In 28 Years Later, we pick up 28 years after a global zombie apocalypse. In that time, the zombies have been successfully quarantined to the UK. We follow 12 year old Spike (Alfie Williams), who lives in an isolated community off the coast with his dying mom (Jodie Comer) and a-hole dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When he learns of a doctor on the infested mainland who might be able to save his mom, a desperate Spike flees with his half-delirious mom in tow.
Danny Boyle is back in the director’s seat after six years. Alex Garland penns the screenplay. 28 Years Later marks the duo’s third time collaborating on a project. The last film they made together was 2007’s Sunshine, and it should go without saying both created 28 Days Later. With these two at the helm, how bad could 28 YEARS LATER possibly be? More on that later.
The cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle and editing by Jon Harris is *chef’s kiss*. The picture quality is mostly crisp and clear, and the editing is often sharp and fast. Some might find the furious pace of the editing during action scenes in particular to be nauseating, others might find it thrilling. 28 Years Later looks impeccable, and to think it was shot primarily on IPhones!
For 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle and Anthony Dod Mantle created a large rig capable of pointing 20 iPhone 15 Pro Max cameras at the intended subject. A 15 Pro Max was also used as the primary camera for the movie. It’s astounding to think that IPhones are capable of such quality.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Jamie. He is mostly in the first act, playing an unlikable jerk. He’s good in the role, but lacks any kind of an arc. Jodie Comer plays Isla, the dying mom. Though she spends much of the first act confined to her bed, much is asked of her later on. Her scenes can be inspiring, heart-breaking, and touching. Comer is one of the best parts of 28 Years Later.
Ralph Fiennes appears during the third act as a doctor who has gone a little loopy. Fiennes is good, but has had better roles and better performances. It doesn’t help that his doctor character borders on being camp, and doesn’t serve much of a purpose in the grand scheme of things. Maybe more will be revealed in future films? *Sigh*
Alfie Williams plays Spike, our lead. Spike is very well-written and acted. He does make some dumb decisions, but overall is a likable protagonist. Williams acts his heart out, and is a genuine pro. This is his first lead role in a film, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. Alfie Williams as Spike honestly might be the best part of this movie.
Young Fathers is in charge of the score for 28 Years Later and absolutely knock it out of the park. Their work is aggressively experimental, weaving in intense poems read aloud and rock or punk music at times. It’s an absolute work of art, and is definitely worthy of a listen on its own.
There is much that is deserving of recognition and praise in 28 Years Later. Unfortunately, all that glitters is not gold. There are some story telling issues throughout. The first act (which is ironically the best portion of this flick) feels unimportant in hindsight, or at least not as important as it feels like it should be. A good deal of the later acts is characters wandering around or waiting. There is still enough action and zombie scenes to keep you awake and invested, but this flick can definitely drag at times.
Another issue is that the film doesn’t really explore society/humanity as it functions and behaves 28 years later. The isolated community is interesting, with small hints about some sort of disturbing religion or rituals/practices. It’s also implied that there might be more to zombies than we thought. It’s hard not to be disappointed with the lack of world-building on display. What’s there is intriguing, but there should have been more.
And now, we come to the ending. Is it fair to punish a film just because its final 5 minutes was worse than you can put into words? It’s so bad, it makes every awesome minute that came before it immediately lose all meaning and worth. It’s baffling how the filmmakers fumbled the ball on the ending this badly! Like, what the fuck were you thinking?!
It would appear that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland might have approached 28 Years Later like it was the first 1/3 of a trilogy. This would explain why some characters lack arcs or development and why that abrupt and insulting cliffhanger is so bad. The big issue is, how do you expect audiences to get hyped for the upcoming sequel when you tease them with new, goofy leads in the literal final minutes?
So, is 28 Years Later one of the best of 2025? Oh boy, this one had potential. Unfortunately, no, it is not. For most of the film, 28 Years Later seems to be on a good, albeit occasionally bumpy, track. There is no coming back from that ending, though.
While the good far outweighs the bad here, the problems that are present threaten to completely sink the entire film right as it nears the finish line. In the end, 28 Years Later is a mostly enjoyable time with a few attempts at deeper messaging laced throughout. It could have been great, but a focus on future films hinders the storytelling, character development, and world building in the present.
3 STARS
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