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28 Years Later shows that Teletubbies and zombies don’t go together, as the latter interrupt one of the greatest television shows of all time, only surpassed by Peppa Pig.
After that, it goes on “28 Years Later“, those words appearing onscreen, thus completely ignoring anything about 2007’s 28 Weeks Later.
This time, events mostly revolve around a family with Dad Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson – Kraven The Hunter), son Spike (Alfie Williams) and Isla (Jodie Comer – The End We Start From), who live on an island in a community, far away from trouble, but while Isla is ill, the other two go to the mainland to hunt zombies for sport.
This involves ridiculous bow and arrow bullet-time Matrix moments, making the whole thing feel like a pop video; And why would you go hunting, there? It’d be like returning to Jurassic Park. Oh wait, they’re going that… again. First in Jurassic Park III, and now in Jurassic World Rebirth. Muggy boneheads.
Meanwhile for mum, loner Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes – Conclave) on the mainland might be able to help her, but it would require a long trip of escorting an ill woman to where the zombies live. Given how Spike and his Dad were struggling to belt it away from the zombies when they have full mobility, how they hell will she make it?!
However, whenever there’s a lot of walking to be done, I did note they take a trip past the Sycamore Gap tree, which was felled by two criminals in 2023, but is recreated in this film, albeit as a distance shot. That was nice to see.
I’ve heard people talk about shocking moments in this film. Well, one thing that was surprising to me is the existence of a Happy Eater petrol station. There was no such thing! Okay, so the petrol is from Shell – which has been changed to ‘hell’ – but the Happy Eater chain died out in 1996, after Little Chef’s owner, Trusthouse Forte bought them out, so there certainly won’t have been anything around in 2002 when the first film was set, and the point at which society collapsed.
Given that there’s two more films planned after this, with 2026’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple following straight on from this, the current film in front of me felt like I was watching one of this mid-series TV episodes that’s nothing but filler.
And I thought we were getting Cillian Murphy in this, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Plus, a question about something that happens towards the end, so I’ll put it behind a spoiler header. If you comment about it below, please begin your post “SPOILERS”:
Meanwhile, the use of a crazy-wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio is madness. No cinema screen, these days, gets wider than 2.39:1. Wish and The Creator take note!
After 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later were both 1.85:1, I was hoping the trailers were just done like that for show… Nope!
NOTE: There are no mid- or post-credits scenes.
28 Years Later is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on 4K Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray Steelbook, Blu-ray and DVD.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 115 minutes
Release date: June 19th 2025
Studio: 2.76:1
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 2/10
Director: Danny Boyle
Producers: Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice
Screenplay: Alex Garland
Music: Young Fathers
Cast:
Jamie: Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Spike: Alfie Williams
Isla: Jodie Comer
Dr. Kelson: Ralph Fiennes
Sam: Christopher Fulford
Rosey: Amy Cameron
Jenny: Stella Gonet
Anthony: Geoffrey Austin Newland
Samson: Chi Lewis-Parry
Young Jimmy: Rocco Haynes
Jimmy’s Mother: Kim Allan
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.