The end of 28 Years Later, explained
WARNING: Spoilers for 28 Years Later ahead!
In 28 Years Later, we meet the inhabitants of Holy Island, a small stronghold off the coast of mainland England that has created a little safe haven from the rage virus. A causeway separates the island from the quarantined area, passable by foot only when the tide is low. Jaime (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes his son, Spike (Alfie Williams) onto the mainland to fulfill some sort of rite-of-passage zombie hunting for the young 12-year-old. They, of course, run into some trouble -- to include the seemingly much-evolved "alpha" zombies that are stronger, smarter and faster -- but make it back home (after one of the most intense, heart-pounding scenes in the movie).
During the post-hunt celebrations, Spike catches his dad cheating on his mom, sending the boy spiraling. The mother, played wonderfully by Jodie Comer, has been suffering migraines and bouts of memory loss episodes. Spike then hatches a plan to sneak his mother out to find the rumored Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and see if he can't help heal her.
Along their travels, there are many close calls and a couple new friends. They eventually meet Dr. Kelson, who has dedicated his post-apocalyptic life to trying to memorialize those that have lost their lives. It's a truly remarkable look into life and humanity and grief.
Spike eventually lands on a decision to remain on the mainland to try and find himself, but the movie closed with a perplexing sequence that, honestly, ran counter to the vibes and tone of the rest of the story. In the very beginning of the movie, we see a group of children watching Teletubbies as the rage virus starts to spread. One of the boys, Jimmy Crystal, escapes to find his father in the church. Before his dad sacrifices himself to the zombies (he thinks they're sent from the divine), he gives Jimmy his cross and tells him to hide.
We don't see Jimmy for the next hour and 45 minutes or so, but he's hinted at through ominous carvings of his name both in an infected and on a wall that Spike passes. It looks like the movie is wrapping up, but a group of infected starts to overwhelm Spike. Suddenly, Jimmy (Jack O'Connell) appears on a ledge with blond hair and a track suit offering to help. His army of track-suited fighters defeat the infected in a wildly tonally different scene from the rest of the movie.
The costuming of Jimmy and his henchmen seems to reference the disgraced Jimmy Savile, a once-popular television host in the UK. After Savile's death in 2011, horrifying stories of his abusive and predatory behavior emerged, including the sexual abuse of minors.
If you consider the world ended for young Jimmy Crystal in 2002, the vile offenses of his idol Jimmy Savile would have never been revealed. The use of this specific imagery -- the blond wigs and track suits like Savile used to wear -- was intentional by Boyle and Garland. We don't get a lot of information about Jimmy Crystal in this world, it's clear he's not a good guy and someone that should be feared. The idea that even in a world where Savile isn't known for his evil that someone still emerges as evil in his absence is so startlingly dark.
A follow up film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is already in post-production. The movie is directed by Nia DaCosta and set to release January 16, 2026. It is supposed to bring back O'Connell, Williams and Fiennes as the story continues.
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New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
‘28 Years Later' is now streaming — How to watch at home
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Horror Hit '28 Years Later' New On Streaming This Week, Report Says
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in "28 Years Later." Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodi Comer and Ralph Fiennes' hit horror thriller 28 Years Later is reportedly coming to digital streaming this week. The third film in the horror film series that began with 28 Days Later in 2002, 28 Years Later reunites the original film's director, Danny Boyle, and its screenwriter, Alex Garland. The film was released in theaters on June 20. The summary for 28 Years Later reads, 'It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. 'When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.' According to When to Stream, 28 Years Later is expected to debut on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 29. While the streaming tracker is typically accurate with its PVOD reports, When to Stream noted that 28 Years Later Sony Pictures Entertainment has not announced or confirmed the release date and it is subject to change. When it is released, 28 Years Later will be available on several digital platforms, including Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube. Prime Video currently has 28 Years Later listed for pre-order for $24.99, which is also the film's purchase price on PVOD. Since PVOD rentals typically run $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent 28 Years Later for $19.99 for a 48-hour period. The film is still playing in theaters. So far, 28 Years Later has earned $70 million domestically and $80 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $150 million. The film had a $60 million production before prints and advertising costs, per The Numbers. Danny Boyle Says '28 Years Later' Is Not A Zombie Film While those who have the Rage Virus in 28 Years Later have zombie-like qualities, Danny Boyle insisted in an interview with TIME Magazine before the film's release in theaters that the antagonists are not zombies. 'We had this thing about, 'No, they're not zombies. They're infected,'' Boyle told TIME. 'We wanted them to behave in a different way physically, but they also weren't undead. They could die and they will die, but so will you if they catch you.' In 28 Years Later, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's character, Jamie, takes his 12-year-old son, Spike (Alfie Williams), to the mainland where the infected roam over the objections of his wife and the boy's mother, Isla (Jodie Comer). The trip to the mainland is a rite of passage where the younger people sheltered by their island community learn to hunt the infected. Bold told TIME that part of the storyline was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. 'When COVID first happened, we wore gloves, we disinfected groceries,' Boyle told TIME. 'But gradually over time, you start taking more risks. You don't stay in that super alert stage. You evolve. And so it is in 28 Years. They begin to take risks. Jamie takes his 12-year-old son to the mainland even though, as the mom says, that's f---ing crazy.' Rated R, 28 Years Later — which is executive produced by 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy — is expected to arrive on PVOD on Tuesday.
