28 Years Later (2025) – Review

Quick Thoughts

• I love it when Danny Boyle and Alex Garland embrace chaos
• It’s filled with some of the most visceral and gnarly visuals of 2025
• Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, and Alfie Williams understand the assignment
• Don’t expect a tidy three-act experience. Like 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and Annihilation (which Garland directed), 28 Years Later has its own agenda. 
• It’s intense
• Top 10 of the year (so far)
• 28 Weeks Later rules btw

 The best thing that can be said about 28 Years Later is that it’s unpredictable. The fact that it’s unpredictable shouldn’t be surprising considering director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have always had chaotic streaks, but the unique plotting choices keep things off-kilter, which in turn makes things stressful because there’s no way to predict what’s coming next (most of the time it’s something terrible). Danny Boyle’s films have always been visually interesting and successful, however, while watching 28 Years Later I kept thinking “This guy is really cooking.” Boyle uses everything in his storied arsenal to create a visually-interesting and propulsive film that hits on all cylinders. Also, Garland and Boyle know that audiences have been watching “fast zombies” for 20+ years, so they evolved the pissed-off infected horde to make them more intelligent and industrious. 

This time, the pissed-off infected hordes are mostly substituted for “slow-low” infected who scour the forest floor looking for worms, and super-fast infected who are led by an Alpha reminiscent of Zeus from Army of the Dead. If you haven’t watched the Zack Snyder-directed Army of the Dead, the “Alphas” are physically imposing behemoths who have above-average intelligence and enough strength to easily rip skulls (and spines) from bodies. The evolved “zombies” make sense considering they’ve had 28 years to adapt to their surroundings, and the lack of viable food options has forced them to adapt other methods of feeding. 

The original rage-infected are still around as the film opens up with an attack the features child murder, mad sprints, and a young child watching his father becoming an infected maniac. It then moves to an idyllic island where the residents have managed to create a barrier between themselves and the infected mainland. They’re protected by a naturally made bridge that can only be crossed during low tides and any attempt to swim across the channel would result in drowning due to strong tides. After all the setup is out of the way, we’re introduced to a 12-year-old named Spike (Alfie Williams) who is contemplating whether he should bring his favorite action figure with him during his first journey to the mainlaind with his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Spike decides to leave the toy on his bed stand, and it’s a nice way to showcase that despite his maturity, he’s still a toy-loving kid. 

Shortly after leaving the safety of the island things go sideways when Jamie and Spike come across an “Alpha” and his horde. While hiding out in an abandoned farmhouse, Spike notices a large fire and learns about a doctor named Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) who lives on his own in the wilderness and has managed to avoid becoming a rage zombie This plants an idea in Spike’s head because he wants to get treatment for his sick mom Isla (Jodie Comer) – who suffers from headaches, memory loss and bloody noses. When the pair get back to the island, Spike hatches a plan and it wouldn’t be cool to spoil anything else. 

On the technical front, Danny Boyle’s longtime cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (who also shot Antichrist, Dredd, and Dogville) is able to recreate the 2002 aesthetic without making it seem like a more expensive recreation. The 2002 film was shot on a Canon XL1 miniDV camera, whereas the 2025 sequel used the iPhone 15 Pro Max (with a variety of cool attachments, cages, adapters and lenses). Between the low resolution (480p) and bumped-up gain settings, 28 Days Later has a grainy look that adds to the gorgeous lo-fi visuals. With the iPhones, Dod Mantle and Boyle were able to create startling visuals that make the picturesque British locations seem hellish. Also, the production design by Mark Tildesley (Sunshine, Phantom Thread, 28 Days Later) is top-notch and his creations (skull tower!) have been used all over the promotional materials (they are great). Overall, the technical aspects of the production are fantastic and you’re able to see every cent of the $75 million budget on-screen. 

Between Slumdog Millionaire, Millions, 28 Days Later, and now 28 Years Later, Boyle has always known how to get the best out of his kid actors, and he gets a wonderful performance out of Alfie Williams. It helps that he shares the screen with Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who all work their magic by creating lived-in characters and having solid chemistry with the 14-year old first-time actor. Also, between Killing Eve, The Bikeriders, and The Last Duel, it’s hard to not be in awe of Jodie Comer. She spends the first third of the film bedridden (and very sweaty), but when she gets moving she’s able to do a lot with her character. 

Movies like 28 Years Later are wonderful because they aren’t content with playing things safe. Boyle loads the film with inventive camerawork, unique narration and footage from old movies and actual events. Editor Jon Harris (Snatch, Layer Cake, 127 Hours) had his work cut out for him and he crafted an intense and intelligible final product that’s exciting and vibrant.

Final thoughts – Watch it on the biggest screen possible and enjoy the insanity.