'28 Years Later' Is Now Streaming. Is It as Good as the Original?

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Upon its release in 2003, Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later instantly and forever rewrote the rules of the zombie genre. After decades of lumbering undead, Boyle introduced us to the fast-moving zombies that would soon proliferate in Zack Snyder's remake of Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Walking Dead, World War Z, and countless less worthy imitators. (Boyle's monsters are technically 'the infected' rather than zombies, having been afflicted with a bloodthirsty rage virus.) Twenty-two years after his first film, which was followed by 2007's unofficial, C-grade sequel 28 Weeks Later, Boyle and original screenwriter Alex Garland are back with 28 Years Later. It's the first in a planned trilogy of films, the second installment of which is set to hit cinemas in January. So, how does this late-era sequel stack up to Boyle's singular original? Can the filmmaker, once again, rewrite the rules of the genre?
Nominally, 28 Years Later follows the same structure and formula as the original, though with some small but effective tweaks. In the years since the virus originally spread, the infection has been eradicated from Europe and much of Britain. Only a small pocket of the Scottish Highlands remains quarantined, in which thrives a community which has managed to stay clear of the infected. Twelve-year-old Spike (newcomer Alfie Williams) is one of the village's youngest members. The opening passage of the film finds him embarking, along with his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), upon his first trip out of the community and onto 'the mainland,' where the infected still run amok. Though younger than most who trek to the mainland, Jamie is bullish that Spike notch his first kill and, effectively, enter into manhood.
The opening passage chronicling Spike and Jamie's journey is a breathlessly paced sequence featuring more zombie action than an entire season of The Walking Dead and at least five white-knuckle moments of unadulterated suspense and fear. Can you remember the last time a horror movie actually made you care about its characters so much that you were hiding behind your hands and humming, 'Oh no, oh no, oh no…'? There are roughly three films' worth of those moments in 28 Years Later, each sweatier than the last. But then, about 40 minutes into the picture, Boyle and Garland pivot the narrative and effectively switch genres, with Spike's ailing mother (an awards-worthy Jodie Comer) taking center stage. Chances are you're aware of this twist, because it's provoked a certain amount of disagreement amongst audience members, but we won't spoil it here if you've managed to avoid it up until now.
There's no point in being coy: 28 Years Later is a masterpiece. It's not only the best movie of the summer by a country mile, but one of this year's very finest films. In a season where the major releases have teetered between pleasantly all right and totally joyless, few of them possessing even the slightest hint of originality or risk, it's a pulsating thrill to see a summer blockbuster which functions as a proper, old-fashioned great movie. This is a picture made with great skill and care, but at this point, we should expect that from Danny Boyle. The Oscar-winning British filmmaker of Trainspotting (1996) and Slumdog Millionaire (2008) has never made a boring movie, and he seems to grow more confident with age. He's the consummate filmmaker, one who has remained throughout his career rooted in arthouse, European, and American popcorn influences in equal measure. His films consistently reflect a thrilling mixture.Miraculously, the movie functions as a breakneck adventure, an emotional family drama, and a teen coming-of-age story without the disparate genres ever betraying or overtaking each other. Just when you think the movie is settling down, Boyle gives us a naked 'Alpha' zombie (with one notable, swinging appendage) ripping the spines from some unlucky army cadets, or a completely over-the-top zombie baby birthing scene. This is a terrifically weird movie, one of Boyle's most brazenly experimental in years, but its weirdness is also one of its greatest attributes and largely why the whole thing works so effortlessly. Surprisingly, this bears a strong resemblance to Boyle's equally odd and rapturous Millions (2005), a crime caper/domestic drama/religious allegory aimed at a pre-teen audience which is as peculiar as it is beautiful.
Garland and Boyle indulge some surprisingly dark horror, but they also aren't afraid to challenge their audience. (What a delight!) The chemistry between Williams and Comer, both of whom give scorching performances, is estimable. Comer, in a precarious balance act, is at once heartbreaking and fearsomely formidable. The final passage, which sees the introduction of a Kurtz-like doctor played by Ralph Fiennes, is vibrantly, unexpectedly affecting. It's also so ghoulish that it verges on very black comedy. Knowing Boyle, that's probably exactly what he intended. Jon Harris' inspired, deeply unsettling editing adds immeasurably to the nightmarish atmosphere, while Anthony Dod Mantle brings a nail-biting immediacy to each scene (the film was shot partially on iPhones). Most notable is the brilliant, unexpected score from Scottish hip-hop group Young Fathers. Their work brings to the film an epically ethereal quality which fits the material like a glove. It's an uncommon type of score for a thriller, but it works beautifully and is one of the best cinematic compositions of this year.
With 28 Years Later, Boyle has delivered a perfect follow-up to his original. (The events of the dismal 28 Weeks Later, with which Boyle had little creative involvement, are ignored here.) 28 Days Later, which was being shot when the September 11 attacks occurred, uncannily and perhaps accidentally reflected the world's collective confusion and horror at the time of its release. Years is a much more positive and redemptive film, though it's just as savage in its evisceration of modern social maladies. As much as it's a down-and-dirty horror picture, 28 Years Later functions as a rather heartbreaking rebuke to isolationism and the power of fear. It's a pure Danny Boyle film, one which is entertaining and horrifying and thrilling and, above all, big-hearted. It's a movie which deserves to be seen by all, even those who might not normally watch horror films, so powerful is its construction and impact.
Where can I watch 28 Years Later?'28 Years Later' Is Now Streaming. Is It as Good as the Original? first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 30, 2025
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