Franchise Marathon No. 6: 28 Days Later (Est. 2002)

28 Weeks Later Franchise Revival

Approximately 23 years ago this November 28 Days Later released and garnered good criticism which tumbled into an overseas explosion of interest from the international community. Audiences embraced the new approach to zombies who had the ability to chase down their prey and the continued exploration of what the apocalypse does to people that George Romero started in 1968. The underlying tones to many zombie movies address the lengths that people are willing to go to when faced with impossible scenarios, the crux of many horror movies and 28 Days Later was no different.

With a particular focus on the human aspects of the scenario the franchise and particularly Danny Boyle, the first and newest film's director, wanted to portray infected humans rather than undead zombies, arguably a less often utilized approach to the subgenre. According to various interviews Boyle has had leading up to the June 20, 2025 release of 28 Years Later he has made it clear that the purpose is humanity. In particular the focus of the new film is similar to the first installment and draws on the rage existing within every person. Boyle has described the newest installment, the first in a trilogy centered around the same characters, as "return to form" in an interview with ScreenRant. Already there are plans for the next installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple to come out in 2026 starring the same cast but more focused on Ralph Finneas' character according to an interview Boyle did with Collider.

Something of note however across his interviews is the distance that Boyle and the film's writer, Alex Garland, want between the 2nd installment in the franchise, 28 Weeks Later that released in 2007 and this new trilogy. Boyle is particular in drawing the connection between the first and newest film while dismissing much of the lore added by 28 Weeks Later (referred to as Weeks in the remainder of the article). At the end of Weeks a cliffhanger leaves the franchise in silence for the intervening 18 years-the Rage Virus has spread to mainland Europe. This left audiences to believe since then that in this fictional universe the virus went on to ravage the world and turn it into a Resident Evil style setting. It is usually assumed that going to extremely cold climates could improve the likelihood of survival in a virus like apocalypse in particular.

Unfortunately in this scenario I'm a Zillennial, which means I'm a cusp year that gets tossed back and forth between the 2, Millennials and Gen-Z and thus my opinions tend to vary across the generational lines. That being said I actually liked 28 Weeks Later and imagined that same reality of a world overrun by a zombie virus that definitely included death. I actually didn't know that there had been a first movie to Weeks until I'd gotten older and more into the horror genre. This information however made the trailer make so much more sense to me and I better understood the direction to adjust my expectations.

What also made the direction make more sense to me was when Boyle explained in multiple interviews, including his ones with Collider and ScreenRant linked earlier, that the 28 Years Later (also referred to as Years in this post) series of films is contained to the United Kingdom. He explained that between Weeks and Years the Rage Virus has been pushed out of mainland Europe and is now contained on the UK islands with the goal of keeping Years solely focused on UK society and the implosion of it during an apocalyptic scenario. He also explained in these interviews that the infected have adapted to survive by hunting and through that practice have formed packs with Alphas at the heads. These Alpha versions of the infected have evolved to be faster and more aggressive than their regularly infected counterparts.

Plot wise the new trilogy focuses on governments hiding from citizens, revealing that people have been kept in the dark about what is happening in the UK within the containment zone. Efforts are being made to contain the area with an ocean wall of government ships and some of the information about this government conspiracy has been released as part of the marketing campaign. The campaign draws back to the grassroots era of horror movie marketing with a modern twist-a fake site has appeared that is password protected and contains evidence of the government conspiracy in the upcoming Years trilogy. According to a Game Rant article posted June 17, 2025 the password is "mementomori" which is a Latin phrase meaning "remember you must die" that is meant to inspire one to live with purpose and appreciate the present moment.

Prior to the UK voting to Brexit in 2015, COVID-19 global pandemic, the 2024 US presidential election, and Gaza I had more reverence for the government and political systems. Being able to suspend belief in reality is no longer necessary for the apocalypse horror subgenre following these events. When what used to feel extroidanary, like the government hiding virus' and experimentation but leaving citizens to face the ramifications alone, now feels not only possible but likely. In the years following the events of Weeks the world has moved on and left the UK to deal with the Rage Virus on it's own accord, even if that means adapting to the realities of it. Personally I have tickets to go see 28 Years Later on June 19, 2025 and want to update my review after watching. Additionally reviews of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, the other 2 franchise installments, are further along in this post.

Spoiler & Content Warning

The following post will include spoilers for all three 28 Days Later movies that will be out in June 2025. If you don't like gore, zombie-like virus outbreaks, or tests of humanity this post isn't for you which is okay but definitely consider exiting now. Click here for other posts and click here to be directed to Red Rose Horror's homepage.

28 Days Later (2002)

A lab in Cambridge houses chimpanzees that experiments are ran on and a group of activists break in to release these chimps. Scientists warn them not to do this due to a highly contagious virus that the chimps are infected with but they release the chimp anyways. Predictably the chimp attacks her and she thens dies of the virus and proceeds to attack the other people there. This initial situation causes the virus to spread across Great Britain that causes the society to collapse. 28 days after this incident a bike courier named Jim portrayed by Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins 2005, Inception 2010, Peaky Blinders 2013, Dunkirk 2017, and Oppenheimer 2023) wakes up from a coma he went into following an accident. He’s in a hospital in the middle of London and when he goes outside the city is deserted with newspapers flying in the wind that indicate an evacuation took place.

Jim’s walking around through the city begins to detail to the viewer what has happened since the virus outbreak alongside Jim discovering it himself. He ventures into a church, typically a space of safe harbor, and finds a massacre inside and is then chased by infected people. He’s rescued by 2 other survivors, Selena portrayed by Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean 2006 and 2007, Moonlight 2016, and Black Bag 2025) and Mark portrayed by Noah Huntley (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 2005, Snow White and the Huntsman 2012, and Dracula Untold 2014). They have been staying in a shop and take Jim there for refuge before the group of 3 decides to get to Jim’s parent’s house in Deptford. For reference the hospital is in Central London and Deptford is southeast London approximately 20 minutes car ride and 5 miles total.

Selena ends up killing Mark when he’s hurt fighting off the infected that arrive at Jim’s parent’s where the group rests for the night upon discovering his parents commit suicide. Selena warns Jim she’ll kill him also if he’s infected and the pair make their way to Balfron Tower about 5-ish miles north of Deptford. They see a signal coming from there and end up meeting Frank portrayed by Brandon Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007, Deathly Hollows Part 1 2010, Edge of Tomorrow 2014, and Joker: Folie á Deux 2023) and his daughter Hannah portrayed by Megan Burns (singer under pseudonym Betty Curse). Frank plays them a radio broadcast that offers salvation and protection if they can make it to a blockade near Manchester, a little over 200 miles to the northwest of where they are at. Frank planned to take Hannah there and the other 2 now join him to make a group of 4 traveling to the blockade.

When they get to the blockade they find it empty, deserted, which frustrates Frank. He kicks a gate with a body atop it and a drop of blood falls into his eye from the body. Frank tries to warn the others that he’s now infested and a soldier shoots him after appearing from a hiding spot. The solider is one of many and the group takes Jim, Selena, and Hannah to a mansion they have fortified. Their leader, Major Henry West portrayed by Christopher Eccleston (Amelia 2009, Thor: The Dark World 2013, and Dead in a Week or Your Money Back 2018), gives them a tour of the property and invites them to a banquet. This is all a front however for luring women into sex slavery with the promise of salvation. Jim and another soldier, Sergeant Farrell portrayed by Stuart McQuarrie (Trainspotting 1996 and Hush 2008), don’t want to go along with the plan which includes Selena and Hannah being sex slaves.

Their refusal causes 2 other soldiers to shoot Farrell upon the order of Major West and distract themselves arguing long enough for Jim to escape. In the sky Jim sees a plane trail and takes this as proof the outside world is still active and operating to some extent. He lures West away from the mansion by killing a soldier and triggering a siren while making his way back around to the mansion. Back at the mansion he frees Private Mailer portrayed by Marvin Campbell, an infected soldier who has been chained up for observation. Mailer kills the remaining soldiers once he’s released while another soldier tries to take Selena. Jim goes into a rage and kills this soldier and is so far gone into this rage that Selena briefly believes he might be infected. When she realizes he’s not the 2 kiss, Selena relieved, and go to collect a drugged up Hannah.

Now freed Jim, Selena, and Hannah try to get out in Frank’s cab but West is in the car and shoots Jim which causes Hannah to jump in, waking up from her sedation, puts the cab in reverse towards Mailer. Mailer then pulls West through the back window and kills him as the group drives off in the cab. The movies cuts from this to 28 days past this point and Jim is recovering at a cottage in Cumbria, about 100 miles north of Manchester. There infected lie on the roads, starving to death. When the group hears jets flying over the cottage they rush outside with a cloth banner that says “HELLO” and wave at the jet in hopes that the pilot sees them. It is implied that the group hopes to be rescued by whatever outside world and systems might still exist and no further detail about the virus or the apocalyptic scenario it has created is given in this movie.

While the actors are relatively unknown at the time of making the movie, intentional on the part of Boyle who sought to suspend disbelief, most are well known for iconic roles now. Selena is also Calypso, Frank is Alastor Moody, and Jim is Scarecrow—all cross target-audience names that are known for a variety of genres and mediums. In addition to the acting chops of wildest dreams the director, Danny Boyle, who also directed 28 Years Later, directed Trainspotting 1996, Slumdog Millionaire 2008, and 127 Hours 2010, to name only a few. Alongside director Boyle is writer Alex Garland for both the first and third film in the franchise, who also wrote Ex Machina 2014, Annihilation 2018, and Civil War 2024.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Although the director-writer duo is returning for 28 Years Later and the overall trilogy it is a part of neither directed nor wrote 28 Weeks Later, the 2nd installment in the franchise. Releasing in 2007 the film cost about $15 million to make and grossed $65.8 million worldwide. Receiving positive critique the movies is directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and written by him, Rowan Joffé, E.L. Lavigne, and Jesus Olmo. As a standalone sequel to the first film as mentioned Boyle has made it clear not much about this film is used to inform the 3rd film. Fans and critics however have reviewed the movie positively and it is set directly after the events of the first film.

In the initial outbreak of the virus Don Harris portrayed by Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting 1996, Eragon 2006, and North of Normal 2022) and his wife Alice portrayed by Catherine McCormack (Braveheart 1995 and Cordelia 2019) are hiding out in a cottage outside of London. They are hiding inside, all the doors and windows covered with 4 other survivors when a young boy knocks frantically to be let in. They go back and forth whether to let him in and finally do only for a swarm of infected people to descend on the cottage within moments of his arrival. Don wants to leave the boy behind so him and Alice can make it to safety but she refuses so he leaves them both behind. Don manages to get on a boat as the infected hone in on him and he makes it away in time, assuring the others will be killed.

Cut to the larger story at play and it’s revealed that NATO is taking over the UK following the starvation death of the infected. They begin rebuilding and within 28 weeks of the initial outbreak settlers and refugees of the UK begin to be brought in by the United States military led by Brigadier General Stone portrayed by Idris Elba (American Gangster 2007, Thor 2011, Prometheus 2012, Pacific Rim 2013, Avengers 2015 and 2017, Zootopia 2016, and The Suicide Squad 2021).

Among the people being brought to the UK are Don and Alice’s kids that happened to be outside of the country when the outbreak occurred. The elder daughter, a teenager named Tammy portrayed by Imogen Poots (Fright Night 2011, Black Christmas 2019, and The Chronology of Water 2025) and her younger brother Andy portrayed by Mackintosh Muggleton (Salem Witch Doll 2024) are moved into District One which is where Isle of Dogs is in London.

Inside District One they’re reunited with Don and he has a whole narrative about his journey back to London and how Alice died that is fabricated. Helping guard District One is Sergeant Doyle, a sniper who happens to also be Hawkeye, both portrayed by Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker 2008, Thor 2011, Mission Impossible 2011, The Avengers 2012-present, The Bourne Legacy 2012,  and more Marvel properties). As if this isn’t stacked already Rose Byrne (Neighbors 2014, X-Men 2016, Insidious, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2023) portrays Scarlet, a US medical officer and Harold Perrineau (The Matrix 2003, Oz 1997, Lost 2004, and From 2022) portrays Flynn, a helicopter pilot.

As kids do Andy and Tammy push the limits and break out of District One and make their way to their home in search of a photo of Alice. Inside they discover more than a photo however and Alice, their mom, is holed up inside-feral from no contact and lack of food or water. Doyle has agents descend on the kids just as they find their mother and all of them including Alice return to District One where she is placed into quarantine. All of them are tested and Alice is shown to be an asymptomatic carrier of the Rage Virus, piquing interest and concern from the army.

Don breaks in and visits Alice in quarantine and begs for her forgiveness, believing her to be uninfected due to being coherent and not acting like the infected. He kisses her and is infected by her instantly, becoming a rage zombie. In his virus induced rage he kills Alice in an extremely brutal fashion, smashing her head and face in the quarantine room while she’s strapped to a table. Meanwhile Scarlet rescues Tammy and Andy from a quarantine room and thinks they could’ve inherited an immunity from Alice. Believing that this genetic makeup could lead to a cure Alice wants to get the kids out of this now compromised area.

Due to Don’s actions another outbreak of infections occurs amongst the refugees and military alike which turns the area into utter chaos. The military begins firing into the crowd of people running from the infected that is mixed in with the infected at the orders of Stone. Doyle won’t shoot however and goes to help a group of survivors after he leaves his post. 2 of the survivors are shot by a fellow sniper but Doyle shoots back and kills them. The group decides to make their way to the edge of District One, hoping to get out before the area is firebombed by the military. The group manages to make it out in time but is followed by Don who also survives the firebombing of the district.

Doyle calls in his friend the helicopter pilot Flynn to come pick him up at Regent’s Park but when Flynn arrives and sees Alice, Tammy, Andy, and another survivor Sam with Doyle he tells Doyle to ditch the others before he can give him a lift. A horde of infected notices them then and this sends Sam into an understandable panic and he latches onto the helicopter. Flynn maneuvers the helicopter to cut the infected up with the chopper blades and this causes Sam to get infected anyways. Flynn then tells Doyle to meet at Wembley Stadium after Doyle ditches the three others. The group flees and finds an abandoned car to hide in while nerve gas is deployed to kill the infected. Unable to start the car soldiers with flamethrowers come in on them and Doyle is burned alive when he gets out to push the car.

Following this the group hides in the tube tunnels with only a rifle scope’s night vision as a guide when they are attacked by Don. He kills Scarlet and bites Andy which causes Tammy to then kill him. Fortunately Andy has inherited immunity from Alice and is asymptomatic upon infection. They vow to each other to stay by one another’s sides from then on out and make their way to Wembley Stadium by themselves. They meet Flynn and reluctantly he takes them to France-which is a bad idea because Andy is infected. Cut to 28 days after this and a French speaking voice requests help through a radio from Flynn’s helicopter that is now abandoned. Infected people come from the Paris metro station near the Eiffel Tower before the scene cuts, confirming the Rage Virus spread to mainland Europe.

Nothing from this movie is drawn upon for the new trilogy however, including the NATO direct involvement, exploring immunity or a cure, and characters like Tammy and Andy. Boyle has been specific in interviews about the lack of connection that the new franchise trilogy will have with the 2nd installment and that it rather draws on the first installment’s themes and vibe. Setting out to bring an inventive and sentimental vision to a post apocalyptic horror similar to what was done with 28 Days Later the 28 Years Later trilogy will leave all of the developments just covered behind in the standalone 28 Weeks Later universe.

28 Years Later (2025)

Officially releasing June 20, 2025 the newest installment of the 28 Days Later franchise is meant to kick off a trilogy that will follow the same group of characters. These characters are existing in a post-apocalyptic UK contained by military and government forces to deal with the Rage Virus 28 years after it first hit the islands. Being beaten back from mainland Europe the world has now moved on from the Rage Virus outbreak and most citizens are in the dark about what has truly happened to the area and it's citizens. Going into the film I worried if these details wouldn't be apparent in the movie but lo and behold it was too on the nose from start to finish.

It is really obvious that Garland and Doyle wanted to capture the unique spin that 28 Days Later originally took on the zombie world, to push the concept of zombie to a place they felt it hadn't gone. Unfortuneately for them I can think of better examples in horror that has come out between 2002 and now that better exemplified the same concepts (zombies or as this film insists "the infected" evolving over time, types of zombies, and the crux of humanity in the zombie apocalypse to name just some of the things they clearly thought were original). It felt disingenous to have heavier topics like the inevitability of death knocking humans off their feet even in the circumstances they face and what to do with a zombie-not-zombie infected offspring should one come to exist.

Often the only times the expressed takeaway made sense was in the context of the child character being the narrator of sorts and lacking basic understandings about the world and humans from his isolation. Unfortuneately audiences do know those things and nothing happens that's revolutionary enough to warrant having to watch Spike learn that A causes B which results in C about the world. The callbacks to the 2000's style of filming with the sharp, screeches of music when zombies are killed with wildly colored, wacky camera angles to convey something doesn't translate to me but these instances felt like a love letter to themselves rather than authentically adding to the experience and therefore being warranted and necessary.

Unnecessary is the best word to describe most of the little decisions that took away from stellar performances by the 3 leads and what is at it's core a not-awful zombie apocalypse movie. It is only revolutionary in it's own head and the final scene completely diminished any serious approach they attempted to broach with the topics of rage and humanity. On more than one occasion I almost walked out of the theatre and this included but wasn't limited to: the weirdly huge prosthetic dick that Samson had, Samson's pregnant partner to begin with, the baby situation, anytime a skull plus spinal column sans jaw was ripped out Mortal Kombat style, and how Jodie Comer's story ends post-her portion of it.