David Farnor | On 23, Jun 2025

How on earth do you follow 28 Days Later, a bitingly political horror that made its alarming point with an astonishing economy of storytelling? The answer, inevitably, is 28 Weeks Later, a sequel that takes its studio mandate of expanding the franchise and making more money in the time-honoured tradition of going bigger. The result is very much Aliens to Danny Boyle’s Alien – and while it doesn’t surpass the original, it’s a surprisingly worthy successor.

Stepping into Boyle’s shoes is Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who was selected by the British helmer to pick up the baton. It’s a great choice, and Fresnadillo leaves behind the low-tech, immediate scuzziness of the first outing without forgetting it. From underground sequences in deserted Tube stations to CCTV at night, the polished production has as much grit as it does gore. The script – penned by Fresnadillo with Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne and Jesus Olmo – also learns the first film’s lesson of keeping things small to maximise the scares and the stakes.

Any fear of the sequel jumping the shark is allayed by the inspired opening, which is one of the best introductions to a horror film ever put on celluloid. We pick things up in the aftermath of the first film’s apocalyptic collapse of society – and are introduced to Robert Carlyle as Don, who is hiding out in a small group of people in a countryside cottage. Needless to say, their peace doesn’t last, and a sweeping crane shot simultaneously ups the scope of the threat but keeps things heart-wrenching personal.

That emotional thread is impressively maintained as we then jump forwards in time to Don being a key player in the rebuilding of civilisation in Canary Wharf. Part of the fun comes in playing spot the location, as snipers from the US military descend upon the water-borded mini-city to keep things secure – the fact that the security is handled by the Americans has the counterintuitive effect of making the heart of the story feel even more defiantly British.

The film has aged brilliantly, thanks to its smart and convincing portrait of the safety measures needed to ward off infection – in a post-Covid-19 world, the testing and quarantining, as well as the desire to move on and forget as rapidly as possible, all ring chillingly true. The use of sniper cams as well as handhelds only ups the claustrophobic tension that lingers beneath the shiny, glass-windowed surface of this hopeful new start.

Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne and Harold Perrineau bring gruff heft and emotional depth to the troopers warding off the Rage virus’ return, with some help from an enjoyably brooding Idris Elba. But it’s Robert Carlyle who gives the tale its soul, his frantic panic for his own survival only surpassed by his determination to keep his kids with him no matter what. He has immediately believable chemistry with Imogen Poots as his resilient and compass daughter, Tammy, and Mackintosh Muggleton as Andy, his quietly ambiguous son who may or may not be a help or hindrance.

At its core a family drama more than a military thriller, the film benefits from its juxtaposition of a closely tied unit with some stellar action set pieces, finding a thoughtful parallel between the preservation of a household and the attempted reconstruction of a country – neither of which is an easy feat in the face of anger, fear and distrust. If the result is a riveting exploration of the legacy of a parent upon their kids, it’s fitting that 28 Weeks Later both honours its DNA while doing its own thing – and remaining resolutely, creatively scary.

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