Expected more from 28 Years Laters...
As much as I wanted to love 28 Years Later, I couldn't.
First, let's start off with the positives. For one, the characters, for the most part, are interesting enough. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a flawed parent trying to do right by his kid, while Jodie Comer plays the ill and often delusional mother. Their child Spike is played by newcomer Alfie Williams, who put on an impressive performance, especially when you consider how much the story revolves around him. Ralph Fiennes plays a memorable character, too, who's one of the most interesting in the franchise.
The visuals are unique and jarring, which is tradition for a 28 Days Later film; however, sometimes it felt like it was a little too blurry or shaky at times. That being said, though, the evolution of the infected was interesting. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland know how to ramp up tension and dread every time characters find themselves on the mainland.
Unfortunately, 28 Years Later has tonal and pacing issues. What starts off as a grounded story turns into a journey that features some side plots that weren't as compelling as moments from the first act. There are interesting ideas that should've been explored more here instead of being heavily reliant on future movies. Also, there were these bizarre visions, dreams, and edits involving movie/real-life footage that appeared in the beginning that didn't serve much of a purpose.
Overall, I enjoyed 28 Years Later, but I was expecting better.
First, let's start off with the positives. For one, the characters, for the most part, are interesting enough. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a flawed parent trying to do right by his kid, while Jodie Comer plays the ill and often delusional mother. Their child Spike is played by newcomer Alfie Williams, who put on an impressive performance, especially when you consider how much the story revolves around him. Ralph Fiennes plays a memorable character, too, who's one of the most interesting in the franchise.
The visuals are unique and jarring, which is tradition for a 28 Days Later film; however, sometimes it felt like it was a little too blurry or shaky at times. That being said, though, the evolution of the infected was interesting. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland know how to ramp up tension and dread every time characters find themselves on the mainland.
Unfortunately, 28 Years Later has tonal and pacing issues. What starts off as a grounded story turns into a journey that features some side plots that weren't as compelling as moments from the first act. There are interesting ideas that should've been explored more here instead of being heavily reliant on future movies. Also, there were these bizarre visions, dreams, and edits involving movie/real-life footage that appeared in the beginning that didn't serve much of a purpose.
Overall, I enjoyed 28 Years Later, but I was expecting better.
- JTReviewsPlus
- Jun 20, 2025