Directed by Danny Boyle.
28 Years Later was released in theaters on June 20, 2025.
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Movie Review
Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later takes us back into the world of the Rage Virus with a mix of horror and emotion.
The movie looks stunning, with scary new infected creatures and haunting shots of an empty world.
The acting is a big highlight, Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, and Aaron Taylor Johnson bring real heart and strength to their roles.
The story goes beyond simple scares and focuses on survival, family, and tough choices in a broken world.
At times, the movie feels uneven, switching quickly between slow emotional scenes and sudden bursts of horror.
Some creative filming choices also feel distracting.
Fans of the older movies may miss the nonstop fear of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, but this sequel adds new depth and feeling to the series.
If you like horror with both chills and heart, 28 Years Later is worth watching.
Ratings
• IMDb: 6.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
• Google Audience Score: 64% liked this movie.
28 Years Later Actors
Jodie Comer as Isla
DOB: March 11, 1993.
Bio: An award-winning English actress known for fearless, transformational work across TV and film.
She gained global recognition playing Villanelle in Killing Eve, winning a Primetime Emmy and a BAFTA.
Her range stretches from complex psychological drama to genre pieces, and she is admired for deeply inhabiting challenging roles.
Role: Isla, Jamie’s wife and Spike’s mother.
Isla suffers from a mysterious and debilitating illness (later revealed to be terminal cancer) that drives much of the film’s emotional weight.
Her illness and her choice around mortality become a central pivot for the story’s themes about sacrifice, memory, and human fragility.
What to Expect: Intense, intimate scenes; Comer brings nuance to grief and quiet courage.
Favorite Things: Comer is famously private but has described valuing craft, physical training for roles and close collaboration with directors.
Notable Works: Killing Eve, The Last Duel, Free Guy.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie
DOB: June 13, 1990.
Bio: English actor who began working professionally as a child before breaking out with Nowhere Boy (2009) and Kick-Ass (2010).
He has since built a versatile career in both action and drama, earning a Golden Globe for Nocturnal Animals (2016).
Role: Jamie is a scavenger and father raising his family on the quarantined island of Lindisfarne.
His choices, caught between survival, loyalty and the pull of human frailty, form the backbone of the film’s moral tension.
His relationship with Isla and their son Spike becomes central to the story’s exploration of sacrifice and survival in a broken world.
What to Expect: A rugged, layered performance balancing survival instinct, guilt and paternal love.
Favorite Things: Outside acting he is known to enjoy country life and vegetable farming; he speaks often about family.
Notable Works: Nowhere Boy, Kick-Ass, Nocturnal Animals, Bullet Train, Kraven the Hunter.
Ralph Fiennes as Dr Ian Kelson
DOB: December 22, 1962.
Bio: English actor and filmmaker, renowned for his work on stage and screen.
He first drew acclaim with Schindler’s List (1993), earning an Academy Award nomination, and later won accolades for The English Patient (1996).
Role: Dr. Ian Kelson is a former GP who has reshaped himself into a ritualistic caretaker among the survivors.
He tends to the dead, blending medicine with unsettling ceremony, and becomes a philosophical voice in the community.
What to Expect: A controlled, haunting performance that adds intellectual weight and eerie calm to the film’s horror.
Favorite Things: Fiennes is deeply engaged with theatre, literature and classical training, often returning to direct and perform Shakespeare on stage.
Notable Works: Schindler’s List, The English Patient, Harry Potter series, The Constant Gardener, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Alfie Williams as Spike
DOB: January 3, 2011.
Bio: A young English actor from Newcastle upon Tyne, Alfie Williams is a breakout star of 2025.
He trained in local drama work and made early appearances in shorts and TV before landing the lead child role in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later.
Role: Spike, the 12-year-old son of Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Isla (Jodie Comer).
Spike’s life is shaped entirely by the post-virus world; when his mother becomes ill, he is drawn into a dangerous journey into the mainland in search of answers, meaning, and survival.
What to Expect: A sensitive, fearless child performance that anchors the movie’s quieter and more harrowing moments.
Favorite Things: Early interviews and profiles note Alfie’s interest in music (he plays guitar) and video games.
Notable Works: Phallacy (short film), A New Breed of Criminal.
Edvin Ryding as Erik Sundqvist
DOB: February 4, 2003.
Bio: Swedish actor who rose to global recognition as Prince Wilhelm in Netflix’s Young Royals (2021–2024), a role that made him an international breakout star.
Beginning his career in Swedish film and television as a child actor, Ryding has steadily transitioned to more mature and complex roles.
Role: Erik Sundqvist is the lone survivor of a NATO quarantine patrol who crosses paths with Spike and Isla.
Initially appearing as a rescuer, his growing paranoia and sudden violent impulses disrupt the survivors’ fragile trust, pushing the group into greater conflict.
What to Expect: A raw, volatile performance that escalates the film’s moral stakes.
Favorite Things: Ryding has talked about international projects and a fast-growing career after Young Royals.
Notable Works: Young Royals, A Part of You.
Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson
DOB: August 10, 1983.
Bio: British actor, stuntman, and former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist.
Standing 6’10”, he fought under the nickname “Chopper” and competed internationally before moving into screen work.
Role: Samson is the film’s Alpha infected, physically imposing and a key threat whose presence pushes the survivors into brutal action scenes.
He is an evolved infected that the characters must understand and, briefly, humanize.
What to Expect: Terrifying physicality and creature work with emotional beats that complicate the usual “mindless monster” trope.
Favorite Things: Lewis-Parry’s interviews highlight his training for physical roles and commitment to stunt and prosthetic work.
Notable Works: Appearances in action and genre projects, plus credits in British television and stunt work.
Christopher Fulford as Sam
DOB: 1955.
Bio: English actor with a long career in British television, theatre, and film.
Known for his versatility, he has appeared in a wide range of crime dramas, period pieces, and character-driven stories since the 1980s.
Role: Sam is Jamie’s trusted friend and a longtime resident of Lindisfarne.
His loyalty, practical knowledge of the island, and deep ties to the local community shape how survivors respond to the growing threats around them.
What to Expect: Grounded, familiar character work that gives the island its social texture.
Favorite Things: Fulford tends to avoid the spotlight but has built his career on consistent character work, often expressing admiration for ensemble-driven storytelling.
Notable Works: Inspector Morse, Cracker, Millions, Scarlet and Black.
Stella Gonet as Jenny
DOB: December 12, 1960.
Bio: Scottish actress with an accomplished career in television, theatre, and film.
Trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, she became widely known for her work in The House of Eliott and Holby City.
Role: Jenny is a member of Lindisfarne’s leadership council, helping shape the rules and rituals that hold the fragile community together.
Her presence grounds the film’s moral debates, particularly in moments where survival clashes with compassion.
What to Expect: A measured performance that helps establish the island’s social order.
Favorite Things: Gonet speaks publicly about theatre and the craft of disciplined ensemble work.
Notable Works: The House of Eliott, Holby City, Spencer, How I Live Now, The Crown.
Jack O’Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal
DOB: August 1, 1990.
Bio: English actor from Derby, celebrated for his raw, uncompromising performances in both independent cinema and major productions.
He gained early attention with This Is England (2006) and became a breakout star with the prison drama Starred Up (2013).
Role: Sir Jimmy Crystal is the ruthless leader of a violent, cult-like faction nicknamed the “Jimmies.”
He combines charisma with cruelty, creating a distorted sense of order that masks brutality.
What to Expect: A disturbing, charismatic turn that reshapes the film’s final act and sets up the series’ next chapter.
Favorite Things: O’Connell has discussed valuing immersive character work and choosing intense, physical roles.
Notable Works: This Is England, Skins, Starred Up, ’71, Unbroken, Seberg, Back to Black.
Erin Kellyman as Jimmy Ink
DOB: October 17, 1998.
Bio: British actor from Tamworth, Staffordshire, best known for her breakout role as Enfys Nest in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
She went on to gain wider recognition as Karli Morgenthau in Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and starred in the fantasy series Willow (2022).
Role: Jimmy Ink, a prominent member of the cult-like faction led by Sir Jimmy Crystal.
Marked by ritualistic tattoos and unsettling charisma, Ink features heavily in the faction’s violent rites and becomes a symbolic face of its menace.
What to Expect: A physical, intense supporting performance in the film’s most violent and unnerving sequences.
Favorite Things: Kellyman has expressed her love for genre storytelling, working on diverse fantasy and sci-fi projects, and playing characters that challenge traditional archetypes.
Notable Works: Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Eleanor the Great, Willow.
Rocco Haynes as Young Jimmy Crystal
DOB: N/A.
Bio: Rocco Haynes is a child actor making one of his earliest screen appearances in 28 Years Later.
Though little biographical information is publicly available, his role is significant in establishing the emotional foundation for the film’s antagonist.
Role: Young Jimmy appears in the outbreak prologue; his survival and cross necklace become key imagery that echoes through the film and sequel setup.
What to Expect: A short but pivotal, haunting appearance that helps establish the film’s origin myth.
Favorite Things: N/A.
Notable Works: 28 Years Later (first major screen credit).
Amy Cameron as Rosie
DOB: N/A..
Bio: A British actor who graduated from Manchester School of Theatre (2012).
Has worked steadily in UK television shows such as Coronation Street, Doctors, Casualty, Holby City, Vera, This Is England ’90, and others.
Role: Rosey is a supporting character in 28 Years Later.
She becomes involved in Jamie’s personal life in a subplot of the film. Her relationship with Jamie adds tension to the community and personal drama.
What to Expect: A naturalistic supporting turn that humanizes the island community and feeds the film’s interpersonal tension.
Favorite Things: Amy maintains a modest public profile; she posts about work and local projects on social media.
Notable Works: Coronation Street, Feel the Force, Casualty, Doctors, Holby City, Vera, This Is England ’90.
More Actors
• Emma Laird as Jimmima.
• Maura Bird as Jimmy Jones.
• Sam Locke as Jimmy Fox.
• Robert Rose as Jimmy Jimmy.
• Connor Neal as Jimmy Shite.
• Haley Flaherty as Jimmy’s Auntie.
• Harriet Taylor as Jimmy’s Cousin Delilah.
• Hannah Allan-Robertson as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Annabelle Graham as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Olivia Morley as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Theadora Rawlings as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Darcie Smith as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Isla Vickers as Jimmy’s Sister.
• Kim Allan as Jimmy’s Mother.
• Sandy Batchelor as Jimmy’s Father.
• Sienna Giblin as Girl Villager.
FAQ – 28 Years Later (2025) Movie
What is the basic plot?
Set nearly three decades after the original outbreak, the story follows a small island community of survivors and one boy, Spike, whose journey to the mainland uncovers new horrors and cultish threats.
Will there be a sequel?
Yes. 28 Years Later (2025) is the first in a new trilogy, with the sequel titled 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple already in development. More on EW
Is it connected to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later?
Yes. it is a direct follow-up in the same Rage Virus universe, expanding the timeline roughly 28 years after the original outbreak.
You do not strictly need to have watched the earlier films, but returning fans will catch more callbacks.
How long is the movie?
The runtime is about 1 hour 55 minutes.
Where was it filmed?
Major production took place in the UK, with location work on islands and coastal areas that create the film’s isolated, overgrown look.
Conclusion
28 Years Later may not capture the same raw terror as the first two films, but it carves its own path with emotion, striking visuals, and strong performances.
It blends horror with human stories, showing that survival is not just about fighting monsters but also about holding on to hope.
While uneven in tone, it still delivers a bold and memorable return to the Rage Virus world, making it a worthy addition for both longtime fans and new viewers.