28 Years Later (Review)

 28 Days Later came out... 23 years ago! Almost hit the mark but that's alright. If you somehow don’t know but 28 Days Later is a zombie flick directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland in 2002. Call it a cult movie or just a simply great film that has a fresh take on the zombie. Instead of the mindless dredging horde, these zombies can run, they’re full of rage, and they will rip any human to shreds. 

To sum up my thoughts on it real quick: I love the film and very much appreciate what this did to reinvent the zombie. It’s a fascinating character study on what society would look like when the government has failed in the wake of a zombie outbreak and a country (the United Kingdom) is suddenly left to their own devices as Infected roam the streets. It’s great stuff. Particularly because of Cillian Murphy and Brendan Gleeson’s performances. Wonderful, no notes. 

Anyway, you get a successful film and you suddenly you have a franchise in your hands. What happens after 28 Days Later? 28 Weeks Later! Which is also a fine film but noticeably different to the original. Still worth checking out though. 28 Months Later was announced after the sequel but… sometimes Hollywood tends to drag its feet when it comes to following up on projects and 28 Months Later was one of those casualties. 

Following some business jargon, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland return to the franchise twenty-three years later with… 28 Years Later. In this sequel, the UK has been a quarantine zone for the past quarter-century and civilization in this zone has adapted to hordes of Infected running around. The setting is on this small island with a causeway that connects to mainland England when the tides come in and out, explaining why the Infected haven’t decimated this particular community. 

The story then follows a boy named Spike and the movie is essentially a coming-of-age story on this boy finding his place in the world and coming to terms with life among the Infected and with death. That’s about as much of a plot I want to reveal as the story should be enjoyed firsthand. 

I didn’t expect the story to feel so independent. It’s like I was watching a lower budget movie that had to make do with money with a great story. This movie explores a lot of ideas. On the human side, it explores not only the bleak nihilism of the first movie, but adds this element of compassion towards not only humans but compassion toward the Infected. They are still human after all. The series seems to take (good) notes from The Last of Us when it comes to post-apocalyptic stories centering around the human conflicts rather than zombie scary time.  

Another great idea that was touched upon was the idea that the infected evolved to have a new social construct and having leadership like certain packs of animals. Someone has to plan the hunt, right? I would also explore how different infected would evolve to their backgrounds. What if an Infected can’t really hunt? Well then zombies that crawl on the ground and suitable food from the ground in worms, bugs, etc. I won’t explain further, but it’s gross and I love it! 

The second act turns into this mystery film surrounding the sickness of one of the characters. To avoid spoilers, I won’t get into this particular plot either. If you know me and have seen this movie, it hits PINPOINT PRECISELY of what I’m going through with my family at the moment. The reveal and resolve of this problem was handled with such a tenderness and beauty and compassion that I couldn’t help but to cry. I was nearly thankful for the feeling because it reminded me that I can still feel and that I can still feel good things in the wake of death and a renewed sense of living. I was just expecting a zombie flick, not a nuanced take on death and love. The Bone Temple. What a place, indeed. 

The downside to this film is some Boyleisms here and there. Some technical shots that were kind of distracting and some directorial choices were… questionable. Some Boyleisms are great while others just didn’t land for me. Especially those last three minutes or so. I REALLY didn’t care for the tonal whiplash. The whole film works as a family drama wit horror, drama, and a seriousness to its themes and quiet meditations on what the characters are going through. 

Then the ending came and it’s so goofy basically a different genre to the rest of the film. I was actually still in my sit, wiping away tears from the emotional climax of the film and went, “... what the fuck???” because of where they decided should be the last note. It was so damn strange. I’m sure it fits the context of the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, in January, but what the hell, man? 

However, the ending didn’t soil the film for me much. It’s only midway through the year, but this is definitely within my Top 3 of ‘25 so far. Absolutely #1 for horror, too. Check it out!