28 Years Later (2025)

I've always described 28 Days Later as a drama wearing the skin of a horror movie. While I fully admit these debates are academic only, I find it a helpful way to explain the way the film hits for me, differently than most horror. I felt 28 Weeks Later tried this with mixed success but Boyle and Garland have returned to this with their ambitious and bold 28 Years Later, a film that might be a bit inconsistent but mostly succeeds in not only the world building and character development a film like this needs to work, but in telling a narrative that I was invested in and moved by. 

I described the film as ambitious. Unlike the original film, this film is structured as a part of a larger whole, clearly there is a plan here for this story to open up to others and connect with the previous. Therefore it doesn't limit itself solely to the confinements of this 115 minute runtime. Even within that there are 3 distinct acts, each with different tones and emotional arcs. Finally those are bookended by prologue and epilogue which stand on their own.

I going to say they body of this film works. The main storyline, a series of stories featuring Williams' Spike character, are rich with emotional power and resonance. Sometimes it is a bit rushed and there are a few moments that require a bit of forgiveness. But the strength of the writing and Williams' precocious performance make it come together powerfully. This story builds, as a good sequel should, the mythology of the world. The Rage Virus is developing in ways we hadn't seen before and becoming more threatening that it was before. But this is handled in a smart and character driven way, not just in the typical more/more/more approach most sequels take. 

And this takes me back to where I started. 28 Years Later, like the film that inspired it, builds its story first on character and story and not on the "premise." Perhaps it is taking on a lot here and some of this will depend on how the next chapters go. The controversial epilogue may end up being the introduction of an incredible part of this story or perhaps something regrettable. We don't have enough to make that call yet. Check in with me after the release of the sequel.  

28 Years Later

Starring: Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding, Jack O'Connell

Director: Danny Boyle

Writer: Alex Garland