Six years after his last film hit theaters, it was about time for director Danny Boyle to re-team with writer Alex Garland to return to the bleak, post-apocalyptic world that makes survival the ultimate challenge. 28 Years Later was one of my most anticipated horror films of the year for several reasons. When the 2000s saw a resurgence in zombie entertainment, 2002’s 28 Days Later remains a standout among them and is still known as a sleeper hit for the genre. That was followed by the standalone sequel 28 Weeks Later, which, while it had its moments, didn’t quite capture the same intensity and originality as the first film and thus isn’t remembered as the strongest or most effective follow-up. Still, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo does a fine job. We were all waiting for somebody to announce 28 Months Later, but months turned into years, where this might be the logical answer. Just the thought of having both Boyle and Garland collaborate again brings me hope that their creative minds will make this succeed. With that, the long-awaited third installment doesn’t come close to the original; this still turns out to be worth it after all these years.
What’s the Story: Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus escaped from a medical research laboratory, the United Kingdom has been decimated and completely removed from civilization. Yet, small pockets of humanity have learned to adapt and live among the infected. When a young survivor, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), journeys to the mainland for the first time with his hunter father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), he believes he may have discovered a way to save his mother Isla (Jodie Comer), who’s been stricken with a mysterious illness. This leads him to leave the safety of his village in a Hail Mary attempt to get her some help.
Ever worried that this was going to be too familiar to the previous two or anything similar that we’ve gotten since? Give them the chance to flesh out what’s been going on since it takes a bit of time to readjust. But it’s how Boyle and Garland can inject the same horror atmosphere with a touch of drama that comes when humans are a part of an undead society. Where the first two ventured through the empty streets of London, we’re given a glimpse into the lives of the people on Lindisfarne Island that’s comfortable with their way of living around the infected. This also sees the infected not only continue to run to the nearest flesh alive but also move in herds. And it’s not short of how they appear, from these bloated zombies crawling on the ground or how you’re gonna be looking at the most naked zombies put to screen.
The performances from Taylor-Johnson, Comer, and Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson are excellent, with the latter’s presence providing a change of pace in the latter half. This shift in the narrative keeps the audience engaged and adds a unique perspective to the film. But it’s Williams who was truly the scene-stealer among his older co-stars. He gives one of the best performances I’ve seen in a horror movie in a while, and he hasn’t done much when looking at his IMDB page. This character is unaware of what lies beyond his community, but he doesn’t know if he’s brave enough to kill the infected during his rite of passage. But Spike is a pre-teen who grew up in an apocalyptic landscape that isn’t what it used to be, and he must understand that navigating it isn’t simple when he discovers that a former doctor is what his mother needs. Given the life-or-death situations that Spike sees, he can give off these unexpected emotional moments I didn’t think I bought into, especially when realizing the relationship he has with his father isn’t as great upon learning secrets.
The vast difference between the first film and this one is the quality upgrade. While the first was shot on digital cameras to give it a gritty texture, it’s surprising to realize that this one was shot using an iPhone 15 Max, giving Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography a cleaner look in a world that’s adapting. It’s one of Boyle’s most visually stunning films to date, which includes a memorable and tense sequence of Jamie and Spike running across the causeway to escape the difficult-to-kill Alpha zombie, with the night sky as their backdrop. And yes, this film doesn’t disappoint in delivering the terrifying zombie action you come to expect. Each film in the series has an effective opening sequence that sets the stage for the impending intensity. In this one, the sight of adults turning into ravaged zombies, with Teletubbies playing in the background as children watch, is genuinely chilling. Fans of Boyle’s kinetic editing style will find the kills in this film to be more brutal and bloody, with some impressive, albeit distracting, kills involving arrows, executed with a rig featuring 20 different cameras.
The first act, while it takes a while to get going, is so much stronger than what came before it. What followed still entertained me, but at the same time, some of the momentum made me want more besides this coming-of-age angle we now see with Spike and the risk he takes to protect a loved one. Having rewatched Boyle’s filmography, most of his films employ a tone-shifting approach that can be hit or miss for viewers. 28 Years Later primarily works to switch things up, yet it is not where I imagined it would go in terms of how it discusses life and death. It’s probably not as action-heavy as many wanted, but it’s more along the lines of getting almost philosophical. The film’s mixed-tone approach, while it may not be for everyone, is sure to intrigue those who appreciate a unique cinematic experience. Where they left things off is something of a cliffhanger ending that not only leads us into the second part of a new trilogy, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (directed by Nia DaCoasta and out next year), but it left me feeling like there’s more to have with this story, feeling as if it could’ve used ten minutes to not feel a tad incomplete. However, it does its job of having me curious to see what happens next.
28 Years Later marks a solid return, even if it doesn’t stand out as the best of the franchise. The collaboration between Boyle and Garland managed to evolve this world through its characters, particularly Williams’ Spike, and memorable kills. Did I want to love this? Yeah. But am I willing to rewatch it again? For sure. If you keep your expectations low, it’ll be an installment that’s worth it.
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