28 Years Later ending explained by star, and what it could mean for sequel
28 Years Later has delivered one of the most unexpected film endings in recent cinema to shocked fans.
As the highly-anticipated follow up to 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007) appeared to draw to a deeply emotional conclusion after nearly two hours of horror fears and heart-rending tears, it introduced a huge curveball.
*Obviously, spoilers ahead!*
With just minutes to go in the zombie horror flick, a brand new character appears courtesy of Jack O'Connell's Sir Jimmy Crystal, surrounded by a band of identically-dressed followers.
Cutting through the darkness with some unexpected humour, these last few minutes of the film give the audience unexpected food for thought.
But if you weren't 100% sure of the significance, we've broken it down below, alongside exclusive comment from one of the horror's cast members.
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Following Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) breaking the news of Isla's (Jodie Comer) cancer to her and Spike (Alfie Williams), he compassionately euthanised her, at Isla's request, to save her from further pain and confusion.
He then suggested Spike return home to Holy Island with the baby Isla had rescued from the pregnant Infected in the abandoned train carriage, who is miraculously untainted by the Rage Virus.
Spike does indeed take the baby home, who he also names Isla, but he leaves a note alongside her explaining his need to go back to the mainland by himself.
After '28 days later…' flashes up onscreen, we see Spike expertly killing an Infected who was drawn in by his cooking a fish over a fire. But as more descend and he realises he's at a dead end, a totally unexpected saviour appears.
Introducing himself as 'Jimmy', he asks Spike if he minds if he takes care of killing these Infected. A sort of ballet of violence then follows, showing Jimmy and his gang of followers – all also called Jimmy – slaughtering the Infected in weirdly imaginative and choreographed ways.
All these Jimmys are dressed in gaudy gold jewellery and brightly-coloured tracksuits, with blonde hair, in what is also a clear reference to Jimmy Savile. Savile was a beloved British TV presenter and charity worker who was unmasked as a predatory sex offender after his death in 2012.
What's more, 'Jimmy' is also the name we've seen daubed on the wall of a building, as well as – horrifyingly – carved into the torso of a man left hanging by his ankles to become the prey of the Infected.
He's shown to be wearing a familiar gold crucifix, but upside down, revealing him to be the young boy who fled at the beginning of the film after a house invasion of Infected and his priest father's death at the hands of a horde, which he refers to as 'judgement day'.
It's this man who's telling Spike 'let's be friends' with an unnerving grin in the final seconds of 28 Years Later, much to the discomfort of the audience.
Dissecting the ending with 28 Years Later star Chi Lewis-Parry, who plays Samson, the Infected Alpha, the actor reveals he and the cast knew the Savile association would 'naturally' provoke a major reaction.
'It's going to, of course it is. I think that's the whole point. I don't think people should take offence to that – if they do, or they find it strange,' he shared with Metro.
'I think it's necessary sometimes to rattle the cage and test people's resolve… It's understandable, but at the same time it is fiction.'
Lewis-Parry also points out that the fight adds 'a really fun element' after a very emotional part of the film and Spike's journey.
'It softens that sort of deep sorrow of this young lad who is now on his own, and he's trying to find his way and discover himself, to discover the world – the mainland – and then you get this fun sort of like acrobatic group!' the actor observes.
He also doesn't think it's an issue for audiences who don't clock the Savile reference, which is quite likely outside of the UK.
'No, it doesn't [matter] because he's a character in his own right. There's the visual reference, but there's no character reference whatsoever. This is just the look,' he says.
And as to why?
'Maybe it's the last sort of strong memory that he has? And it's very colourful, and I think that's good in this kind of dark setting.'
We discuss the significance of the fact that, in this post-apocalyptic world, society ground to a halt in 2002, with assumed history diverging from ours at that moment.
We see that in the Teletubbies at the beginning – a particularly popular kids' show over 20 years ago – as well as a picture of Queen Elizabeth II, who would have been the last known monarch.
And, of course, 2002 is 10 years before Savile's crimes were revealed to the world.
'At that time, there was no negativity surrounding that name,' Lewis-Parry points out. 'But then that's the masterfulness of Alex Garland's writing.'
The actor also doubts that audience members can predict what's coming next either.
'I'm even doubting if I know where it goes!' he laughs.
Really, we know very little about the plot for this sequel, other than we can expect O'Connell's Jimmy and his gang's presence – apparently a cult – will be delved into.
There must also be more to come from Ralph Fiennes' Dr Kelson, given the title of the film references his 13-year 'memento mori' project.
We can also likely expect Aaron Taylor-Johnson's devastated Jamie to pursue his son Spike after he left baby Isla outside Holy Island's gate and headed back to the mainland.
Sadly we do now know Jodie Comer won't be in it, other than potentially in flashbacks.
While Lewis-Parry was cautious about giving anything away at all about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple other than it being 'different' and 'amazing', Boyle has confirmed one key detail.
Original star Cillian Murphy as will finally return as Jim in this next movie after he was last seen waving to a jet flying overheard, having found refuge in a remote cottage with Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns) at the end of 28 Days Later.
Fans had initially convinced themselves he would be returning in this latest film after misinterpreting a shot of Angus Neill in the trailer, who played an emaciated Infected, as being Jim – tragically – in zombie form.
Of The Bone Temple, Boyle told Business Insider that its director, Nia DaCosta, 'inherited the sets and some of the characters; from 28 Years Later but 'she also had her own cast for a substantial part of it'.
'And she gets a bit of Cillian at the end,' he added. Alfie Williams as Spike
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie
Jack O'Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal
Ralph Fiennes as Dr Ian Kelson
Emma Laird and Maura Bird as other Jimmys
Cillian Murphy as Jim, a former bicycle courier and the hero of 2002's 28 Days Later
The excellent news for those who loved Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's 28 Years Later is that we don't have long to wait at all for The Bone Temple.
With DaCosta stepping into Boyle's shoes for this sequel – technically the fourth film in the franchise – it was shot back-to-back with 28 Years Later.
Therefore, filming has already wrapped and the movie is deep in post–production.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is scheduled for release in cinemas worldwide on January 16.
Yes – hopefully.
While two are already in the can, the third (well, technically fifth) film will only be greenlit if 28 Years Later does well enough. More Trending
But Boyle knows he holds a trump card to convince Sony if they're wavering, and that's the proper return of Murphy, whose character would take on a much bigger role again in the final part of this new trilogy and therefore 'hopefully he will help us get the third film financed'.
'We still need the money. I mean, we'll see how we do with 28 Years Later. It's so close to release that nobody wants to say anything; they just don't know what it's going to do,' Boyle added to Business Insider earlier this month, when speaking ahead of release.
'And I respect that. It's a lot of money, so we'll see.'
28 Years Later is in cinemas now. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will be released on January 16, 2026.
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