Aaron Taylor-Johnson Gets Candid About Fatherhood, Fear, And Fighting The Infected In "28 Years Later"
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland have reunited for the horror movie we've all been waiting for; 28 Years Later is finally here. Almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, Britain is still under a strict quarantine, though some have found ways to survive among the infected. One of these communities is the secluded Holy Island, protected by a causeway and its dedicated residents. When one young member of the group leaves the island and ventures onto the mainland, he discovers the secrets and horrors of the virus, its mutations, and the impact it's had on the world in the decades since it spawned.
Sony Pictures
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie – a pivotal member of a remote island community, husband, and father to a curious young son named Spike (played by breakout star Alfie Williams) – 28 Years Later isn't just a return to the rage-infected chaos that defined the franchise. It's a raw, emotionally charged exploration of fatherhood, fear, and the fragile line between protection and control. We sat down with Aaron to talk about playing a morally complex dad, mentoring a young co-star, and why this long-awaited sequel might be the most human chapter yet in the iconic horror saga.
28 Days Later holds such a strong place in the landscape of great British cinema. How much did you know about the premise of the sequel when you signed onto the project?
I remember watching the movies, both 28 Days and 28 Weeks, but 28 Days Later was such a groundbreaking movie, and it definitely made an impact on me, seeing Cillian Murphy walking through the deserted streets of London. I somehow got a copy of Alex Garland's script for 28 Years Later, and then I had to track Danny (Boyle) down because I was just like, 'that's an amazing character. I really want to be a part of this.' So I found Danny and we started the conversations, which was amazing because it's very rare that that happens.
Jamie's such a complex, layered character – how did you work with Danny to convey his internal conflict when it comes to being a father, husband, and important member of the community?
It's great to play a father because I'm a father of four daughters, and it lends a lot to your imagination when you start to think about how you would parent and raise a child in this post-apocalyptic world. So there were a ton of conversations about that, and also about how my character has come from this trauma as a kid, carried that fear, and then maybe found solace and purpose in this community. And that's with his physicality – his skill of being able to be either a protector, or a warrior, or a hunter, and go out to the mainland to a dangerous place. So he's sort of almost become a bit of a role model or a hero in his community, and it's come to the time where he's got to take his son out, and he kind of wants his son to go through that, become a bit of a man, the sort of rites of passage thing. So he's putting a lot of pressure on his son, and that's where you can see where he's kind of flawed in a way. You know, is he projecting too much of his fear onto his son while his son is asking for the truth and trying to find the light in the dark time, you know?
Sony Pictures
Yeah, he's got that kind of protective nature, but then his son's growing up in a world that's completely different.
Yeah, he's protective and he loves his son, obviously, but it's tough love because it just feels like this is how you've got to survive, whereas this is the only world Spike's ever known. So he's just like, well, 'okay, but how do you just live in this environment? And is it us and them?' Because we've been teaching this whole way of being that dehumanises the infected, whereas a child is innocent – Spike's moral compass is kind of questioning that way of thinking.
It's a coming-of-age story for sure. While working alongside Alfie Williams, who's such a young actor, did you feel like yourself taking on that fatherly role on set and behind the scenes?
Yeah, of course, yeah. My youngest is the same age as Alfie so yeah, I felt very protective and paternal over Alfie whilst making the movie, but also in a whole other way; I was a child actor and worked in these kinds of environments so I wanted to sort of mentor him through these moments because it's tough. It's tough just being in your first film, but it's also tough just being a child actor on set when you're expected to be like an adult at all these times. But yeah, he was amazing.
I can't believe it's his first huge role!
Yeah, he's terrific in his movie. Stole the show.
You mentioned those masculine traits when it comes to the father-son relationship, and the example Jamie is trying to set for Spike. Over the course of the film, we see Spike taking on those qualities, but I feel like his protectiveness and bravery manifest differently from Jamie's – can you speak to how that will develop in the next film?
My character is in denial of a couple of things – he's very much in denial of his wife's condition, and he hasn't got answers for. I think he's coming from a fear-based trauma, whereas his son has to sort of face adversity, and he's gone on a quest to find answers for these things, and in that, has grown emotionally, far more emotionally intellectual than his dad. So, yeah, it's life, it's death, it's rebirth, and in that, he's had to have acceptance for those things, whereas my character isn't strong enough emotionally to handle those things. It's different sides of strength.
This is one of the most anticipated films of the year, with such a dedicated fanbase. What are you most looking forward to the fans seeing?
The anticipation for this movie is huge, and it's always exciting when you've got a built-in audience like this and they're just biting at the bit to get through the doors and see it! It's very unpredictable. I don't think you can have any expectations, you know, you're going to expect something, and Danny Boyle's going to take you on a journey of something else. I don't think they're going to be expecting a coming-of-age story amid this post-apocalyptic world, but it's got heart and soul, and that is one thing that 28 Days had and 28 Weeks had – that's the through line. It's a bit of a family drama; a very grounded, intimate story within this big landscape.
You filmed 28 Years Later a nd the trilogy's final instalment back to back. Can you tell us anything about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?
All I can tell you is when you get to the end of this movie, you're going to want to see the second one. Spike goes on such a journey, and you're going to want to see how he interacts with the characters that you'll see coming.
I'm so nervous about Jimmy! We'll end on a fun question – If you were part of this post-apocalyptic Holy Island community, what do you think your role would be?
I feel like my role would be something outdoorsy and practical. It feels like it's very much like a fisherman village sort of thing, but I would be someone who'd be willing to go to the mainland – I think I'd get island fever! I think something resourceful like hunting or collecting wood, something very hands-on and in nature. I don't think I'd be very good at the fishing, so I'd definitely put my hands up for being out on the mainland. It seems like a very idyllic life, but maybe their ideals are a little gone a bit backwards. I feel like it's very much like it's very much looking back on the good old days, taking on these stereotypical roles and stuff like that, so it's more of an outlook on Great Britain being isolated away from the rest of the world.
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He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.
