‘28 Years Later' Reviews: Is There Still Life In Zombie Franchise?
"28 Years Later" partial movie poster.
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Danny Boyle's zombie thriller 28 Years Later, starring Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodi Comer, is new in theaters this weekend. How are critics reacting to the film?
Director Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland (Warfare) reunite for 28 Years Later, more than two decades after the original film in the series, 28 Days Later, was released in 2002. Boyle served as an executive producer on the film's first sequel, 28 Weeks Later, which was released in 2007.
The official summary for 28 Years Later reads, 'It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst 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.'
Rated R, 28 Years Later also stars Alfie Williams and Jack O'Connell. The film plays in Thursday previews before it opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
As of Thursday, Rotten Tomatoes critics have given 28 Year Later a 92% 'fresh' rating based on 121 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus reads, '28 Years Later taps into contemporary anxieties with the ferocious urgency of someone infected with Rage Virus, delivering a haunting and visceral thrill ride that defies expectations.'
The RT Popcornmeter score, based on verified user ratings, as well as the film's audience summary, is still pending.
Amy Nicholson of the Los Angeles Times is among the top critics on RT who gives 28 Years Later a 'fresh' rating, writing in her review summary, 'It's a kooky spectacle, a movie that aggressively cuts from moments of philosophy to violence, from pathos to comedy. Tonally, it's an ungainly creature. From scene to scene, it lurches like the brain doesn't know what the body is doing.'
David Ehrlich of IndieWire gives the film a 'fresh' rating on RT as well, writing that 28 Years Later is '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.'
William Bibbiani of The Wrap also gives the film a 'fresh' rating on RT, writing, 'The filmmakers haven't redefined the zombie genre, but they've refocused their own culturally significant riff into a lush, fascinating epic that has way more to say about being human than it does about (re-)killing the dead.'
Esther Zuckerman of Bloomberg News is also impressed by 28 Years Later, calling it in her review summary on RT 'one of the strangest, most exhilarating blockbusters in recent memory. It's a truly bizarre piece of art that's somehow both grotesque and extremely moving.'
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast also gives the horror thriller a 'fresh' review on RT, writing that 28 Years Later is 'a gripping, unnerving, and altogether thrilling saga that both continues its predecessors' illustrious legacy and initiates what's shaping up to be a promising new horror trilogy.'
Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair also praised the film, writing on RT, 'Grim and strange, 28 Years Later finds [Danny] Boyle once again following the irregular rhythms of his brain.'
As of this publication, only of RT's top critics — Rafer Guzman of Newsday — gives the second sequel to 28 Days Later a 'rotten' review. Guzman writes in his RT summary, '28 Years Later tries hard to outpace the original film and keep up with the culture at large, but instead, it lumbers slowly behind.'
Also starring Erin Kellyman and Emma Laird, 28 Years Later plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angel Reese's New Post on Thursday is Turning Heads
Angel Reese's New Post on Thursday is Turning Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In her second season in the WNBA, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is gradually making strides as she looks to become a prominent star. Advertisement In her most recent game on Tuesday, she had 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Although the Sky lost to the Washington Mystics, it was one of the finest games she has had so far in the pros. Before the Sky game, she also showed off her fashion sense by showing up to the contest in an interesting outfit that caught the attention of fans. Taking to her Instagram, Reese shared two photos of her game day outfits, where she appeared in a beige box pleated mini skirt paired with a pink and white jacket. She rounded off with a matching pink handbag and baby pink kitten heels. "i adore you 😍," one fan wrote. "Pink everything ✨🩷," a second fan wrote. Advertisement "THE PURSE + THE JACKET ARE U KIDDING 😭😭😭🔥," another user wrote. "if you adore her…😜," another fan wrote. "Dior baeeee😍," a fifth user wrote. "😍😍," wrote another user. On the season, Reese is averaging 11.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals a game. She's shooting just 37.8% from the field, but her rebounding and defense have proven to be game changers for the rebuilding Sky. The Sky currently have a 3-8 record after going 13-27 last season. In 2024, Reese was an All-Star and the runner-up in the Rookie of the Year balloting after she was taken with the No. 7 pick in that year's draft. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5).Dale Zanine-Imagn Images In college, she became a prominent star at LSU. As a junior, she led the school to its first women's national championship when it defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the final game. The following year, Iowa got its revenge against the Tigers in the Elite Eight round. Advertisement That 2023 national title matchup sparked a rivalry between Reese and Clark that has helped propel national interest in women's basketball to previously unimaginable heights. Related: Angel Reese Had Four Words for Former LSU Teammate on Wednesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
33 minutes ago
- Forbes
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Friday, June 20th
Looking for help with today's NYT Mini Crossword puzzle? Here are some hints and answers for the ... More puzzle. In case you missed Wednesday's NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, you can find the answers here: It's the last day of spring and the first day of summer. June 20th, the longest day of the year. It's also my birthday! I have birthday stuff to do, so let's dive right into this crossword! The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it's free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you'll need the app to tackle the archive. Across 1A. Org. defending individual rights — starts with the first letter A 5A. Repeated words that lead up to … — starts with the first letter H 7A. What puzzle solvers don't look down on — starts with the first letter A 8A. … a big cheer! — starts with the first letter H 9A. Hathaway who starred in 'The Princess Diaries' — starts with the first letter A Down 1D. Garment on which it's totally acceptable to get food stains — starts with the first letter A 2D. Doing the dishes or mowing the lawn — starts with the first letter C 3D. Younger sister to Bart, older sister to Maggie — starts with the first letter L 4D. '… ___-daisy!' — starts with the first letter O 5D. Bit of laughter — starts with the first letter R 6D. Image of a compass, for Safari — starts with the first letter I Across 1A. Org. defending individual rights — ACLU 5A. Repeated words that lead up to … — HIPHIP 7A. What puzzle solvers don't look down on — ACROSS 8A. … a big cheer! — HOORAY 9A. Hathaway who starred in 'The Princess Diaries' — ANNE Down 1D. Garment on which it's totally acceptable to get food stains — APRON 2D. Doing the dishes or mowing the lawn — CHORE 3D. Younger sister to Bart, older sister to Maggie — LISA 4D. '… ___-daisy!' — OOPSY 5D. Bit of laughter — RAH 6D. Image of a compass, for Safari — ICON Today's Mini This wouldn't have taken me a full 2 minutes but I kept getting distracted. What can I say? Birthdays are like that. For the most part, these were pretty straightforward. HIP HIP HOORAY! My one mistake was putting in HOHO instead of HAHA and that threw me for a minute. But I got better! Have a great first day of summer, dearest puzzle solvers! How did you do? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Forbes 30 top creators: See the 6 Ohioans on the list, including 2 in the top 10
The internet's biggest stars landed on Forbes' Top Creators List for 2025, and several celebs, such as Logan Paul, Xandra, and IShowSpeed, represented Ohio. This year's Forbes list spotlights the top-earning content creators while evaluating follower counts and social media engagement to determine who landed in the top 50. Ohioans like Matt Rife and Jake Paul sit among the top 10 biggest creators. The 50 richest creators across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube earned an estimated $853 million in 2024. Here are the other 2025 Forbes Top Creators with Ohio ties. The Cleveland-area native has turned his content creating-career into a professional boxing career, earning $50 million, per Forbes estimates. Outside of the boxing ring, Paul is a reality TV star and ongoing media personality, cultivating a fanbase of nearly 80 million social media followers. Matt Rife hails from North Lewisburg, Ohio, about an hour northwest of Columbus. He has also lived in New Albany and Mount Vernon. The standup comedian and actor took hold of the No. 7 spot on the Forbes list with 42 million online followers and $50 million in earnings. His Netflix comedy specials have garnered millions of views, and Rife is often praised for his crowd work techniques. Logan Paul, born in Westlake, Ohio, made a name for himself as an entrepreneur, influencer, podcast host and WWE wrestler. Forbes estimates earnings of $10 million and a follower count of over 80 million followers. Mark Edward Fischbach, also known as Markiplier, cultivated a dedicated fanbase over the years due to his entertaining playthrough of video games. The YouTuber and filmmaker has 74 million followers and earns an estimated $32 million. The Ohio native is from Cincinnati. One of the most popular streamers on the internet, IShowSpeed is known for his high-energy personality. Born Darren Jason Watkins Jr., the Cincinnati native has amassed more than 118 million total followers, according to Forbes, and has earned $20 million. Alexandra Pohl, known also as Xandra, has roots in Cincinnati. The DJ and model has 1.8 million followers according to Forbes, with $3 million in earnings. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Forbes 30 Top Creators of 2025 list: See who's from Ohio
