What Are The Critics Saying About ‘28 Years Later'?
Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and producer Andrew Macdonald launched 28 Years Later, the latest addition to their seminal zombie franchise, last night in London.
In the pic, written by Garland, 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.
More from Deadline
International Insider: '28 Years Later' Arrives; Landmark Netflix-TF1 Deal; NHK At 100
Danny Boyle Says He Would Never Make Oscar-Winner 'Slumdog Millionaire' Now Amid "Cultural Appropriation" Concerns
'28 Years Later' $5M+, 'Elio' $2.5M-$3M Previews - Thursday Night Box Office
The film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, and Jack O'Connell. The buzz has been big on the threequel. Late last year, Sony reported that an early trailer for the flick, in its first week of release, became the most watched horror trailer in 2024 at 60.2M global views and the second biggest trailer of all-time behind It Chapter Two (96M views).
But what are the critics saying about the film?
Deadline's Damon Wise said the film is 'by far the most political of the three films' and offers a 'particularly scathing' commentary about 'Brexit Britain and its little-islander mentality.'
'Alex Garland's script makes great play of how life in Britain has become stunted,' Wise wrote. 'Flirting with folk horror, he makes the islanders little better than the infected, inviting comparisons with The Wicker Man as they carouse in the community center while a faded portrait of Her Majesty the Queen looks down.'
Aussie film magazine Filmink said 28 Years Later boasts 'uniformly excellent' performances with 'Taylor-Johnson and Comer both doing fine work, and Ralph Fiennes absolutely wonderful as poetic, death-obsessed Doctor Ian Kelson.'
'However, it's young Alfie Williams who steals the show, giving us a likable and nuanced young tacker to root for and hope that he manages to survive,' the magazine concluded.
Empire Magazine described the film as a 'pure horror experience' full of 'ferocious, fizzing with adrenaline.'
'The film's opening half, in particular, is phenomenal — an electrifying exercise in terror, amplified by Young Fathers' astonishing score,' the magazine wrote.
In a review titled '28 Years Later Is Totally Nuts,' Vulture said the film 'carries on the tradition of using genre as a Trojan horse to explore the sensation of life today.'
But the outlet notes that some 'horror fiends will find themselves disappointed with a movie that's too weird, too somber, too unresolved to deliver on the promised thrills.'
Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson wrote that he found himself 'confused by the film's unexpected tone, but also captivated by it.'
'Knowing that another film in the series has already been shot goes a long way toward softening the blunt impact of the film's sudden, ambiguous ending,' Lawson wrote.
Time Magazine also zeroed in on the film's ending.
'There's much that's terrifying and wonderful about 28 Years Later, but the ending is jarring and dumb, in a kick-ass heavy-metal way, and it breaks the mood,' Stephanie Zacharek wrote for the magazine.
'It's as if Boyle had gotten cold feet about ending the movie on too solemn a note. But this ending, no matter how you feel about it, is really just a beginning. Boyle and Garland have two follow-up movies in the works. The next, already filmed, is directed by Nia DaCosta, of Candyman and The Marvels; Boyle will return for the third.'
Genre site Fangoria, however, said the threequel was 'the best film in the franchise.'
'28 Years Later, by comparison, incorporates the world-building of its predecessor but retains the intimacy of the original film,' the magazine wrote. 'Garland's script rightfully observes that a few expository intertitles do more than enough to establish the world into which the audience and the film's characters are plunged into, and then dials into the lives of a family that's doing its best to navigate an unimaginable situation both environmentally and interpersonally.'
The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 95%. Sony will release the film is in theaters on June 20.
Best of Deadline
2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Danny Boyle admits he couldn't make 'Slumdog Millionaire' today because of cultural appropriation concerns
English director Danny Boyle said that he would not direct "Slumdog Millionaire" if it was made today due to "cultural appropriation" and would rather have a "young Indian filmmaker" make it instead. "We wouldn't be able to make that now. And that's how it should be. It's time to reflect on all that. We have to look at the cultural baggage we carry and the mark that we've left on the world... At the time it felt radical," Boyle told The Guardian. 'Snow White' Becomes Disney's Worst-performing Live-action Remake In Nearly 10 Years Set in India, the movie tells the story of Jamal, a young "slumdog" who's been selected to appear on the country's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", and hopes to also find his childhood lost love, Latika. Throughout his appearance, events from his tumultuous life are shown in flashback and help him answer the questions. Released in 2008, "Slumdog Millionaire" was a hit with audiences and critics, grossing nearly $380 million on a $15 million budget and winning eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Director for Boyle. Denzel Washington Shuts Down Reports He Bailed On Cannes Film Festival After Red Carpet Incident Read On The Fox News App However, despite its success, the movie was controversial for appearing to exploit Indian culture and portray stereotypes of India from a western perspective. Some Indian critics enjoyed the movie, but some Indian artists were underwhelmed, claiming it was "saturated with stereotyped images of India," TIME magazine reported. Boyle added that while the film was in production over 15 years ago, he was sensitive to the exploitative implications of making the movie as a foreigner then. "We made the decision that only a handful of us would go to Mumbai. We'd work with a big Indian crew and try to make a film within the culture. But you're still an outsider. It's still a flawed method. That kind of cultural appropriation might be sanctioned at certain times," Boyle told The Guardian. He went on to say, "But at other times it cannot be. I mean, I'm proud of the film, but you wouldn't even contemplate doing something like that today. It wouldn't even get financed. Even if I was involved, I'd be looking for a young Indian filmmaker to shoot it." Boyle's other notable movies include "Trainspotting," "Steve Jobs," "127 Hours" and the "28 Days Later" horror series. The latest, "28 Years Later", was released on Friday. Boyle nor his representatives immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Click Here To Read More On Fox NewsOriginal article source: Danny Boyle admits he couldn't make 'Slumdog Millionaire' today because of cultural appropriation concerns
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Weekend Box Office: ‘Dragon' Slaying '28 Years Later' And ‘Elio'
Mason Thames in "How to Train Your Dragon." How to Train Your Dragon is projected to top the domestic box office again ahead of newcomers 28 Days Later and Elio. The live-action version of the 2010 animated hit How to Train Your Dragon is projected by Deadline to earn $35.2 million in its second-weekend frame from 4,373 theaters, which is below the trade publication's forecast of $40 million earlier this week. If Deadline's projection holds, it will up Universal Pictures' How to Train Your Dragon's domestic tally to $158.6 million through Sunday. Meanwhile, director Danny Boyle's zombie thriller 28 Years Later is projected by Deadline to gross $28 million to $30 million from 3,444 theaters through Sunday, which is in line with the trade's projections earlier this week. The projected weekend domestic tally is on the low end, however, of Box Office Pro's long-range tracking for 28 Years Later, which on June 7 was forecasting a $30 million to $40 million opening. Released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, 28 Years Later — which stars Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson — had a production budget of $60 million before prints and advertising, Deadline reported. A scene from "Elio." 'Elio' Tops Projections But Has A Lot Of Ground To Make Up Disney and Pixar's animated sci-fi adventure Elio is projected by Deadline to earn $22 million to $24 million from 3,750 million in its opening weekend frame, which is ahead of the trade's $20 million-plus forecast from earlier this week. Still, an opening weekend tally of $24 million domestically falls far short of Box Office Pro's long-range tracking forecast from May 31, which pegged the film to open in the $35 million to $45 million range. Elio a lot of ground to make up in the long term, since the film cost $150 million before its marketing spend, Deadline noted. By contrast, Disney's Pixar's Inside Out 2 opened with $154.2 million from 4,440 North American theaters a little over a year ago. There's also one other newcomer this week — Bride Hard — though it's not opening nearly as wide as 28 Years Later or Elio. Directed by Con Air and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider helmer Simon West, Rebel Wilson and Anna Camp's action comedy Bride Hard is debuting in 2,000 theaters domestically. Bride Hard is the product of Magenta Light Studios, which distributed last summer's indie serial killer thriller Strange Darling. Note: This box office report will be updated throughout the weekend with the most current numbers as they become available. The final numbers for this weekend's box office will be released on Monday.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Arcane,' returning from a 3-year hiatus, leads early Best Animated Program Emmy odds
The second and final season of Arcane is poised to shake up the 2025 Emmys. There are 38 submissions this year in the Best Animated Program category, which means there will again be five nominees. Leading the pack, per the Gold Derby odds, is Arcane. More from GoldDerby The 10 most Lynchian items at the David Lynch auction - and how much they sold for Best Drama Writing Emmy predictions: 'The Pitt' takes a risk by submitting 3 episodes 'Jaws' at 50: How Spielberg's movie changes 'horrified' wife of novel writer Peter Benchley Netflix's steampunk action-adventure show came on strong for its first season at the 2022 Emmys, winning Best Animated Program and three trophies for Best Individual Achievement in Animation. Three years later, it's back for Season 2, and there's no reason to think Television Academy members won't be just as enamored this time around. Arcane wrapped up major plot points in the series finale, "The Dirt Under Your Nails," in which destinies clashed in the lead-up to an all-out war. This is the episode that has been submitted for Emmy consideration. READ: The one show best positioned to beat Arcane in our odds is The Simpsons. The longest-running American scripted primetime series ever wrapped up its 36th season in May with its 790th episode. To date, The Simpsons has won 37 Emmys from 102 nominations, including 12 trophies for Best Animated Program. The comedy about the denizens of Springfield most recently prevailed in 2023 for "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII," but was beaten last year by Blue Eye Samurai, which is not currently in the running. This time around, the season premiere, "Bart's Birthday," is being entered for Emmy consideration, which serves a meta take on the show's eventual series finale. Love, Death + Robots has a near-perfect track record at the Emmys, winning 13 of its 15 nominations through the years. It won Best Short Form Animated Program for each of its first three seasons in 2019, 2021, and 2022, but is now competing against the big dogs up in the main Best Animated Program race. (There is no short form animation category this year, possibly due to a dearth of eligible submissions.) Season 4 of the anthology series streamed all 10 episodes on May 15, right at the tail end of the eligibility period. The third episode, "Spider Rose," has been submitted, and focuses on a grieving woman hellbent on revenge at the end of the galaxy. In fourth place is Bob's Burgers, a 13-time nominee in this category and two-time winner (2014 and 2017). Season 15 was split into two parts, with the first part airing at the end of 2024 and the second part airing now and through the summer. The eighth episode, "They Slug Horses, Don't They?," is being put forward for Emmy consideration, in which Tina and Louise get into an argument that escalates across several increasingly graphic "apology" cards. Invincible comes in fifth place for a nomination. Emmy voters will be judging the sixth episode of Season 3, "All I Can Say Is I'm Sorry," where a powerful new figure challenges Markus "Mark" Grayson/Invincible (voiced by Steven Yeun), and helps him to explore the concept of right vs. wrong. The superhero series streams on Prime Video, and received its first Emmy nomination last year for Sterling K. Brown for voicing Angstrom Levy. Gold Derby's Emmy odds are based on the combined forecasts of more than 4,100 people (and counting), including experts we've polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc. Track the Emmy predictions by exploring all of our charts and graphs, and sound off in our TV forum. PREDICTED NOMINEES 1. Arcane — 19/10 2. The Simpsons — 71/20 3. Love, Death + Robots — 5/1 4. Bob's Burgers — 8/1 5. Invincible — 13/1 POTENTIAL SPOILERS 6. Big Mouth — 25/1 7. #1 Happy Family USA — 85/1 8. What If...? — 95/1 9. Harley Quinn — 100/1 10. Family Guy — 100/1 LONGSHOTS 11. Devil May Cry — 100/1 12. Batman: Caped Crusader — 100/1 13. Futurama — 100/1 14. Secret Level — 100/1 15. Star Trek: Lower Decks — 100/1 SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
