The Verdict Is In On 28 Years Later - Here's What Film Critics Say

Graziadaily

19-06-2025

With heatwaves continuing around the country all week, it's not exactly horror film weather, yet the highly anticipated sequel, 28 Years Later, lands in cinemas on 20 June. The follow up to Danny Boyle's last post-apocalyptic films, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, the third instalment promises to be every bit as terrifying.
The stellar cast features Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Edvin Ryding, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jack O'Connell. The film will be closely followed by 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is out in January, and was shot back to back with the film out this month. The latter also stars Hollywood stalwart Cillian Murphy, famed for dedicating himself to his roles, who was rather unfortunately mistaken for the zombie on the film's poster.
There's certainly a lot of hype around the movie – and an assumption that, despite the blazing sun, fans of the first two will flock to a cold, dark cinema to watch it in their droves.
Is that something you should consider doing this weekend? And how do the critics think it fares against Boyle's first two horrors? Read below to find out.
According to the synopsis, the third instalment picks up three decades since the rage virus escaped from a biological weapons laboratory. Still living in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amid the infected. One such group lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of them decides to venture into the dark heart of the mainland, he soon discovers a mutation that has spread to not only the infected, but other survivors as well.
The review embargoes lifted 24 hours before the film hit cinemas and locked in an impressive 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Most critics seem to agree that 28 Years Later is well worth the wait and the story has benefitted from the lengthy gap between instalments. It has also received 7.4/10 on iMDb.
One top critic summarised, 'A deeply earnest film, a picture whose sincerity is initially off putting until it's endearing.' Another wrote, ' 28 Years Later is a disorienting barrage of visuals and ideas that works more than it doesn't.' A third put, 'This one feels like a true and proper sequel that, like the original, goes in directions completely unexpected for the genre.'
Robbie Collin at The Telegraph has awarded the film five stars and described it as 'transfixingly nasty' and 'a terrifying vision of Britain turning in on itself'.
NME also gave the film five stars, with Jordan Bassett calling the film 'brilliantly bizarre' and says it 'turns the franchise on its (decapitated) head'.
The Guardian 's chief film critic Peter Bradshaw was less gushing, however. 'This tonally uncertain revival mixes folk horror and little-England satire as an island lad seeks help for his sick mum on the undead-infested mainland,' he wrote.
The same goes for Clarisse Loughrey at The Independent who also gave it three stars. Her headline captures her response: ' 28 Years Later feels like being repeatedly bonked on the head by the metaphor hammer.'
Meanwhile, Ben Travis at Empire offered four stars. ' 28 Years Later brims with thematic resonances, a canvas on which to illustrate a national identity-crisis,' he writes. 'There is a clear Brexit analogy in a country experiencing isolationism — the rage-ravaged Britain secluded from the world; its people secluded from their own land.'
Caryn James at the BBC described the film as a 'monster mash up' which is 'never dull', awarding four stars. 'Separated from the original in every way except its source story, for a long stretch the film lands as a more visually stunning, less emotionally rich variation on The Last of Us ,' the review reads.
And it's five stars from the Evening Standard , describing the film as a 'freakshow slaughter fest' and a 'monstrous delight'. Nick Howells writes, 'They've stuffed this film full to the brim. There are even themes of toxic masculinity and assisted dying for those looking for zeitgeisty triggers.'
With relatively mixed but overall positive reviews, an incredible cast and a lot of hype, it definitely sounds like 28 Years Later is worth your time. If you still need convincing, watch the trailer below.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).