Though it didn’t take 28 years after the previous film - 28 Weeks Later (2007), or even the first instalment, 28 Days Later (2002) - it has been nearly two decades since director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) reunited with screenwriter Alex Garland to create the third chapter in their fast-zombie franchise. 28 Years Later arrives in cinemas on June 20, but the reviews are already in - and they are overwhelmingly positive. ‘28 Years Later’ Trailer: From Skeletal Zombies to Brutal Violence, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer’s Horror Film Looks Intense and Terrifying!

At the time of writing, 28 Years Later boasts an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% based on 91 reviews. Critics have widely praised the film’s visceral survival-horror atmosphere, the standout performances of Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes, and Boyle’s taut direction - which features several inventive and striking shots, with some of them calling the movie as one of the best legacy sequels ever made.

Check Out What Critics are Saying About '28 Years Later'

BBC says, "Boyle takes full advantage of his striking technical skills in the father-son hunting scenes, which are pure zombie action-horror, full of kinetic camera movements and quick cuts as Jamie and Spike race through the woods, shooting arrows and trying to outrun the infected. The creatures are officially not zombies, as much as they look and act that way, but victims of the same blood-borne virus that caused people to become full of rage in the original film, turning them into lumbering, mush-brained marauders."

Variety says, "Surviving COVID taught us that, whereas the AIDS crisis was more complicated, since many cast judgment on how the virus was passed. The movie invites such thoughts, along with reflection on our own mortality. Typically, we look to adrenaline-fueled entertainment for catharsis. Boyle’s thrilling reboot offers enlightenment as well."

Empire Online says, "Boyle and Garland have much on their minds. 28 Years Later brims with thematic resonances, a canvas on which to illustrate a national identity-crisis. There is a clear Brexit analogy in a country experiencing isolationism - the rage-ravaged Britain secluded from the world; its people secluded from their own land. The distinctly British post-apocalyptic society is part Blitz-spirit wartime-rationing aesthetic, part medieval fortress - Boyle repeatedly cuts to black-and-white World War footage. Is this the nebulous ‘good old days’ that some Brits yearned for? Is survival inherently regressive? Years is also about the stories we tell ourselves, the myth-building that creates a nation, a fiction rather than truth." ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’: Danny Boyle Confirms Cillian Murphy’s Comeback in Film Sequel Set for 2026 Release.

Rolling Stone says, "This new movie is blessed with the knowledge that something always rises from the ashes, but that the risk of regressing back to some fabricated mythology of a Golden Age, complete with Henry V film clips and St. George’s flags, is there on the surface as well. If postapocalyptic entertainment has taught us anything, it’s that the walking dead aren’t always the gravest threat. It’s those who sacrifice their soul and sense of empathy that you have to watch out for. "

Entertainment Weekly says, "28 Years Later, which reteams Boyle with screenwriter Alex Garland after both sidestepped to producer roles for the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, shows both men working at the peak of their powers — and in absolute sicko mode. This new chapter is strange, unpredictable, gloriously revolting, darkly funny, and, when you least expect it, rather touching. It’s a full package, and one of the richest horror movies in a very long time."

Collider says, "28 Years Later, Danny Boyle’s highly anticipated sequel to his 2002 sleeper hit, 28 Days Later, sits firmly in the Aster camp, delivering an exciting, terrifying, and frenzied zombie movie while forging a story of mortality, morality, what makes a true hero in the face of adversity, and the importance of accepting the most inevitable thing in life: death. 28 Years Later may very well be Danny Boyle’s best movie since Trainspotting. Yes, I do think it lands above the original 28 Days Later, and it’s a hair above his criminally underrated sci-fi cult hit, Sunshine. Pared down to the very basics, 28 Years Later is about finding beauty and meaning amidst unthinkable horror - and, at the end of every dark day, isn’t that what this genre is all about?"

Watch the Trailer of '28 Years Later':

The Plot of '28 Years Later'

The official synopsis of 28 Years Later reads, "Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus escaped a medical research laboratory, survivors have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When a father and his son leave the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, they discover the secrets, wonders, and horrors of the outside world."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2025 02:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).