It’s not quite 28 years, but it’s been a hell of a wait for this movie, and most of us never thought we’d see it. Mind you, we also thought that of Beetlejuice, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ready or Not, It Follows and loads of other surprise genre franchise sequels. It’s good to be wrong sometimes. Still, why the long face… err… delay? 28 Weeks Later was 18 years ago (this could get confusing…), and when we last left this particular movie universe, the UK was overrun by a populace infected with the “Rage Virus” (like Covid but much more homicidal). It also looked like Paris was next on the bacterial bucket list as well. The reason for the gap between “Weeks” and “Years” is simply that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland (director and writer of “Days”) were wrapped up in so many personal projects and movie ventures, and they weren’t prepared to hand off the narrative arc to anyone else. First announced (officially) in January 2024, it was eventually shot back-to-back with the next entry, The Bone Temple, which is being directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman remake) and due for release in early 2026. The third entry of this intended trilogy is dependent upon (*sigh*) the financial success of these entries. With a strong UK cast including Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, it’s now (*shout in Gary Oldman style*) EVERYWHERE!! So, let’s look at anarchy in the UK. Again.

 

Following some flashback carnage in Scotland (featuring Teletubbies), the tease of a European setting for sequels in 28 Weeks Later is blown away at once by a humbly worded prologue. France (apparently) repelled the microbe successfully (on Reddit, Boyle said that Paris was likely nuked pretty quickly!), The UK was screwed and stuck into quarantine, with international boats patrolling the borders and stopping anyone getting in or out of the country. With (surprise!) 28 years having passed, an individual community has been established on a fertile island that is protected by rising tides and only connected to the mainland by an intermittently usable causeway, which is fortified and well defended. In this self-sufficient and thriving society lives 12-year-old Spike (a phenomenally good Alfie Williams). Although considered too young by some, he is being taken for his first hunt-and-kill expedition in the Rage-infested woodlands nearby by his father (Taylor-Johnson as Jamie). This is probably only made possible by the fact that his mother (Comer as Isla) is sick and seemingly suffering from dementia, so she is unable to actively protest about this to the macho Jamie. Once off the island, he starts to encounter the different types of Infected, who are now naked and feral, having evolved to survive in this new world. During this time, Spike learns something important about a shunned local and has his first encounter with a terrifying “Alpha”, hyper-evolved members of the infected (who are apparently big fans of Mortal Kombat and Sub-Zero’s original fatality. IYKYK). All of this changes his outlook and potentially puts him in big trouble.

 

This is a great continuation of the “28” franchise and everything you could wish for from Boyle and Garland as an astute follow-up to the original genre ground breaker. That is, if you leave the WTAF?! last 5 minutes of the film to one side and pretend you haven’t seen it. I mean, this film is weird for a “mainstream” movie, but that last sequence… Jesus! But we’ll get to that (in a non-spoiler fashion). Otherwise, this doesn’t match the first one for sheer uneasiness or innovation, but it does score highly in lots of other ways. The isolation of the UK (minimised to manageable levels with the island of Lindisfarne) is explored here with obvious allusions to “Brexit”, Covid, and all the other isolationist crap that Brits have had to endure these past few years. For those with a bizarre addiction or fear of “wokeness” (whatever that is), this doesn’t pave the way for finger-wagging or anything. But it does provide for some fascinating takes on a society that is ignorant of the outside world and has retreated into previous UK cultural touchstones. There’s an inevitable Wicker Man feel to Spike’s village, which skirts into folk horror territory, especially with the pagan masks and archery training. This is underscored by intercutting footage of “Henry V” (with military bowmen) and replaying the Kipling war poem (“Boots”) for effect. There’s even a faded vintage photo of Queen Elizabeth II as some kind of religious icon being displayed at the village hall.

 

Brilliantly, what Boyle and Garland have done here is set up an alternate universe to explore British values as they were and as they might have been. There’s a brilliantly funny scene (yes, there is some spot-on humour), where Spike is shown a picture of someone’s girlfriend from Europe, which would be a typical “duckface” pose in today’s online galleries. His response is to ask what is wrong with her face and if she’s had an allergic reaction. He also doesn’t know what a smartphone is, or a frisbee, and one important scene takes place in a “Happy Eater”. Remember those? Spike is part of a truly lost generation, and there is a conflict of emotion regarding his family. His Dad is a bit of a dick, boasts about Spike’s (made-up) achievements and is playing around with the village teacher whilst his mother is literally crying in pain. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are both really good in these roles, with both characters “flawed” in some serious aspect. However, it is Williams who provides a lot of the heavy lifting with emotions, and he shines here. A scene involving skulls turns out to be truly inspiring, and he nails the moment with aplomb. Kudos also to Fiennes, who gives a complex character real dignity and soul, when it could have been a comedy misfire.

 

Enough with the “feels”, though. What about the “zombies”/Infected you might ask. Well, they meet the brief. It might be accused of going the Last of Us/Resident Evil route with different classes of the Infected, but it makes logistical sense, and it works here. So, we have the normal fast versions of the Infected, although these have survived on animals and live in feral groups, which are seemingly led by the “Alphas”, who are much taller, stronger, and smarter. Then there’s the “Slow Lows”, obese creatures that crawl on the ground eating worms (and presumably other animals). All of which provide palpable tension in the pursuit and confrontation scenes. Not to mention that Alphas like to tear the heads off their victims and wave them around by their spines. Whilst the “jerkiness” of the attack scenes has been toned down, they’re still incredibly dynamic and resort to occasional freeze frames to accentuate the violence. There are perhaps not as many of these scenes as you might expect (especially if you have been reared on Walking Dead or Last of Us episodes). But they’re incredibly well-mounted and very suspenseful. Look to the causeway chase scene for proof. Plus points for some of the evocative cinematography as well. Perhaps to make up for the emphasis on London before, the Northern/Scottish characters are shown in convincingly overgrown landscapes, such as the poignant glimpse of the Angel of the North. It’s actually refreshing to have the events situated away from the usual Southern monuments. We even get a glimpse of the Sycamore Gap tree, proving again that we are in a universe where things played out differently in the UK.

 

For the most part, it’s all about evolution and devolution, as well as family values. Arguably, the most well-rounded individual is Spike himself, and there are some incredibly moving moments between Comer and Williams that point to that, as well as how society deals (or doesn’t deal) with the nature of mortality. Some fascinating aspects raise issues that beg to be explored around the continuation of the Infected and Uninfected alike, but that turn of events shouldn’t be spoiled here. Hopefully, it will be elaborated upon in the next instalment, which potentially could include the return of some old and new faces from the saga. Ah, yes, the next film and that ending. The last 5 minutes or so are (tonally) completely different from the rest of the film. They introduce elements that are both farcical and disturbing… and for a lot of people (me included), they don’t work, especially with the intrigue and earnestness of the earlier scenes. If you’re not of a certain age or are that familiar with British culture, you’re going to wonder why some people will have their jaws drop to the floor. It’s mindfuckery of an acute level and you can only imagine what the hell the Bone Temple is going to be like with this addition. It might even spoil the whole quality of the narrative for you.

 

That aside, even if that WTF?! Ending spoils the story a little for you, the rest of the film is solid and exemplary, providing some moments that will challenge and divide the average viewer, whilst thrilling and satisfying genre fans who have been waiting for this for ages. That nearly 2-hr runtime just flies by, and you’ll never be less than invested in the fates of Spike and those he meets in this dark-mirror version of Brexit Britain. In a summer of perfunctory sequels and less-than-impressive “reimaginations”, this is a coming-of-rage tale that deserves the positive attention and response that it has had so far. Here’s looking forward to The Bone Temple in January 2026… as bizarre as it might be.