28 Years Later (UK/USA, 2025)

28 Years Later, the third film in the zombie-influenced series begun in 2002 with 28 Days Later and continued in 2007 with 28 Weeks Later, is a mix of generic and inspired elements. Only the unevenness of the proceedings and the lack of a clean ending keep this from greatness. The film’s awkward stopping point makes it questionable whether 28 Years Later can truly stand on its own untethered from the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is due in theaters in January 2026.

For roughly the first 45 minutes, the movie goes through the routines one might expect from a zombie movie – lots of chases, a few jump-scares, and several close calls. It all builds to a nail-biting race across a half-flooded tidal causeway (yes, I was thinking of the ford sequence from The Fellowship of the Ring). After that, though, the film takes a few minutes to decompress before moving on to a more daring second half. The most compelling character (this is a spoiler only if you haven’t seen the trailer) is Dr. Ian Kelson, a literate and self-aware survivalist played by Ralph Fiennes. His inclusion elevates the movie’s final 40 (or so) minutes…at least until things get really strange at the end.

Although I enjoyed 28 Days Later, I was unimpressed by the sequel and so wondered what the point was of revisiting this universe 18 years later. Although there are elements of interesting world-building in the early-going, much of the first act seemingly confirmed my suspicions that there wasn’t a lot of new territory to mine. Thankfully, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland eventually find a new direction for the story to turn.

After a short prologue set back in the time of the first movie, the movie jumps ahead by about a quarter century. The rage virus (a contagion that turns humans into zombies) has been contained to the U.K., which is under strict quarantine by the rest of the world. Those inside the quarantine zone are left to fend for themselves. 28 Years Later starts out on the small island of Lindisfarne, where a group of survivors have built a small, thriving community free from zombie interference. Although they mostly stay to themselves, they can use a heavily defended tidal causeway to reach the mainland during low tide for occasional scavenging forays.

For Spike (Alfie Williams), the 12-year old son of revered hunter Jamie (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) and his ill wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), a chance to join his father on an expedition is both exhilarating and terrifying. Things start out well with Spike being amazed at the vastness of the terrain, but an attack orchestrated by an Alpha – a zombie possessing incredible size, physical strength, and intellect – puts them in a precarious position. Later, after returning home, Spike learns of a physician, Dr. Kelson, who lives in the wild. Believing that Kelson might be able to help his increasingly sick mother (there are no doctors on the island), the boy spirits her away from the village without Jamie’s knowledge and seeks to navigate the dangers of the wilderness to reach the mysterious survivalist. Similarities to Kurtz from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness are surely intentional.

As the young protagonist, Alfie Williams gives a strong, credible performance, emphasizing Spike’s resilience and determination while simultaneously reminding viewers that he is only 12 years old and embodies the impulsiveness and vulnerability of an adolescent. Ralph Fiennes captivates – not only is his character fascinating but his portrayal, infused with an element of dark humor, is the best thing 28 Years Later has to offer. Neither Jodie Comer nor Aaron-Taylor Johnson has a lot to do; they represent familiar faces inhabiting ill-defined characters.

Although it won’t be possible to fully assess the movie until the release of the sequel (the curse of every multi-part installment), 28 Years Later offers decent entertainment in its own right: a few white-knuckle action sequences, copious zombie blood & gore, some surprisingly effective sentimentality, and the tremendous Fiennes performance. It does nothing to re-invent the genre, falling safely within all previously established parameters, but it takes the franchise in a potentially unheralded direction. It’s a step up from 28 Weeks Later but it remains to be seen whether Nia DaCosta is able to bring this chapter across the finish line.

28 Years Later (UK/USA, 2025)