Is 28 Years Later as worth watching as the original 28 Days Later?

Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later part 3 is scheduled to be released next year under the name 28 Years Later. Is this new part worth watching like the original 28 Days Later ?

More than two decades after the release of the zombie film  28 Days Later , director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland are returning to the horror genre with the long-awaited 28 Years Later . Essentially helping kickstart the zombie craze of the 2000s, 28 Days Later follows an ordinary bike messenger named Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes up from a month-long coma to find all of London under siege by a vicious zombie virus. Eschewing the popular zombie stereotypes that came before, the zombies in 28 Days Later are faster, more ferocious, and scarier.

Although Garland and Boyle only had supporting roles, a sequel was released in 2007 called 28 Weeks Later, which continued the post-apocalyptic story and was well received. Meanwhile, the 28 Days Later series helped bring zombie movies back to their glory days and is directly responsible for films like the Dawn of the Dead remake, spoofs like Shaun of the Dead, and the Walking Dead universe. And now, Boyle and Garland are back to bring even more terror in 28 Years Later.

28 Years Later Movie Trailer

Opening with a chilling recap of what has happened to humanity since the zombie virus first broke out, the trailer then cuts to a remote island where civilization has formed around rudimentary settlements. However, when some of the island's inhabitants leave, they discover that the outside world is even worse than they could have imagined.

As you can see from the trailer, 28 Years Later has also been officially set for release. While it will take a while to get here, the long-awaited third installment of the zombie film is scheduled to hit theaters on June 20, 2025.

28 Years Later main cast

Is 28 Years Later as worth watching as the original 28 Days Later? Picture 1

What makes 28 Years Later different from previous versions?

Both films present a terrifying backdrop, showing how quickly society collapses after the Rage Virus is unleashed. People can be infected with just a drop of blood, turning into zombies in seconds. One infected person in a large crowd can cause a disaster for thousands, and by the time you realize the danger, it's too late.

That pure horror convincingly explains to both the viewer and the characters in this universe that there is no going back to the beginning. But then the zombies starve, just like humans would if they acted on pure instinct without anything to sustain them.

The virus has spread so far out of control that governments outside of the UK have stepped in and reshaped the empire in their own image. Despite their simplicity, these films are layered and their take on a tried and true horror film is what brings us to 28 Years Later and its first trailer.

Starring Aaron-Taylor Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Innes, the upcoming trilogy takes us back to the UK & an isolated community on Lindsfarne, also known as Holy Island. It's connected to the mainland by a giant causeway (though often covered by high tides) and for decades a group of survivors have called it home.

Is 28 Years Later as worth watching as the original 28 Days Later? Picture 2

Exactly how the universe evolved is unclear, but it seems that the pandemic continued and society was placed under a constant stream of very strict quarantine measures until, eventually, the world collapsed. The survivors are seen wielding bows and arrows, leading mules and cattle, or adhering to traditional roles in society, each role allowing them to survive and work together in a world on the brink of the abyss forever.

If you want to know what it's like to be on the brink of extinction or live in a zombie world, 28 Years Later will definitely not disappoint you.

Samuel Daniel

Update 11 December 2024