28 Years Later is a 2025 post-apocalyptic coming-of-age horror film produced and directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. It is the third instalment in the 28 Days Later series and follows a boy living in a ruined world who undertakes a dangerous journey with his ill mother to seek medical treatment for her. The film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes, and was released in June 2025 by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Background and production
Boyle, Garland and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle returned to the franchise for the film, and Cillian Murphy, the star of the first film, served as executive producer. It was shot back-to-back with its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta and released in January 2026. The film is set in a Britain placed under indefinite quarantine after the Rage Virus spread, with a small surviving community living on the island of Lindisfarne.
Reception and significance
The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $151 million worldwide against a budget of $60 million. It became the highest-grossing film in the franchise. Boyle and Garland have said the film explores themes of British isolationism and cultural decline, which they relate to political and cultural detachment following Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.