Wow. Let me start off by saying I expected this to be good but not this good. Danny Boyle returned to this series and gave zombie fans something new to love. Ever since the first trailer dropped, I knew it was going to be good.
28 Years Later follows a small group of survivors of the Rage Virus have taken refuge on a remote island, cut off from the devastated mainland. But when one of them ventures back to the mainland on a critical mission, he uncovers unsettling truths, strange marvels, and terrifying evolutions/mutations that have transformed not only the infected, but the survivors who remain. The story mainly follows a kid named Spike who goes out of the island for the first time to gain experience of what it’s like to destroy the infected with his father. In his life, it was the first step to becoming a man.
We also see that the mother is very sick. At first you may wonder if she’s infected or not but it turns out she was battling something on her own that would be too powerful for her child to understand at the time.
The score was incredible—anchored by a droning, atmospheric sound that felt fresh and unfamiliar for a horror film. It created real tension, and for the first time in a while, I actually felt genuine suspense while watching. The cinematography was also a standout. During zombie kills, there was this unique freeze-frame effect that would cut to a new angle of the action and it was striking and it really complemented the film’s visual style and direction. I thought it all worked beautifully. I loved it.
Some of the shots in this film were just stunning—beautifully framed, gritty, and haunting in all the right ways. As a huge zombie fan, I was seriously impressed. The filmmakers clearly knew what they were doing, and it shows in every frame. The atmosphere, the pacing, the kills—everything just clicked. 2025 has already delivered some massive horror hits, and this one easily ranks among the best so far. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves smart, stylish zombie horror.
And for everyone wondering, is Cillian Murphy going to be in 28 Years Later? No he’s not. Although there is a zombie that sort of has a resemblance of his character it’s not him. It is rumored that he will have some part in the next film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and then a bigger role with the third film of this new trilogy. We will see how it goes but it is off to a great start.
Without spoiling anything, Ralph Fiennes was amazing in this. He’s great in just about anything. He plays a doctor who decided to stay closer to the mainland and build his bone temple amongst the dead out of human skulls and other remains. An extremely graphic but awesome scene.
You really feel for the characters in this film. I can’t wait for this to come out on 4k, so I can rewatch it. I will say one of my favorite parts is the speech. I was biting my nails during it. Great work all around and excited to see where this goes. An ending I can see most people not expecting but I find it fitting, and think it works with my style of movies that I enjoy!
Go and check this out. For sure better than the previous film, 28 Weeks Later (2007) and I am not sure they retcon that film completely, but it’s very fitting with the first installment that started this whole thing, 28 Days Later (2002). Really loved this one.
