28 Years Later Review – A Bleak, Brutal Return to Rage-Fueled Zombies

I think I need to start being more careful about getting hyped. I mean, I’m glad 28 Years Later exists. I’m glad Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are back. I’m glad we’re seeing zombies (or infected, if we’re being technical) taken seriously again. But still, there’s a tiny part of me that walked out of the theater thinking “that’s it?”.

Let me be clear right away. This is a solid follow-up to 28 Days Later. It’s the kind of movie I’ve been missing. That grounded, fast, grimy kind of infection story that makes your stomach drop and heart race. We’ve gotten so many zombie-adjacent shows and movies over the years, but very few have the same bite as the rage virus. And 28 Years Later? It has bite. Not always deep, but it still leaves a mark.

The opening pulls you in fast. Not quite as haunting as the deserted London in the original or as brutal as the first scene in 28 Weeks Later (which the plot points from that movie are ignored here), but it sets the tone. Things are bad. Bleak, even. There’s a chase scene early on that reminded me just how terrifying the infected can be when they’re done right. And later, there’s a moment involving a temple made of bones that I’m still thinking about (apparently the name of the sequel is called The Bone Temple, so it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the last of it). 

Even though this is the start of a new trilogy, it doesn’t feel like a setup movie. 28 Years Later tells a full story. You could walk into this without knowing anything about the last two movies and be fine. Sure, knowing what the rage virus is helps, but it’s not like there’s deep lore homework required. And if you’ve seen 28 Days Later a hundred times like I have (an exaggeration), it’s kind of refreshing that it doesn’t lean hard on nostalgia. It moves forward, even if the world feels stuck in a cycle of infection and collapse.

Let’s talk about infection. Or maybe mutated infected. There are new takes here, which I won’t spoil, but they definitely shake up the formula. I do wish the movie dug a little deeper into the mutations instead of seemingly saving it all for the next entry. There’s just enough shown to be cool, to build out some intense chase and fight scenes, but not enough to feel fully explored. That’s maybe my biggest gripe with 28 Years Later. I don’t mind that there’s a sequel. I just don’t want to feel like I’m watching a placeholder at times.

As for the cast, Ralph Fiennes stood out for me. His character isn’t flashy, but he has this calm energy that makes him instantly likable. Just feels like a guy I’d want to hang out with and talk about literally anything except the world ending. Nobody else really left a lasting impression, but nothing felt off either. The performances did what they needed to do, which in a movie like this is mostly running, bleeding, and trying not to get torn apart.

What really works, though, is that this feels like a Danny Boyle zombie movie again. You can see it in the pacing, in the camera work, in how the chaos never feels polished. It’s not trying to be sleek. It’s messy and wild and loud when it needs to be. Alex Garland’s fingerprints are there too. The bleak tone, the bits of existential dread, and the ending that doesn’t care whether you feel good or not when the credits roll.

And that’s another thing. This movie ends on a note that’s not going to sit right with everyone. It’s sad, it’s open, and it definitely points towards the next chapter. But at the same time, 28 Years Later does work on its own. I respect that. I’d much rather have a story that sticks to its tone than one that forces a happy ending just because a sequel is coming.

Now, if you’re coming in as a massive zombie fan but not a huge 28 Days Later person, this might land a little differently. It’s got the energy and the dread, but it might not have the staying power for everyone. It’s definitely a theater-worthy experience though. This is one of those movies where you can feel the tension in the air with everyone around you. I think it’ll be talked about for a bit, at least until The Bone Temple drops. It won’t be forgotten. It just might not be obsessed over the way the original was.

If nothing else, 28 Years Later reminded me that there’s still gas in the tank when it comes to this genre. Not everything needs to be fast, loud, and smooth. Sometimes it just needs to be desperate and angry and a little ugly. And this one is.

*UPDATED* THE REVIEW HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THAT 28 WEEKS LATER IS STILL CANON. AN INTERVIEW CONFIRMED IT IS CANON, BUT THE MOVIE JUST IGNORES ITS PLOT POINTS.