After creating what is widely considered to be one of the greatest horror/zombie movies of all time, director Danny Boyle returns to bat with original screenwriter Alex Garland with the highly anticipated threequel, 28 Years Later. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and newcomer Alfie Williams, 28 Years Later takes viewers back to a desolate and isolated United Kingdom that is trying to thrive in the aftermath of the Rage Virus.
If you’ve never seen 28 Days Later or are experiencing a bout of amnesia, here’s a quick recap: when a well-meaning activist liberated an animal testing lab, they unknowingly set free a highly infectious virus that turned people into mindless rage monsters. The virus quickly ravaged London, leading to millions of infected and a global quarantine. The film’s 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later gave audiences the hope of a cure as some infected were found to be immune from the virus’ effects, but 23 years down the line we now know that despite the virus being eliminated on the European mainland, this hope was short-lived and Great Britain has largely been left to die, or survive, on their own.
On the small northern island of Lindisfarne, a community of survivors have adapted to their post-apocalyptic environment; protected by a tidal causeway and a militant mindset, the community members take on roles of farmer, tailors, cooks, and teachers, training their children on how to hunt and how to kill. Jamie (Taylor-Johnson), a Lindisfarne scavenger, lives on the island with his wife Isla (Comer) and 12-year-old son Spike (Williams). Isla is bed-ridden by a mystery illness that causes memory loss, confusion, headaches, and bouts of anger, leaving Jamie to manage the home and his son.
As part of Spike’s initiation into their society, he and Jamie journey to the mainland to hunt for infected but are soon set upon by an “Alpha”, a large and imposing zombie that seems to have the ability to command other infected. In the midst of the chaos on the mainland, and despite the threat from the Alpha infected, Ian Kelson (Fiennes) lives on his own, tending to a large bonfire that catches Spike’s attention. A former doctor, Spike secretly seeks out Kelson’s help for his mother, leading to a whole new and dangerous adventure for the brave young boy.
For a zombie flick, 28 Years Later is a bit atypical of the genre. While it does contain some carefully placed jump scares and a healthy dose of gore, in comparison to its predecessors in the franchise, 28 Years Later is less focused on the virus and its spread, instead centring the living and their perseverance to survive. Throughout the film, scenes are intercut with footage of soldiers in battle, night vision shots of the infected roaming the woods, and Spike’s own nightmares with a red saturation that recalls the biohazard symbol and poster of 28 Days Later.
Boyle gives plenty of screentime to showing how the island village residents have militarised themselves, but also to how they maintain their social lives, partying and celebrating Spike’s successful initiation. As in the trailer, Rudyard Kipling’s 1903 poem “Boots” could be heard as Jamie and Spike make their first venture onto the mainland, creating a unique, eerie tension that sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Inarguably, the best part of 28 Years Later is the young Alfie Williams. In his major film debut, Williams put on a truly captivating performance as Spike, driven by his desire to help his mother Isla and make sense of himself and the world he was born into. When acting next to Taylor-Johnson, Williams is appropriately quiet, small, and unsure, but with Comer he comes alive. As Spike and Isla venture towards Dr Kelson, they often trade mentalities; Isla, who tragically sways between moments of delirium and clarity is at once a mother and a ward, while Spike is both a child and a protector. They are unquestionably the best pair in the film.
Despite the 20+ year gap between 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later, Boyle went to great efforts to make this follow up feel as though it was made in the early 2000s. Shooting primarily on iPhone 15s, 28 Years Later has the same frantic action shots and extreme close-ups as its predecessors, paired with sweeping drone shots of the English countryside and impeccable birds-eye framing that creates contrasts between a slow, drawn-out terror and a solemn moment of awe.
One thing that struck me is that in comparison to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, is that its latest installment 28 Years Later has this undercurrent of hope that drives the narrative, and there were many moments that felt so deeply moving despite the dark imagery and violence. As far as horror movies go, 28 Years Later is hardly going to satiate scare-seekers, but for lovers of the zombie outbreak genre this film is a thrilling addition to a beloved franchise.
Filmed back-to-back with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, it won’t be long before audiences get a conclusion to Spike’s story – and I, for one, am extremely excited to see this talented young man return to the big screen.
28 Years Later is now in cinemas nationwide.