18 years after the previous film released, 28 Years Later has debuted with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland are back at the helm of the third film in the 28 Days Later franchise, which follows a group of survivors on a remote island who have carved out some semblance of normality.
Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes his son Spike (Alfie Williams) onto the mainland for a mission, but their lives take a turn by what they discover. Jodie Comer, Jack O’Connell, and Ralph Fiennes also star.
Reviews for the film are in, and 28 Years Later has debuted with a stellar 95% Rotten Tomatoes rating based on 93 reviews, at the time of writing.
Here is what the critics say about the “wildly unexpected” film…
Related: Does 28 Years Later have a post-credit scene?
“What might be a surprise is just when you expect 28 Years Later to ramp up, the final act takes a quieter approach. Boyle and Garland wrap up this story not with a bloody punch to the gut, but an emotional one that’s beautifully played by those involved. It’s a shame, then, that the biggest misstep of 28 Years Later follows almost immediately afterwards.”
“28 Years Later is a post-Brexit, Covid-conscious take on this world, with ideas about nationalism, isolationism, and weaponised culture added to the mix. But it’s punchy and simple once again.”
Related: 28 Years Later ignores one of the biggest reveals of 28 Weeks Later
“Wildly unexpected for a film that’s been promised for so long, this tense and tender post-apocalyptic drama contends that to exist in denial of death is to corrupt the integrity of life itself.”
“With 28 Years Later, Boyle and Garland return to breathe thrilling life back into an overexposed genre. There isn’t an obvious choice in sight.”
Related: Here’s when the new 28 Years Later trilogy will bring back Cillian Murphy’s Jim
“An interesting, tonally uncertain development which takes a generational, even evolutionary leap into the future… creating something that mixes folk horror, little-England satire and even a grieving process for all that has happened.”
“Whether it all comes together as a satisfactory whole… is anyone’s guess. Taken on its own, however, Boyle and Garland’s trip back to this hellscape makes the most of casting a jaundiced, bloodshot eye at our current moment.”
“A blistering adventure filled with dread and wonder, there’s a macabre classicism to the film—a sense that, even if life as we know it falls apart, some essential elements persevere.”
28 Years Later is in cinemas now.
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy
Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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