Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reteam on thrilling and emotional sequel to groundbreaking first film.

Twenty-eight years since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one member departs 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. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reteam to create an emotional and thrilling sequel that is weird, thought provoking, and poetic at the same time that feels connected to the world that 28 days later created but stands on its own to tell a complete story that sets up the next 2 movies of the planned trilogy Garland and Boyle have talked about.

Danny Boyles direction in this film is phenomenal the way he can balance the different tones going from thrilling zombie horror thriller, family drama about finding out a parent you love is far from perfect, to poignant contemplation on death that would fall apart in another director’s hands but never does. Boyles movement of the camera is full of energy like when Spike and his dad are running away from the alpha infected is white knuckled, exciting, and does a lot to inform you about the world and characters in how the infected have evolved as well as how Spike is not ready to be what is father wants him to be or rather he is not sure about what he wants to be and Boyle is able to accomplish all that in that one sequence which is great storytelling. I love Boyles choices of how he uses iPhone cameras in certain scenes they give the action scenes a distinct look that pulls you in as a viewer while seamlessly weave into the film without being distracting. Boyles direction of the cast is fantastic like the young actor who plays Spike is amazing Boyle does a great job setting him up to have success which for young actor is not easy.

The cast in the film are all great Starting with Spike played by Alfie Williams who is young to be the lead of a film like this he is able to play the gambit of emotions this role requires from him he is kind, compassionate, conflicted about what his father wants him to be, angry when he confronts his dad about him cheating with another women while his mother is sick, and his desperation when the doctor character played by Ralph Fiennes character tells him she has breast cancer then to heartbreaking grief and sadness that his mother is going to die he plays all of that so well. Aaron Taylor Johnson is fantastic as this father who loves his son but is deeply flawed in how much of an asshole he is at times contrasted by Jodie Comer who plays Spikes mother who he is similar to in how loving she but is going in and out because of how sick the character is Comer plays that beautifully so when right before she dies the scene she has with Spike is poetically heartbreaking. Ralph Fiennes is great in this film perfect casting because as an actor he can plays good bad guys or someone in between so when we meet him to discover he might be the most compassionate character in the whole film in how he is stacking these skulls of people to honor all those lost to the breakout of this horrible disease.

The script of this film written by Alex Garland is brilliant writing in how well realized the characters are I cared about the 3 main leads relationships with each other they are layered and complex in how loving they are for each other but see how the father characters flaws cause problems in how he lies to his wife about taking his son out at 12 and to his son thinking he is protecting him but is causing fractures in their dynamic. The ideas Garland came up with like the infected have now formed pacts and have an alpha leads them is terrifying to see they have progressed. The way the 1940s Henry V is intercut in certain parts of the film to reinforce that British way of what they think a man is done so well its weaved in seamlessly in a way it adds to the film does not take you out of it. The structure of the story worked for me it was unpredictable when you thought it was going one way it would swerve in a different direction like the ending with characters that seem like are going to the villains in the next film which is exciting.

Final thoughts on 28 years later is I loved this film and is my 2^nd favorite film of the year so far behind Sinners if you get a chance to see it in theaters please do and when its on 4k Blu ray and VOD give a chance I think you will be surprised I give this film a 4 and a half out of 5.