Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later”: Political Horror and Intense Thriller in Latest Zombie Sequel

Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and producer Andrew Macdonald launched 28 Years Later, the latest addition to their iconic zombie franchise, with a premiere last night in London.

Written by Alex Garland, the film is set almost three decades after the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons lab. The world remains under a strict quarantine, but some survivors have adapted. One group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a heavily defended causeway. When a member leaves the island on a dangerous mission to the mainland, he discovers mutated horrors among the infected and even the other survivors.

The movie stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O’Connell. The buzz around this threequel has been significant. Sony reported that the early trailer became the most-watched horror trailer of 2024 with 60.2 million global views and ranks as the second-biggest trailer of all time after It Chapter Two.

Critics have been vocal about the film’s tone and themes. Deadline’s Damon Wise described the movie as “the most political of the three films,” delivering a scathing commentary on Brexit Britain and its “little-islander mentality.”

Empire Magazine called it a “pure horror experience,” praising the “ferocious, fizzing with adrenaline” energy and highlighting the “phenomenal opening half” amplified by Young Fathers’ haunting score.

Vulture noted the film “carries on the tradition of using genre as a Trojan horse” to explore modern life’s unease, though warning some horror fans might find it “too weird, too somber, too unresolved” for conventional thrills.

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson admitted being “confused by the film’s unexpected tone,” but also captivated by it, appreciating that a follow-up film already shot helps soften the impact of the ambiguous ending.

Time Magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek focused on the ending as “jarring and dumb, in a kick-ass heavy-metal way,” suggesting director Boyle might have hesitated to end on a solemn note. The ending, however, serves as a launchpad for two upcoming sequels, with the next directed by Nia DaCosta (known for Candyman and The Marvels), and Boyle returning for the third.

Genre publication Fangoria hailed 28 Years Later as “the best film in the franchise,” praising its balance of world-building and the intimate storytelling of a family navigating an apocalyptic world.

28 Years Later hits theaters on June 20, 2025.