28 Years Later is a 2025 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, marking the third installment in the “28 Days Later” series. Picking up twenty-eight years after the previous outbreaks, the film is set primarily on the British Isles, which remain under strict quarantine due to the persistent threat of the Rage Virus. The narrative centers on a small community surviving on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, where family tensions and survival rituals collide with the horrors of mutated infected and fractured human society.
Key details about 28 Years Later
- Director: Danny Boyle
- Writer: Alex Garland
- Main Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes
- Release: June 20, 2025 (UK and US)
- Premise: Survivor Jamie, his wife Isla, and their son Spike live in an isolated village but are forced to venture to the mainland, confronting not only evolved infected (including an “Alpha”) but also disturbing truths about other survivors.
Critical and audience response has been largely positive:
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88% of critics gave positive reviews, citing the film’s relevance, intensity, and strong performances, especially by Ralph Fiennes.
- Metacritic: 77/100, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.
- Reviewers have praised its visual style, emotional core, and the fresh, haunting tone Boyle and Garland bring, though some note the film’s patchwork feel and ambiguous narrative threads.
- The film has grossed $150 million worldwide against a $60 million budget.
Plot highlights:
- Flashbacks to the initial outbreak in 2002.
- After 28 years, Europe is virus-free, but Britain is still isolated.
- A coming-of-age journey leads Spike and his mother Isla into confrontation with an evolved infected and the enigmatic Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whose macabre monument of human remains becomes a symbol of mortality and memory.
- The story explores not just horrors of infection but themes of family, loss, evolving humanity, and moral uncertainty.
Production and future:
- “28 Years Later” was shot back-to-back with its sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”, releasing in January 2026.
- Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and original cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle all returned, with Cillian Murphy as executive producer.
- This film initiates a planned new trilogy.
Legacy:
- “28 Years Later” is recognized for updating its social commentary to reflect modern anxieties, continuing the blend of post-apocalyptic horror and human drama introduced in the previous entries.
- While some critics desired more satisfying closure or franchise evolution, the movie is considered a strong addition to the series, setting up future narrative possibilities with its ambiguous ending.
If you’re a fan of the original films or post-apocalyptic horror with thoughtful underpinnings “28 Years Later” delivers a thrilling and often unsettling extension of its iconic world.
28 Years Later is now available in India (and globally) for digital purchase or rental (premium video-on-demand, PVOD) as of July 29, 2025, through platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and others.
For regular OTT/subscription streaming:
- The movie is confirmed to stream on Netflix in India and the US after its premium rental window, most likely around October 2025. This matches Sony Pictures’ usual practice of releasing their major films on Netflix about 3.5 to 4 months after theatrical debut.
- Digital PVOD (Buy/Rent): Available from July 29, 2025, on major digital platforms.
- Netflix India/US Release: Expected in October 2025, based on the release pattern (120 days after theatrical premiere on June 20, 2025). This could move to November if the film’s box office run extends.
- The Netflix streaming date is estimated based on Sony’s established release windows for similar titles; the exact date may vary depending on box office performance and Sony’s decision.
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