Reuniting director Danny Boyle with writer Alex Garland, not 28 but 23 years later, in a post-apocalyptic, quasi-medieval family odyssey, we venture deep into dangerous English countryside in search of a madman in the woods in one of the year’s most anticipated films. With the thrilling return of the franchise creators and boasting a stellar cast, Boyle and Garland show audiences how 23 years has evolved not only Boyle’s virus-ridden world, but our esteemed director-writer duo, bringing a blend of Garland’s political bent with Boyle’s innovative directorial vision.
Seven – Six – Eleven – Five – Nine-an’-twenty miles to-day
Four – Eleven – Seventeen – Thirty-two the day before —
(Boots – Boots – Boots – Boots – Movin’ up and down again!)
There’s no discharge in the war!
Rudyard Kipling, “Boots” (Performed by Taylor Holmes, 1915)
Moving away from the abandoned streets of London where we were first introduced to Cillian Murphy, to Holy Island off England’s north-east coast, the Rage virus has driven a small band of survivors to the isolated island, separated from the British mainland by a causeway, itself quarantined from the rest of the world – namely Europe, as if fashioned in a post-Brexit world, though here enforced by NATO military patrol ships to keep the British pestilence at bay. 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) first leads us through the overgrown wilderness that has taken hold of the British mainland, alongside his father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he trains our budding protagonist in the art of scavenging and zombie-slaying. After observing a distant bonfire, Spike learns about a mysterious physician and survivor of the initial outbreak (Ralph Fiennes), branded dangerous by the villagers, only to take the risky decision to sneak his ailing mother Isla (Jodie Comer), beset with bouts of innate confusion and depression, off the island on an odyssey from their home to seek treatment for her unknown condition from the mad doctor.
Way back in pre-pandemic 2002, 28 Days Later rekindled the post-apocalyptic horror by evolving Romero’s depressed and dishevelled bumbling corpses into steroid-induced, blood-vomiting, aggro sprinters, all through the lens of then-new handheld digital cameras. It seems fitting, then, that all this time later, the tech has shrunk yet again prompting Boyle to shoot the 1 hour 55 minute venture into post-apocalyptic north-east England primarily with the pocket-sized iPhone 15 Max and drone cameras. With heightened manoeuvrability and smaller film crews, Boyle’s innovative use of everyday hardware in the face of multi-billion dollar blockbusters reminds us that flashy, high-end equipment aren’t necessarily at the heart of good, imaginative filmmaking. Visually, this allows Boyle’s followup to share, even elaborate on, its visual and stylistic identity with his 2002 post-apocalyptic vision with the advantage of creating dynamically varied and engaging shots that capture both intimate moments of psychological drama and tension with unique action-thriller segments as we trudge through the deadly landscape. Above all, this intimate-style camera work is brilliantly kinetic and engaging, creating some truly intense moments.
In this sense, 28 Years Later successfully evokes the feel of 28 Days Later – which itself had a more comparatively punk, DIY flare – far exceeding 28 Weeks Later as a true sequel. A more intimate scope is achieved through Boyle’s camera choice and downsized cast, with focus placed on tensions with Spike’s family and immediate dangers lurking behind the foliage at any given moment. This interplays with a coming-of-age narrative that sets up its upcoming sequels, while expanding on the scope of the Rage virus without becoming another bland action-oriented, sci-fi blockbuster – á la 28 Weeks Later. There are still thrills to be had, with chase sequences and a new breed of infected – namely the ‘alpha’ – to heighten the threat waiting for our survivors. While this may seem reminiscent of The Last of Us, we are frequently reminded why 28 Days Later has maintained an elevated and revered status above even the most prolific contemporary zombie-adjacent media, a trend succeeded here once more thanks to Boyle and Garland’s successful collaboration.
Once you walk onto that mainland, there’s no rescues.
– Jenny
Violent distance runners, psychological tension and political jabs aside, this latest addition to the 28 franchise is blessed with wonderful performances from Jodie Comer and an iodine-laden, unhinged yet gentlemanly Ralph Fiennes, whose startling look, sharp wit and dramatic temple of bones add a graphic novel feel to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s rich world without feeling jarring. This being the first of three, Nia DaCosta and Alex Garland’s sequel has already been scheduled for January 2026 and shows that this 28 Days Later successor has successfully retained our morbid curiosity and apocalyptic imagination even 23 years later, signifying Boyle and Garland’s triumphant return.
