28 Years Later

Danny Boyle's return to the world of the rage virus, proves to be a welcome one. Once more in collaboration with Alex Garland, like 28 days before it, 28 years later is yet another expansion in this unique vision for a "zombie" flick.

The filmmaking on display is Boyle at his best. Filming on digital is often frowned upon by film purists. Leave it to Danny Boyle to showcase the strengths of digital cinematography. The frantic editing, the unnerving camera movements and zooms, the contrast rich lighting... All make for an unsettling experience. The night vision scenes, drenched in red lighting are particularly eerie.

Thankfully, the infamous "boots" poem which helped turn the teaser for 28 years later, into one of the single greatest trailers of all-time (no hyperbole), is incorporated in the film. It's the best scene in the film.

28 years later fits right as rain, into the world of the "Rage Virus". It tells a surprisingly touching story about survival, anger, fear and love. Nothing turns out as you'd expect and nobody is as they seem. I truly love this film. All the more reason, the last scene of the film legitimately baffled me... It features an event and characters that are at such odds with the rest of the film. Surely, on purpose. But the contrast was annoyingly jarring. What a weird film... But it's fantastic!

Some cool moments, a lot of random choices. I would guess they were going for the experimental alternative factor buuut not quite successfully.

My biggest "why" is this movie being attached to the 28 series. Completely unnecessary and misleading. It was probably done to attract a wider audience; otherwise, it would have fallen into the unpopular indie horror film category with little financial success.

As a 28 fan, I was disappointed, however, in the first 15 minutes I realised I should forget I'm watching a 28 movie to have a chance of enjoying it.

The cinematography and art direction were out of the box in a good way. The cast and acting were good.

Was going to be difficult to surpass the previous 2 movies and for me 28 years later didn't. Boyle could have really ramped up the adrenaline but it just wasn't there. Lots of pointless sub stories going on and the military scenes didn't add any value to the story. It's a one watch movie and yes it is worth just that one watch, but it's not a rollercoaster ride like the previous movies. The opening running scene of 28 weeks later was too difficult to match and for me Boyle just didn't pull it off.

After all these years it was disappointing or perhaps I just need to lower my expectations and realise the previous movies are just the best. Such a shame.

This one will really divide the audience. Some will relish the stress inducing horror of the trip to the mainland, others will wonder if Alex Garland suffered a brain hemorrhage while he was writing the screenplay.

It looks pretty fantastic (strangely the colouring reminded me of Garland's Men) and, contrary to what a lot of reviews claim, the acting is solid, particularly from Jodie Comer and Alfie Williams. The mixing in of archive clips isn't a particularly groundbreaking move, but it's effective.

It's hard to define exactly what subgengre this film belongs to, but there are strong folk horror vibes throughout, and that plays well with the satirical edge to the film (what is it about zombie movies and satire?). As a political statement about 21st century British decline it isn't as over egged as I feared it might be- it's subtle to the point where I wonder whether it can be fully appreciated viewers who aren't familiar with our strange little island.

It's easily as tense and bloody as the other two films (although this one is rated 15 which shows you how times have changed). There are some genuinely tense moments throughout.

The ending. All I'll say is that however you imagine the last 5 minutes will go, you're wrong. If this is to be the first part of a trilogy, it's going to get batshit crazy (although again, anyone not familiar with British pop culture will not appreciate quite how bizarre the ending is).

28 Years Later had the potential to be a haunting, meaningful return to the bleak, rage-infected world that first stunned audiences with 28 Days Later and its solid follow-up, 28 Weeks Later. Unfortunately, the latest installment delivers a visually competent yet narratively hollow experience that squanders its legacy.

The film does manage to re-capture some of the atmosphere that made the original so iconic-desolate cityscapes, tense silences broken by bursts of frantic violence, and that persistent feeling of hopeless survival. The performances are serviceable, and there are a few moments where the emotional core threatens to break through the surface.

But then comes the ending-a frustrating, empty finale that offers no real payoff, no thematic resolution, and, worst of all, no meaningful contribution to the world it inhabits. Rather than expanding the lore or delivering a final statement on humanity, rage, or survival, the conclusion feels like it either ran out of ideas or deliberately chose ambiguity over substance. It doesn't provoke thought-it just ends, with a shrug.

After nearly three decades since 28 Days Later, audiences deserved a story that either pushed the universe forward or gave it a satisfying closure. 28 Years Later does neither. It's a return, yes-but not one worth remembering.