28 Years Later review: a thrilling zombie epic

Digital Trends

5 hours ago

28 Years Later review: a thrilling zombie epic
Score Details '28 Years Later is a gorgeous, heart-pounding horror adventure that occasionally stumbles but reaches incredible heights.'
Pros Compelling characters
Top-tier performances
Heart-pounding action
Powerful coming-of-age story
Gorgeous visuals
Tender moments
Cons Some flawed character logic
Some jarring visuals
Some disjointed scenes
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Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have brought new life to the 28 Days Later franchise with 28 Years Later. Set decades after the original film, this long-awaited threequel follows a family of survivors in an isolated community as they explore the zombie-infested mainland.
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With the franchise's creators at the helm of this film, 28 Years Later stays true to its roots with its energetic visuals and action. At the same time, this new movie reinvents the 28 Days Later saga with its exciting, poignant story and well-rounded characters, with its young lead stealing the show as a perfect new face for the franchise.
An emotional post-apocalyptic roller-coaster
By presenting a coming-of-age story centered around Spike, 28 Years Later adds a distinctive chapter to the franchise. Similar to The Last of Us, this movie follows someone who was born and raised in a world ravaged by zombies, who are treated like wild animals roaming the wilderness on the mainland. With slow-crawling zombies to hulking, intelligent Alphas, this sequel keeps the franchise fresh by showing how the world and the infected have evolved 28 years since the Rage virus broke out.
28 Years Later also delivers plenty of chaotic, heart-pounding action as hordes of nude, bloodthirsty infected chase the heroes through the wilderness in terrifying scenes reminiscent of Attack on Titan. The most jaw-dropping sequence of them all is when the Alpha chases Jamie and Spike across the causeway like a speeding train. This sequel also takes 'bullet time' to a whole new level, with the camera freezing and spinning around every zombie the moment they get shot dead.
Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with zombies, this coming-of-age story remains grounded in reality as Spike confronts the pain of loss and uncovers the lies and secrets his parents have kept. Within the film's darkness, the story features slivers of light within some incredibly heartwarming moments. In particular, Isla helping an infected woman give birth and Spike's climb up the mountain of bones make for some of the most stirring, beautiful moments ever seen in a zombie movie.
While much of the film is spectacular, it occasionally risks throwing audiences off with a disjointed narrative. Specifically, the arrival of the Swedish Navy onto the mainland treats audiences to a tense and gory massacre, but its sudden diversion from the main story can feel jarring. Some of the characters' logic also seems flawed at times. Even Dr. Kelson, who is clearly a calculated and prepared survivor, could've saved Spike and him a whole lot of trouble if he had killed the Alpha Samson when he had the chance.
Spectacular new performers
While he is surrounded by multiple A-list actors in this movie, 14-year-old Alfie Williams shines brightly among them with his riveting breakout performance as Spike. Aaron-Taylor Johnson makes the most out of his time on-screen in the first act as Spike's loving but deceitful Jamie. Jodie Comer really gets the spotlight in the film's second half as Spike's mother, Isla. While she is losing her grip on reality to an unknown illness, Isla stands out as the beating heart of the movie, with Comer bringing plenty of humor and humanity to her tragic role.
Ralph Fiennes also brings a refreshingly tender and lighthearted approach to playing the mysterious and well-read Dr. Kelson. Though the latter is described as an 'insane' doctor who morbidly collects human bodies, he has clearly accepted the circle of life and honors those who have died with his bone-filled monument. He even adds a touch of humor to his work, making him an instantly likable character who will hopefully return in the sequel.
A visual fever dream
28 Years Later retains the look and feel of the franchise's previous films with its frenetic camerawork, which was completed using the iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the cinematography is much crisper and more vibrant in this big-budget sequel, capturing vast, colorful landscapes and ruined structures with incredible detail.
As the characters explored a quarantined UK, devoid of modern technology, the audience feels as though they've entered a whole other world as the film emphasizes the land's natural beauty. This post-apocalyptic zombie film presents itself as a medieval fantasy adventure, with bow-wielding warriors traversing a lush, ruined English countryside swarming with monsters. There's also Dr. Kelson's temple of bones, the murder of crows flying around an Alpha zombie, and Jamie and Spike running across the sea under the starry, aurora-lit sky.
This fantastical imagery is contrasted with rapid-fire montages featuring old, grainy footage of soldiers fighting in wars throughout history. This adds to the film's punk rock spirit and aligns with the story's themes of war and violence. Nevertheless, they also come across as random and confusing at times, making for a somewhat disorientating viewing experience.
Is 28 Years Later worth a watch?
Although this film took nearly 28 years to reach theaters, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland proved that their sequel was worth the wait. Filled with breathtaking visuals, top-notch performances, and nail-biting action, 28 Years Later delivers a thrilling zombie epic that, despite its flaws, brings the 28 Days Later franchise to even greater glory. Though countless other zombie stories have premiered since 28 Days Later's release, this threequel proved that it has something new to offer to fans of the subgenre, especially as it sets up the next movie scheduled for 2026.
28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.