Over two decades have passed since Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later was released, introducing audiences to a different type of “zombie”. The rage virus in that film swept through the UK and was threatening to take over mainland Europe by the end of 28 Weeks Later. 

 

We are told that the issue is solved off-screen through text at the beginning of this new film, subtextually retconning 28 Weeks Later in a blink. Now, the UK is a completely quarantined area, cut off from the rest of the world. The mainland is densely populated with infected, but human survivors still manage to thrive. That drive is truly the heart of 28 Years Later; survival and persistence are the themes, and the infected are merely the vehicle.

 

Jamie (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) belong to an island community, connected to the mainland accessible by causeway only during low tide. After a brief prologue showing the rage virus outbreak in Scotland, the film opens with a rite-of-passage infected hunt for the young Spike, led by his father. Early on, the film shows that the zombies, or infected (I won’t split hairs, here), have evolved into sub-species of their own. There is effectively a new social order among the zombies showing that they too can evolve. 

 

Jodie Comer plays Isla, Spike’s mother, who is fighting off a sickness that cannot be diagnosed due to a lack of proper medical care and access to doctors. This need drives Spike to return to the mainland with Isla in search of help. Ralph Fiennes, who is a wondrous treat in every project he is in, plays a mysterious loner deep in the mainland woods. His appearance is brief but reveals so much in a short time, particularly in his mysterious construction of skulls and bones of the dead into a deeply morbid, yet honorable art project. 

 

Rounding out the cast is Edvin Ryding who plays Erik, a Swedish soldier who helps Spike and Isla along their journey. The circumstances for his presence are interesting, leading to some fun action set pieces and a bit of levity that this film is missing otherwise.

 

Danny Boyle and returning screenwriter Alex Garland reteaming for this project may hint to audiences that they can expect what has already been done earlier in this franchise. Well, this was not the filmmakers’ intention as 28 Years Later is as distant from the previous films in years as it is in tone, style, and visuals. There are some artistic flairs, most notably some digital bullet-time adjacent shots that reveal multiple perspectives of action. That stroke is not entirely needed here and thankfully is not overused. But much in the way 28 Days Later used DV Cameras to show grainy degradation of the film stock (and society itself), this new film is beautifully shown with big vibrant colors and scenery. Thematically, this film is more abstract and esoteric at times, instead of straightforward.

 

While I liked the film, some quirky, weird moments hold it back. Particularly odd tonal shifts that are inexplicable in their delivery. This film is likely to divide audiences because Boyle and Garland show no interest in repeating their previous work. 28 Years Later is not the zombie survival flick like its predecessors nor what its marketing campaign has promised. That does not make it a bad film, but I would keep expectations at the door. Rewatching the first two entries of this franchise before seeing this new addition seems like a smart, instinctive choice. Ultimately, doing so is not needed; watching 28 Years Later is likely an even better watch due to the wide gulf between the releases of those earlier films. 

 

28 Years Later is more of a coming-of-age film, with the unexpected lead Alfie shouldering this whole film with poise and depth. The rest of the cast gives fantastic performances that accompany, not carry, Williams. This film is part of a new planned trilogy, and it does work on its own as a singular story, breadcrumbing what will unfold in the next two films. 28 Years Later is not the zombie action blockbuster it was advertised to be, but it does not need to be either. As a survival film with a heart, it works well but is a zombie franchise entry in name only. Keep your expectations in check.