At the beginning of 2026, weβll get β28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,β a film that was shot right after β28 Years Later.β
Whether the sequel was approved during filming or before, its presence does indicate audiences arenβt willing to wait two, five, 10 years before a sequel is released.
Now, mere months after this weekβs DVD and streaming release of β28 Years Later,β weβll get to see how things turn out.
Thatβs great because Alfie Williams wonβt have aged when the story picks up.
Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), right, and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) are chased in "28 Years Later."
An absolute magnet in β28 Years Later,β Williams helps us understand this bizarre world where the uninfected live on a British island while zombies congregate on the mainland.
Pegged as a hunter, Williams' 12-year-old Spike is sent on a rite of passage with his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), to the place where naked zombies run in herky-jerky fashion and attack everything. While the two make it back to their home, thereβs something about the new place that nags at the boy.
His mother (the heartfelt Jodie Comer) is suffering from an illness and could be helped by a doctor in this foreign place. Sensing he could be the conduit, Spike plots a journey of his own and takes his mother with him.
There, in a boneyard of sorts, is the doctor (Ralph Fiennes) who has a feeling about the illness. When mom decides to take the physicianβs advice, β28 Years Laterβ becomes a journey thatβs impossible to forget, largely because the boy makes it so acceptable.
Meanwhile, activity back on the island has a creepy βMidsommarβ feel that suggests it isnβt any better than the world theyβre avoiding. Fiennesβ character has found peace with the zombies and has specific methods to keep them at bay.
Directed by Danny Boyle, β28 Years Laterβ has plenty of cinematic tricks in its bag (even cellphones were employed as cameras) and an off-putting way of making us wonder if the presence of a plague is worth fighting.
Only one zombie has any hint of a personality, and heβs largely around because a female is about to give birth. Comer enters that scenario, too, reinforcing her views on parenting. Even though dad and son have their moments, itβs easy to see where the real bond lies.
Williamsβ gestures, facial expressions and hugs resonate entirely, making him the reason this story needed to be told. Look for Oscar buzz.
Boyle, who got a superior performance out of Dev Patel in βSlumdog Millionaire,β has a knack for exposing raw emotions. Here, he doesnβt need a zombie to rip away the flesh, just a 12-year-old with a cauldron full of compassion.
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