28 Years Later (2025)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Generation Zombie

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

A gruesome surprise third entry in this unlikely zombie series, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later wildly surpasses its two predecessors in terms of quality, creativity, and craftsmanship, marred only by a few small flaws, and perhaps one bigger one.

Zombies infected by the Rage Virus have been contained in the UK, while a band of survivors lives safely on a small, nearby, heavily-guarded island. A causeway connects the two, accessible only at low tide. The community that lives on the island has no technology, and has taken to hunting, gathering, and fishing to survive. Occasionally, they will venture to the mainland.

Twelve-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) has been deemed ready for a trip there by his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), so that Spike can kill his first zombie. At first the trip goes well, until they are ambushed by the extra-smart, extra-strong "Alpha" zombies. While waiting in hiding, Spike spots a fire in the distance.

They make it back home and Spike learns from Sam (Christopher Fulford) that the fire is the creation of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who is said to be insane. With Spike's mother Isla (Jodie Comer) ill, and with no doctor to diagnose her, Spike decides to make the treacherous journey with his mother to see the doctor.

Garland and Boyle re-team after the original 28 Days Later — part two, 28 Weeks Later, was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo — and after more than two decades the pair seems not only recharged, but more experienced, more mature. They have more on their minds that just re-creating the same mindless zombie attacks we've seen again and again.

This time we are in a community that has lived with death for over a generation. There's a different perspective, and it's fascinating to see how humans have adapted over such a long time; the story is no longer just about the shock of a sudden outbreak. (Even the zombies have evolved into different forms, different classes.)

The widescreen visuals here — a sharp contrast to the grungy, muddy video of the original film — are astonishing, from a race across the causeway to escape a marauding Alpha, to a sculpture garden made of human remains. The sound design and music are deeply powerful, ranging from nerve-rattling to soul-stirring.

A couple of moments ring out as pedestrian, including an actual cat-jump-scare, as well as some unlikely last-second rescues. But the biggest downer is a built-in sequel (shot back-to-back with this one), which casts a pall of greed and opportunism on an otherwise banger of an ending.

Otherwise, 28 Years Later is a startling success, a movie better than it has any right to be, and possibly Boyle's best work since Trainspotting.