Spoilers! Who is that mystery man at the end of '28 Years Later'?
Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points and the ending of '28 Years Later' (in theaters now), so beware if you haven't seen it yet.
The horror sequel '28 Years Later' introduces several new characters into the post-apocalyptic world director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland envisioned in 2002's '28 Days Later.' And the most fascinating personality is the first person we meet in the new movie who we don't get to see again until the very end.
'28 Years' centers on a quarantined U.K. three decades after a rage virus broke out and infected habitants, turning them into zombie-like people. In an isolated survivor community on Holy Island, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) is taken to the mainland for the first time by his dad Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) to kill an infected.
Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Spike learns of a mysterious doctor named Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) so, with his mother Isla (Jodie Comer) ailing from an unknown disease, he returns to the mainland to find him. There, Spike runs afoul of the muscular infected Alpha known as Samson and witnesses his mom help an infected woman give birth. (The baby, shockingly, seems healthy, though its mom dies.) They then are saved by the odd but compassionate Kelson, from whom Spike gets an important lesson on life and remembering death.
Let's dig into the biggest spoilers and lingering questions, including who that bad guy is in the film's final moments and what fans should expect in the next installment, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' (out Jan. 16):
What happens in the ending of '28 Years Later'?
Kelson examines Isla and discovers she has breast cancer − it's spread to other parts of her body and is terminal. He helps to end her life, burns the body and returns the skull to Spike so he can place it atop Kelson's extremely tall Bone Temple, which memorializes the dead. Kelson helps Spike and the baby to escape another attack but Samson follows Spike to the island, where the Alpha is killed. But instead of staying, Spike leaves the baby with his dad to be raised on the island while he decides to live his life on the mainland.
In the final scene, Spike is attacked on a road by a bunch of infected but is saved by a group of blond-haired strangers, and that's where the unnerving Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) introduces himself. In the movie's opening, Jimmy is seen as a child at the outbreak of the virus, watching 'Teletubbies' before infected family members attack each other. His preacher father is scarily happy to see God's Day of Judgment come, and he gives his son a cross, which as an adult Jimmy wears upside down on a necklace.
Jimmy and his cult – with names like Jimmima and Jimmy Ink, and a violently amusing air a la Alex and the Droogs from 'A Clockwork Orange' – feature "very heavily" in 'Bone Temple,' Boyle promises. 'The first film is about grief and the nature of family. And these Jimmies are one of the families that it sort of looks at. But the second film is about the nature of evil.'
Garland adds that Jimmy is "someone genuinely frightening, but we understand how he got to be how he is. And the most interesting interaction for me is what happens when Kelson meets Jimmy.'
What is the secret website in '28 Years Later'?
If you visit the fictional 'dark web' page RageLeaks.net, it fills in the blanks about what's happened in the U.K. since the rage virus broke out, maps that show the geography of this part of Europe after three decades, and other interesting world-building elements. (Need the password? It's "mementomori" – Kelson's favorite phrase.)
What is Cillian Murphy's role in '28 Years Later'?
Murphy, who won a best actor for 'Oppenheimer,' was the main star of '28 Days Later' playing bicycle courier Jim, who wakes up in a hospital after a traffic accident to find an empty London and an infected England. His main role in '28 Years Later' is actually as an executive producer: He doesn't appear on camera but Boyle has said that Murphy will appear at the end of 'Bone Temple' and play a central part in a planned third movie. Wonder if Jim will have something to do with Jimmy and the Jimmies?
Does '28 Years Later' have a post-credits scene?
It does not, but the ending hints at where things might go and who they'll involve, from Kelson to that little baby. And 'plenty of challenges' await Spike in 'Bone Temple,' Boyle teases. (Garland wrote the next movie but Nia DaCosta will be in the director's chair.) 'It's not going to be easy what he will have to overcome in the second film.'
Boyle believes 'Bone Temple' is 'the most original piece of screenwriting since 'A Clockwork Orange.' There were lots of people saying, 'Oh, we should change this, we should cut this. It's too disturbing.' And it is disturbing and it is risky.
'The first film stands alone and the second film will stand alone,' he says, 'but they are umbilically connected in a way that will enrich the experience eventually.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
28 Years Later: A gory, nostalgic return with slow-burn zombie thrills
It's been almost three decades since the Rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. Resurrecting the undead film franchise from an 18-year hiatus, 28 Years Later aims to breathe new life into the series by offering up a younger and initially timid protagonist – Spike, played by Alfie Williams. Spike is set to be the leading figure trailing a new path forward in the three new films of the franchise, with 28 Years Later kicking off the trio. Set in the rolling green hills of Scotland's Highlands, 28 Years Later shows us what life is like 28 years after the outbreak of the initial 'Rage' virus infection in the UK and the spread to neighbouring countries. Isolated from the rest of the world, we're welcomed into an enclosed island community of uninfected people just off the coast of the mainland. From the onset, the film visually has a very home-movie and nostalgic feel to the cinematography, which may work for some while seem out of place for others more accustomed to new high-res film equipment. This is likely due to the creative directorial choice to film the movie entirely using iPhone 15s and lens enhancers accordingly. The visual feel does, however, fit into the look and feel of the original 2002 film, which, at the time, used a Canon XL-1 camera to intentionally give it a low-fi look. This may be a nod to the original before releasing the new trio of films with new leading cast members, but the film does feel a bit chaotic during more intense battle scenes between humans and zombies – leaving some precision and pacing to be desired by this creative choice. The movie opens 28 years earlier on the Scottish mainland as we briefly follow the outbreak journey and how it impacts the family of a young boy, a platinum-haired survivor named Jimmy. After the opening scene, we're pushed into the future and into the island community, where we meet our protagonists, Spike and his parents, Isla and Jamie, played by Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively. Jamie decides it's high time for his 12-year-old son to learn the ropes of zombie slaying and join him for a journey on the mainland to do just that – kill zombies with hand-crafted bows and arrows. The pair leave Isla behind, who is ill with an undisclosed disease and embark on their journey. The pair kick off their journey by walking across the sea on a singular road that tethers the island to the mainland, like the last thread of hope and salvation in the quarantined and cut-off nation. We learn that the road is only walkable during low tide, as it gets submerged during high tide. 2025 CTMG, Inc. During their trek, we are informed that the mainland is often used to forage and collect wood for fuel by members of the island community, but that no rescue missions are guaranteed if one ventures too far or remains on the mainland longer than expected. The father and son duo embark on a coming-of-age journey akin to older hunting traditions and, in the process, encounter the different types of zombies that have evolved and developed over the 28 years since the outbreak. We are first greeted by a slower variation of zombie, who drag their enlarged and decaying bodies on the ground with slug-like grace as they grunt and growl their way to an attack – or to a fresh batch of worms to slurp up. Later, the duo encounters a different type of zombie – a faster, leaner, and upright grouping – led by a stronger and smarter 'alpha' of the pack. Out of their depth and ability to fight them off, young Spike is overcome with fear, and they run to a hiding spot until it is safe to walk back to their island with the tide low enough to cross the ocean road. However, they have a final call with death as an alpha follows their tracks before getting shot down at the island fortress's gates. While the cinematography opted for a low-fi look, the costume makeup on the zombies did not – as the decrepit flesh looked as though you might catch a waft of it through the screen was uncomfortably realistic looking – even captured on the iPhone 15. The father-and-son journey happens in the film's first hour – leading one to anticipate what may come next. One may even assume the island community will be attacked by the alpha's pack, but that zombie fight never comes. Instead, Spike feels emboldened by his journey and a slap in the face of his father and leads his ill mother to the mainland after finding out that there is a doctor still alive and well on the mainland – but Jamie warns him that the doctor has strange methods. Despite this warning, Spike is determined and convinced this doctor will be able to diagnose and help his dying mother. The mother-and-son journey is slower paced, with emotional and philosophical twists, turns, and reflections along the way compared to the trip with Jamie, which aimed to toughen Spike up. On the mother and son journey, we meet Eric (played by Edvin Ryding), a washed-up patrol officer whose boat had sunk and whose team members were torn apart by zombies in earlier scenes. He joins Spike and Isla on their quest to find the doctor after saving them from a horde of infected that chased them into an abandoned and fumed-up petrol station store. During the trek of this newfound trio, we're treated to comedic relief by Eric, who cracks jokes every few seconds, and we discover that the world outside of this quarantined nation operates as usual and remains unaffected by the infected as Eric tells us about the life he's now left behind. Before reaching the doctor, Isla follows the screeching sounds of an infected woman in labour to an abandoned train and helps her give birth – where we discover that an infected person can carry and deliver an uninfected baby. The scene jumps into action as the alpha from this zombie's pack kills Eric and chases Isla and Spike once he discovers the zombie mom has been slain. At Kelson's compound, we're met with structured monuments compiled by bones of the deceased – human and infected, implying that we're all the same at our core. This, Kelson assures, is his way of honouring the deceased. From this point on, the movie takes on a much more philosophical and reflective tone – posing questions about who the monsters are and how different we are from the infected at all. This is a theme that has been done in the previous films from the franchise – by showing us characters who have made monstrous decisions in dire circumstances – whether it was only 28 days or 28 weeks after the outbreak. It pays homage to the philosophy of the earlier films by incorporating this element that likens humans to the zombies through Kelson's efforts and memorial. We also discover what ails Isla, which, for most of the film, one may believe to be a variant of the 'Rage' virus as seen in the second film, which affected our protagonist mother and son differently than the rest. During this discovery, Kelson helps Spike come to terms with the idea that death will come for us all and that we all are destined to die eventually. The movie's pace for this latter journey is significantly slower than the journey that sped by in that opening hour – leaving some zombie action to be desired, with an edging of fast-paced attacks here and there. The finale scenes see Spike return to the mainland on his own after delivering the uninfected baby to the island gates, as he is now determined to explore more of the mainland with the confidence of his two visits here already and experience in zombie killing. The film ends on a cliffhanger as adult Jimmy, played by Jack O'Connell, returns with a group of similarly dressed and platinum-haired team members to help Spike fight off some zombies – implying that Spike will join forces with them in the coming films. Overall, the film will surely please long-standing fans of the franchise with a similar feel and philosophical, reflective notes questioning how different we are from the infected through our decision-making. But new fans can also enjoy it as the film launches a new storyline for the series with a new group of leads to carry it on 28 years later. However, for those more accustomed to faster-paced, non-stop zombie-slaying action films, this film will seem a bit slower-paced at times and more reflective than a full thriller. But the gore does not skimp on making you gag from time to time. WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Rebel Wilson's 'Pitch Perfect 4' prediction makes Anna Camp giddy
We've got some aca-awesome news for "Pitch Perfect" fans: Rebel Wilson is practically warming up for a fourth chapter, as she's convinced there's more in store for the Bellas. Wilson told The Guardian that Universal is working on scripts for another verse in the song that is the "Pitch Perfect" franchise. 'You're basically announcing 'Pitch Perfect 4' will be happening … at some point," Anna Camp teases Wilson while promoting "Bride Hard" in an interview with USA TODAY. The action comedy (in theaters now) reunites the two "Pitch Perfect" stars. In 2017's "Pitch Perfect 3," the a cappella singing group − also comprised of Anna Kendrick, BrittanySnow and Hailee Steinfeld − reunited to perform at an overseas USO show. 'I don't know," Wilson tells USA TODAY. "I have a feeling it could shoot next year, but we'll see.' 'Oh, my God, I hope you're right!" an elated Camp responds. "That'd be exciting.' 'The fans have been so eager for it," Wilson says. "It's had such a great life on streaming platforms like Netflix. There's so many people around the world who are fans of these movies and want to see us, and we're all legit real-life friends. We all want to come back and do it. I guess it's just the question of the script.' The story is also key for Camp as well. 'If Kay Cannon (writes) up an amazing script," Camp says, "we'd all be there with bells on ready to sing our little hearts out.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘28 Years Later': What the Critics Are Saying
After more than two decades, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland have returned to the world of the infected with 28 Years Later, the long-incubating sequel to 2002's 28 Days Later. The film hosted its world premiere in London on Wednesday, with reviews from critics arriving shortly after — and so far the results are strong. With 78 reviews in, it stands at 95 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. More from The Hollywood Reporter Danny Boyle Talks '28 Years Later' Trilogy Plan, Turning Down 'Alien' and the Time '127 Hours' Made Pixar Animators Faint '28 Years Later' Review: Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Danny Boyle's White-Knuckle Sequel to His Apocalyptic Game-Changer Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes Talk Danny Boyle's Genius at '28 Years Later' World Premiere: "It's Horror, but I Was Struck by How Moved I Was" Read on for a sampling of what critics are saying about the film, which opens Friday and stars newcomer Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney wrote, 'One of the chief rewards of 28 Years Later is that it never feels like a cynical attempt to revisit proven material merely for commercial reasons. Instead, the filmmakers appear to have returned to a story whose allegorical commentary on today's grim political landscape seems more relevant than ever. Intriguing narrative building blocks put in place for future installments mean they can't come fast enough.' Rolling Stone's David Fear wrote in his review of Boyle, 'That he simply didn't retroactively ruin the first film by releasing a new franchise-expanding, Easter-egg hunt of an entry just for the sake of it would've been enough. Yet the filmmaker and his collaborators have also deepened their vision of a world on the brink, adding in strong elements of British folk horror, anxiety over good-old-days nationalism and an emphasis on what happens to a generation growing up in the shadow of normalized chaos.' Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Jordan Hoffman opined, 'Stylistically, Boyle throws a lot of things into a blender here, and somehow it all works. Early scenes intercut stock footage of Brittania propaganda films, which has no other motivation than to provide a vibe. Every kill of an infected slams on the brakes with a freeze frame, and the editing takes an occasionally cavalier approach to presenting sequences linearly, opting instead for a flush of sensation.' In his review for New York magazine, Bilge Ebir questioned if the film was hurt by it needing to set up a trilogy, with the critic writing, 'Despite several moving moments, and excellent performances from Fiennes and Taylor-Johnson, the film has an omnibus quality that makes it feel like a collection of loosely connected ideas instead of something that coheres into an actual vision, or even a story. Maybe it'll all come together in the end. Or maybe it's not supposed to. After all, what would be more appropriate for our moment than a franchise movie that devolves into a series of anguished and disjointed screams? 28 Years Later is choppy, muddled, strange, and not always convincing. But I'm not sure I'll ever forget it.' IndieWire's David Ehrlich writes in his review, 'with more earnest grace than any films have tried to humanize zombies before, 28 Years Later is increasingly preoccupied with the idea that the difference between 'us' and 'them' is only a matter of perspective. Honestly, I cringed at the movie's first indications that it was going to explore how the infected have evolved (so boring, so far removed from the primitivism of the original), but Garland's script iterates on that concept in such radical and unexpected ways that I couldn't help but surrender to its potential.' I09's Germain Lussier writes that the world-building answered questions he never thought to ask about a zombie-infected world: 'What would 28 years without humans do to an ecosystem? What human mistakes may have lingered over that time? What, if any, human traits do the zombies still carry with them? Is there a zombie pecking order? 28 Years Later consistently fires on all cylinders but then also hits you with a moment or idea that pushes things to a whole new level, and you almost wish there was a whole movie just about that.' The Associated Press' Jake Coyle took issue with a visual style he called 'frequently gratingly disjointed,' but concluded, 'Buried in here are some tender reflections on mortality and misguided exceptionalism, and even the hint of those ideas make '28 Years Later' a more thoughtful movie than you're likely to find at the multiplex this time of year. This is an unusually soulful coming-of-age movie considering the number of spinal cords that get ripped right of bodies.' Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson writes, 'Three quarters of the way through, 28 Years Later slows the horror to become a rumination on death's inevitability and life's carrying on even in the grips of calamity. It's poignant in an odd way, positioned as it is in what is ostensibly a horror film. Really, Boyle's film is more post-apocalyptic anthropology than anything else, an alluring peer into a near future in which humanity is at a fraught crossroads. Which isn't to say that the film isn't frightening. There are myriad unbearably tense and disturbing scenes, steeped in the impossible dread of being stuck somewhere far from safety, surrounded by unseen things lurking in the shadows.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
