In 2002, 28 Days Later hit cinemas, and the zombie genre was reborn. Yet, technically, Danny Boyle’s film was never a zombie flick. In a terrifying twist, these red-eyed, blood-spewing monsters weren’t the slow-moving undead, but fast, ferocious human beings infected by the ‘rage virus’.
Following the smash hit, a sequel, 28 Weeks Later, arrived in 2007. Yet without Boyle behind the camera – or Alex Garland’s script – it didn’t quite capture the same magic…or horror.
Now, we finally have the third film, 28 Years Later. The virus has been contained to Britain, which has been quarantined and left to fend for itself. The story focuses on a community of survivors living on the heavily fortified island of Lindisfarne – aka Holy Island. Connected to the mainland by a tidal causeway, and defended fiercely by the residents, the island is an infected-free haven.
The islanders have built a thriving rural community – albeit a strange one. Picture the folksy oddness of The Wicker Man combined with tankard-clanking rural cheer, wartime patriotism, Arthurian knights, and a tattered St. George flag fluttering above, and you get a sense of the unique island ambience. It all feels very medieval: there’s no electricity, the women prepare the food, and the men carve weapons and hunt with bows and arrows. Reverting to tradition was how these people survived the virus that ravaged the rest of the UK. But they’re not just surviving, they’re thriving. They even brew their own beer.
The story follows 12-year-old Spike (Alfie William) as he heads to the mainland to kill his first infected – a rite of passage for boys on the island. Accompanied by his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), we first see the infected through his eyes – but these are not the same mindless monsters from the first two films. These creatures have morphed into two distinct species: bloated, hairless, slow-movers that crawl pathetically across the ground; and the faster, more familiar infected.
It’s the latter you need to watch out for – particularly the naked, towering Alphas, who are stronger, speedier, and smarter than the others. Whereas the infected from the first films might have bitten your face off, these monsters will tear your head from your neck. Gruesomely, they’ll manage to rip your spine out with it, too. Spike’s first encounters with the mainland – and the infected – make up the first part of the film, and while the danger feels visceral, it’s also visually stunning. The highlight is a chase scene involving an Alpha pounding after Jamie and Spike, which is unbearably tense.
But then the film switches gears. Back on the island, Spike’s mother, Isla (Jodie Comer), is suffering from a debilitating illness that affects her mood and memory, and Spike’s detached father doesn’t seem very invested in her recovery. So, when he learns of a ‘real’ doctor living on the mainland, Spike decides to come to the rescue. He leaves the safety of the island – mother in tow – for the treacherous mainland, on a quest to find the supposedly ‘insane’ doctor he hopes will cure her. But this time, his father isn’t there to protect him.
It’s this second part of the film that packs an emotional punch. The always-impressive Jodie Comer is excellent, and newcomer Alfie Williams holds his own – not just against Comer, but heavyweights like Ralph Fiennes, too. Fiennes’ Dr Kelton, the doctor that Spike’s searching for, is a wonderful character. Nearly naked, shaven-headed, and with glowing orange skin (“Excuse my appearance, I paint myself in iodine,” he blithely informs our heroes when he meets them), he turns out to be the most intriguing (and humane) character in the film.
What ensues is both more gruesome and moving than the events of the first two films. Severed heads (with the aforementioned dangling spines) are shown on camera for uncomfortably long times; corpses are burned, and the skin and hair scrubbed from the skulls. But Kelton’s initially sinister-looking ‘Bone Temple’ is evocative rather than disturbing; it’s his Memento Mori, a reminder that everyone will die. And, while there’s plenty of humour in the second half, there are also moments of deep sadness and anguish.
This film feels profoundly different from the first two, both in style and story. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, and it isn’t without fault. The pacing feels off at times, some elements are too absurd (pregnant infected??), and the ending is…how can I put this?…absolutely bonkers. The evolution of the infected may not appeal to fans of the first two films, either. But Boyle should be applauded for such a bold vision, and for making a film that’s as beautiful as it is brutal. Many horror sequels are bland, formulaic, and forgettable. This is not one of them.
(If you’re a fan of 28 Years Later, you’ll be glad to hear it’s the intended first in a new trilogy. The second part, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, has already been filmed and is scheduled for release in 2026.)
28 Years Later is showing in UK cinemas now.
Are you planning to watch 28 Years Later? If so, we’d love to know what you think in the comments below.