28 Years Later(2025)(Review)

Roughly 23 years after director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland gave us the explosive ’28 Days Later’, they have re-teamed to continue the story. After only one sequel serving inbetween them, the fanbase was rabid for more content, which was dripfed through comic books and other sources. But now we’ve finally got a new film, and naturally it’s been met with mixed results.

This story circles around a 12-year old boy named Spike. He’s lived on the segregated island known as “Holy Island” his entire life. It’s an island that has a singular entry-point that’s only accessible during certain times when the tide is low and you can walk across a long stretch that reaches the mainland. Spike’s father takes him to the mainland for his very first time to search for any resources to return to the island. But even with the archery trainings, teachings, and the lore he’s heard his entire life, the reality of what the infection on the mainland has become is nothing you can be prepared for until you take it head on. But as Spike’s curiosity grows and his father’s answers seem to feel misconstrued, Spike will make some decisions that ultimately set a large course of actions in motion.

I’ll leave the story elements there for spoiler’s sake. Let’s talk about the vibes and the film itself.

This film is essentially broken into 3 main acts and a cold open. The cold open and the first act are both extremely intense – feeling like a true call-to-form that the series is known for. We meet advanced infected that change the game up, we learn that this island community has survived quite well on its own, and we also learn that the filmmakers have more on their mind than making a zombie/infected film. The first act is intercut with grainy images of war, monophone audio recordings, and obscure arthouse filming that alerts the audience to be mindful of a bigger picture happening here. And while these do sort of cease after some time, it really sets the tone of what we’re experiencing. The final 2 acts then turn from the horror and intensity, to tell more of a human, somber story of love and death, and their interconnectedness.

Now, as I said, most people don’t seem to like this movie. They say it’s boring, it’s unmotivated, and it’s not scary. Let me remind you guys, as intense as ’28 Days Later’ is in your mind, this film follows the same formula – the first half is intense horror, and the last half is more meditative on how humans react to the situation, it’s about the bonding of strangers and the conflict of interests, and the infected merely serve as the background template. Let’s not forget the the literal last half of the first film entirely takes place in the military compound. This film is faithful to this theme.

While there are certainly some specific plot points in the last half that I really wasn’t a fan of, I can understand that there is more behind this film than the scares or violence. The humans retaining their humanity – while also seeking progression through an absolute form of regression – is what this film is really all about.

If you approach this film as an A24-styled story, or an arthouse horror of some degree, then you’ll be more impressed than if you go in thinking this is the horror blockbuster of the year. But we do get some absolutely terrifying sequences, including the traditional chase scenes, some night-vision styled footage of the infected ripping animals apart, and so much more. It’s a buffet of horror in different styles that really wets the appetite.

I will however say that this being the first film of a new trilogy is its weak point. The ending is technically complete, but feels underwhelming since it is obviously setting us up for the future. Which, the sequel ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ is schedule to release exactly 28 weeks after this one was released – which is really fucking cool, honestly.

Oh, and the very final 10 minutes… let’s just say it would’ve served better as a post-credits scene.. or with more context. Because I’ve heard some UK fans explain the ending and it makes much more sense than it does to American audiences. There’s a very specific, English darkness being poked at here.

And yes, lots of zombie dongs. Lots of them. Close-ups, wide-shots.. they remember the jump-scare of ’28 Days’ with Cillian Murphy’s full-frontal in the hospital scene, and one-upped it for all of us without anyone asking.

4/5

“28 Years Later” is currently playing in theaters.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra

The Gruesome Gazette

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