movie also suffers from coming out so long after the original. Zombie movies have been everywhere for the past 20 years. What felt fresh and new in 2002 now feels tired and predictable. The film needed to bring something new to the table, but instead, it just repeats old tricks. 28 Years Later borders terrible, and it’s definitely disappointing. It has moments of excitement and some interesting ideas, but it never puts them together into something that really works. The movie feels like it’s more interested in being part of a franchise than being a good story on its own. If you’re a huge fan of the original movies, you might find some things to enjoy. But if you’re looking for a great zombie movie or even just a good thriller, you’d be better off rewatching the 2002 original or finding something else entirely. The movie feels like a missed chance. Given the talent involved, it should have turned out much better. Instead, it shows that sometimes it’s best to leave a good thing alone. Is it worth watching? Only if you’re really curious or if you want to see everything. Otherwise, skip it and save your time for something better.

OUR RATING – A MISSED THE MARK 2

MEDIA

• Genre – Action
• Street date
• Digital –July 29, 2025
• 4K/Blu-Ray/DVD – September 23, 2025
• Video – 1080p
• Screen size – 2.75:1
• Sound – English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English & French (Doublé au Québec) Audio Description Tracks 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles – English, English SDH, Spanish

Extras

• Days to Years
• Capturing the Chaos
• The Survivors
• Becoming The Infected
• Behind The Cameras