28 Years Later is the newest film in the famous zombie franchise and sees the return of director Danny Boyle. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
28 Days Later was an incredible achievement in filmmaking.
Made on a tiny budget of $8 million, the film was able to bring in almost $90 million at the global box office and with it, director Danny Boyle cemented the film as a must-watch for any zombie fan.
A few years later, the film turned into a franchise with a follow-up film, 28 Weeks Later. While not as critically well-received, the film still boasts a loyal fan base. However, despite the financial success of both films, the franchise lay dormant for 18 years until the release of 28 Years Later only a week ago.
For anyone unfamiliar with the plot of these films, 28 days, weeks and years refer to the time that has passed since the outbreak of the deadly Rage Virus, which turned the population of the UK into zombie-like creatures.
The newest film, as you might have been able to guess from the title, is 28 years later. This film is an interesting one, as almost every aspect of it has divided fans.
The plot itself is simple yet effective. A young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams) has been born into the post-apocalyptic world and lives on a remote island off the coast of the UK with a group of other survivors.
As part of a coming-of-age trial for all children on the island, Spike must travel to the mainland and kill an infected creature. In doing so, he is also looking for answers for a condition that is causing his mother (Jodie Cormer) severe pain and memory loss.
Aiding him on the first part of his journey is his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), who teaches his young son about the world before the outbreak.
Now, on the surface, all of that is fantastic. In terms of the story, it makes sense for the world in which these characters have found themselves. The issues arise around two subplots, which become major ones by the end of the film.
Director Danny Boyle chose to use iPhone 15s to shoot the film and helped create some incredible panoramic shots. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
For spoiler’s sake, I will remain vague, but the first revolves around a survivor named Jimmy and his underlying presence throughout the film, which leads to a jarring and insane ending that felt like a prank on the viewers. Some people will absolutely adore it, while others, including myself, weren’t hot on it.
The second is about an Alpha infected named Samson who leads the other infected. Imagine a White Walker leading the Wights from Game of Thrones. The issue isn’t that he’s here; in fact, he’s the most terrifying part of the film. It’s his interaction with a specific other infected that is really, really strange.
Personally, I didn’t have an issue with it, but the person I saw it with felt it was really out of place, much like a lot of the others in the cinema.
The plot isn’t the only conflicting element of the film.
The other controversial factor was the choice to use iPhone 15s to film the entire movie. Personally, I thought it was incredibly impressive and stuck to the feel of grainy footage that the first film was specifically known for. It also helped construct some absolutely insane panoramic action shots that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
This opinion wasn’t shared by a lot of others. Several people who have seen the film believe it to be distracting and causes the film to be strangely lit, with others claiming the panoramic shots took them out of the film and served more as a gimmick than a tool for storytelling purposes.
Unlike the previous two films, this one directly sets up a sequel, which will ironically be released 28 weeks after this film in January 2026. This was not something I was aware of leading into the film, and I believe it would have been useful knowledge, as it would not have made the final sequences so jarring.
28 Years Later is an interesting film for its reception alone. There have been many who have hailed it as the best film of the year, while others have called it one of the biggest misses. I sit somewhere in the middle.
The film did its job however, because I still want to see the next instalment in the franchise early next year.
28 Years Later is showing in cinemas across the country.
