2025 has been an incredible year for the horror genre, offering surprising blockbuster juggernauts and beloved franchises making their long-awaited return. One such release was 28 Years Later, the long-awaited sequel to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s genre-redefining 2002 zombie feature, which returned audiences to a ravaged UK after a virus turns most of its population into bloodthirsty cannibalistic killers.
After a successful box-office run, 28 Years Later has had a steady home on streaming. But, with a follow-up already slated to burst into theaters on January 16, 2026, I feel now is the best time for you to either revisit the horror, or finally learn just how the virus has evolved for yourself for the first time.
28 Years Later is a terrifying tale long in the making
While the movie opens on a flashback to the early days of the Rage Virus outbreak from the perspective of a priest’s son, 28 Years Later obviously takes place almost three decades after the first movie. Despite 28 Weeks Later ending with a potential outbreak on mainland Europe, the rest of the world has isolated the infection to Great Britain and created a blockade around the isles. As such, those who survive and have been born since are left to fend for themselves in their own isolated communities.
In the coastal community of Holy Island, Spike, played by Alfie Williams, is about to embark on a rite of passage to the mainland with his father, Jamie, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Armed with bows and arrows, the son and father duo witness both the terrifying new forms of the infected and the strange mainlanders who remain, alongside their ominous and sometimes bloody rituals. Jamie teaches Spike of the dangers he will face as he becomes a provider for his community.
However, when Spike’s mother Isla’s (Jodie Comer) health declines further, Spike makes the bold decision to venture alone with his mother to the mainland in hopes of finding one of the few surviving doctors who could treat her.
28 Years Later is a surprisingly touching story
Spike and Jamie run from the infected in 28 Years Later.
Despite the terror that his father had taught and warned him about, there is a beauty to his and Isla’s journey. Even with her health in decline and the mainland being overrun with danger, the journey allows Isla to rediscover part of herself that had felt lost, allowing her to overcome her condition, reconnect with a past she can never return to, and be a mother again.
Additional layers are added to the emotional odyssey when the pair meet Dr. Kelson, Ralph Fiennes’ survivor, whose strange rituals had made him seem like he had lost himself to the cruel world around him. Despite the myths, Kelson is simply a kind man upholding his vows and ensuring that, despite the horrors that have warped the land and life around him, all those who are lost are remembered honorably.
As the doctor aids Spike and Isla and their two journeys converge, the movie concludes with a heartbreaking twist that, despite the sadness and tears it brought, is a powerful statement on the importance of life that remains with you after the credits roll.
28 Years Later is a divisive follow-up
Sony Pictures Entertainment
This section and the next contain spoilers for the ending of 28 Years Later. If you’ve not seen the film, skip ahead to the final section.
Despite a touching but bittersweet conclusion to Spike and Isla’s journey, 28 Years Later has caused division among audiences. Some viewers felt that the movie failed to deliver on its horror elements after so much of the marketing placed emphasis on how the infected had evolved and grown more deadly. While I felt the emotional journey was perfectly in tune with Jim’s story in the original 2003 movie, it is understandable how others may have felt that they had been sold a different movie.
However, the ending itself has caused further division among viewers. After Spike decides to leave Holy Island behind, he is rescued by a group of tracksuit-wearing survivors led by Sir Jimmy Crystal, the now-grown child from the opening played by Sinner’s Jack O’Connell. After an acrobatic showdown, Jimmy takes Spike under his wing.
Despite loving the movie, Sir Jimmy’s arrival was incredibly jarring for me as a viewer. The sequence is an over-the-top, fast-paced fight that evokes Power Rangers, scored by a metal cover of the Teletubbies theme song that can feel at odds with the rest of the movie. This divisive response is further exacerbated by Sir Jimmy’s cult’s inspiration, as Boyle has confirmed that the group’s costumes are an intentional nod to Jimmy Saville, a disgraced TV presenter. Despite Boyle stating there is meaning behind these costumes, it hasn’t stopped some aware of its inspiration to feel that it is somewhat tasteless.
28 Years Later is just the beginning of a new saga
With the upcoming sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Boyle hands over directing responsibilities to 2021’s Candyman director Nia DaCosta. The sequel picks up with the next chapter of Spike’s solo journey into the Infected-ravaged mainland, as he joins Sir Jimmy’s roving band of cultists.
Alongside Williams and O’Connell’s survivors, Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson returns in the sequel, with trailers hinting that he may be on the verge of bringing the pandemic to an end after 28 horrific years with a cure. However, Kelson’s hope is jeopardized as Sir Jimmy’s cult veers closer to the Bone Temple, leading to an encounter that will reinforce why man may be more terrifying than the infected.
After a positive response to test screenings, it has been confirmed that Boyle will be able to conclude his trilogy with a currently untitled third entry that will see him return to direct and presumably bring the story to a close. Cillian Murphy’s original movie survivor Jim is also expected to return and play a major role after making an appearance in The Bone Temple. With the 28 Years Later trilogy now guaranteed to be completed, it is even more essential for you to dive into the first movie so that you can enjoy the next two chapters alongside everyone else.
Where to stream 28 Years Later
Per Sony’s agreement to bring the studio’s productions to the streaming platform, 28 Years Later has been available to stream on Netflix since September, alongside the original 28 Days Later. With only a matter of weeks until the next chapter arrives in theaters, now is the best time to brave the discourse and horrors, and enjoy the first chapter of Spike’s journey for yourself.