28 Years Later Is Danny Boyle & Alex Garland’s Must-See Return To The Horror Genre
If you’re an auteur horror fiend, then boy do I have the film for you. 28 Years Later is hitting cinemas later this month, and you’ve truly never seen a thriller like this. It brings together rich worldbuilding, directorial prowess, and a killer cast and crew.
Led by Oscar-touting Danny Boyle (you might recognise that name from his directorial victories in Slumdog Millionaire) and written by fellow Oscar winner Alex Garland (Civil War, anyone?), you know you’re in for a damn good time when these two combine forces.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro when it comes to the 28 Years Later universe or a complete newbie, this is one for entertainment buffs far and wide. Let’s dive right in.
What is 28 Years Later about?
Set in the world first created by 28 Days Later, the film takes place decades after the initial virus outbreak and sees a group of survivors living on a small island connected to the mainland by a “single, heavily defended causeway”.
When part of the group decides to venture into the mainland, horror ensues. They’re met with secrets, wonders, and terror like no other.
Yep, for fans of the original — the infected are still around. Take it from the film’s tagline, which is literally “Time didn’t heal anything”. You can definitely say that again.
Watched the first 28 minutes of 28 Years Later.
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) June 1, 2025
If the rest of the movie is this good, it’s a Certified Banger here!
Immediately thrown back into the brutal world with all its artistic grit, rage, and a roster of interesting new characters.
Excellent hook to a new story. Wow. pic.twitter.com/1FALRpgoVT
Having the backing of previous films means that this one is rich with worldbuilding and well-fleshed out character backstories, settings, and plotlines. But, on the flip side, it’s strong enough as a standalone, so you can enjoy it without any knowledge of the previous flicks.
I’m not one to spoil things outright (except for that one time I spoilt Avengers: Endgame for my best friend whilst literally sitting in the cinema, but I digress), so you can check out the full trailer below:
Who can I expect to see in 28 Years Later?
The star-studded cast is nothing to scoff at, with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes gracing our screens.
Fiennes himself gave away some more juicy tidbits about the film when sitting down with The Independent earlier this month.
He’s hinted that his role in the film may surprise fans of the franchise. Fiennes plays Dr. Kelson, a character we’ve seen covered in blood in all of the teasers.
We don’t know much, but we do know that at its heart, this is “a family story”.
Fiennes clearly plays quite the character, and if his performance in Conclave is anything to go off, consider me sat and ready to go.
With Danny Boyle and Alex Garland having worked on the original film together, there’s no doubt that their familiarity with the world at stake here will lead to some damn good cinema.
What’s this about 28 Years Later being part of a franchise?
First of all, where have you been?! Secondly, here’s the TL;DR.
28 Days Later marked a shift in the way that the horror genre was viewed in cinema. A lot of this came from the way the infected were actually represented on screen, but also the speed and unpredictability in which the film was shot.
When the film came out, it truly felt like a cultural reset. It showed audiences globally that movies of this genre could be not only multi-faceted, but blood-curling terrifying. The film’s running commentary on the human will to survive was especially harrowing.
Plus, the original film was shot on a digital camcorder, which was a nod to how home videos were shot at the time. The shaky-cam effect was the cherry on top in reflecting these on-screen themes perfectly. Talk about an unsettling atmosphere.
Watched the first 28 minutes of #28YearsLater and was absolutely hooked. Left me dying to see what happens next.
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) June 2, 2025
My favorite part was the Danny Boyle of it all, honestly. He has such a distinct visual style — it was fun to watch and definitely terrifying. pic.twitter.com/OygSSEKOAo
On the flip side, 28 Years Later has taken a bold stylistic approach that differs from its predecessors. It’s shot in widescreen (an especially wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio, to be exact), compared to the original film being shot with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Basically, it’ll go from a cramped, handheld vibe, to more of a cinematic, uber-intense feel, where you’ll have no idea where the infected will pop up. Perfect for seeing a film in cinemas, if you ask me.
28 Days Later was released in 2003, and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was released in 2007. So yes, it’s been a long time coming for die-hard fans of the series.
Don’t worry though, ‘cos as we’ve said — if you haven’t seen the originals, you really don’t need to. 28 Years Later works just as well as a standalone as it does in a series, and builds on the world that’s been established by its predecessors perfectly. Huzzah!
28 Years Later is dropping nationally on June 19, 2025, so do yourself a favour and pick up the popcorn, your mates, and head to your local cinema.
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