28 Years Later’s Wild Cliffhanger Teases an Even Wilder Sequel

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Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of 28 Years Later.

Discussing the chaotic final scenes of “28 Years Later” requires revisiting its early parts. The movie begins in Scotland’s Highlands at the onset of the rage-virus pandemic, with Danny Boyle and Alex Garland revisiting the themes from their 2002 collaboration, “28 Days Later.” A family is seen in front of Teletubbies, trying to fend off the approaching zombie horde – although these films don’t refer to the infected as ‘zombies’, we can understand that here. However, their home gets overrun, and only one child, Jimmy (Rocco Haynes), survives by fleeing to a church in search of his preacher father (Sandy Batchelor). Sadly, Dad isn’t interested in saving Jimmy; he sees the rage apocalypse as the day of judgment, and he embraces the coming of the new zombie rulers. Jimmy manages to hide, witnessing in horror as his father gets infected.

The narrative progresses, as you might anticipate, after a span of 28 years. It’s not until the climax that we reconnect with Jimmy. The majority of the movie revolves around 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who resides on an isolated island free from viruses alongside his father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and mother, Isla (Jodie Comer). The film subtly alters the conclusion of the 2007 movie, “28 Weeks Later,” where rage spread to France and likely beyond; in this version, it’s only a still-isolated U.K. where the infected continue to pose a threat. Spike encounters zombies during a scavenging trip with his father to the mainland, but these horrors do not deter him from returning. Once Spike discovers about a doctor living on his own in the infected land, he determines to venture back there in search of a cure for his mother, who is experiencing confusion and memory loss due to an unknown illness. After arguing with Jamie over his affair and essentially forcing him out of the house, Spike decides to take Isla into the unknown.

Viewers anticipating that “28 Years Later” would adhere to the typical structure of a traditional zombie horror movie might find themselves disenchanted by the unexpected twists in its third act. However, those individuals should perhaps rewatch the original “28 Days Later” for a reminder of the types of narratives Boyle and Garland prefer to explore. The first film, released over two decades ago, presents an element of deception as the plot about a group surviving a zombie outbreak transforms into something completely different. If you haven’t revisited the movie since its premiere, you might be startled by the substantial amount of time dedicated to a group of soldiers pretending to offer protection only to ensnare women for sexual slavery. Despite the chaos caused by the infected in “28 Days Later”‘s climax, it essentially culminates in a confrontation between two healthy humans: Cillian Murphy’s character Jim and Christopher Eccleston’s Major Henry West. The revelation that the real danger is humanity rather than the zombie horde has been repeated so often in subsequent genre productions, with “The Walking Dead” being a notable example.

28 Years Afterward, the narrative unfolds with an unexpected twist, much like before, yet equally disconcerting. Spike and Isla successfully fend off the infected, receiving aid from the Swedish NATO soldier Erik (Edvin Ryding). During their journey, they come across a newborn baby, born to an infected woman who was killed by Erik. Eventually, they encounter Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), contrary to Jamie’s warnings about him being a maniac. Despite his unconventional appearance due to iodine covering his body as protection from the virus, he is not the villain Jamie had described. His macabre hobby involves collecting deceased bodies, using their skulls to construct a bone temple, a monument honoring the dead and serving as a reminder of our shared mortality. Although it’s grotesque watching him transform Erik’s severed head – a victim of the alpha infected who enjoys acquiring trophies like a Predator – there is an odd sense of beauty in it too.

In the movie “28 Years Later,” it turns out that the story isn’t just about mortality; it also delves into a somber cancer drama. Kelson’s examination of Isla reveals a tragic diagnosis: she has advanced cancer in her breasts, lymph nodes, and brain, beyond the reach of treatment. Although Spike finds it hard to accept that there’s nothing the doctor can do, Isla herself had anticipated her fate and was waiting for someone else to tell her son. In a poignant farewell, Spike and Isla bid each other goodbye before Kelson leads her away. When he returns, it’s with Isla’s skull, which Spike places at the top of the bone temple. The climax is both touching and gruesome, as it strays far from what anyone expected for this movie. Spike and Kelson meet the alpha one last time in a bloodless scene. The baby, whom Spike names Isla, is given to the village, while Spike decides to live among the infected in the wilderness on his own.

28 Years Later concludes with an unexpected twist in its final scene. Moving ahead by 28 days, we encounter a slightly grungier Spike who seems to be thriving. His archery skills have improved, allowing him precise kills when hordes of infected attack. Regrettably, there are too many assailants, forcing him to flee and eventually reach a barricade of rocks. Out of nowhere, an older Jimmy emerges, portrayed by Jack O’Connell, bearing a striking resemblance to the controversial English media personality, Jimmy Savile. His followers, young people in various-colored velvet tracksuits with hair reminiscent of the Targaryens, emerge from concealment. In dire straits, Spike gratefully accepts their aid, watching as they dispatch the infected using a fighting style that blends elements of parkour and Power Rangers. The vibrant colors and appearance of Spike’s Power Rangers action figure in an earlier scene lend credence to this comparison. Excluding the decapitations, this sequence presents a remarkably lively tone, marking a striking shift from the drama-focused narrative that 28 Years Later has previously established, culminating in an ending as quirky as it is unbelievable.

The storyline also leaves us hanging, as we only know that O’Connell portrays grown-up Jimmy, but there’s not much else revealed – except for the information shared by the filmmakers and cast prior to the movie’s premiere. In this story, the character is known as Sir Jimmy Crystal and seems to be leading a cult that bears some resemblance to Savile, although allegations of his sexual abuse didn’t surface until after his death in 2011, which makes them irrelevant in this universe. This cult appears to have been influenced by Power Rangers and Teletubbies, considering the multi-colored tracksuits and the fact that watching Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po was one of the last normal things Jimmy did before joining this group. Online, the cult members are referred to as Jimmy Ink, Jimmy Snake, Jimmy Jimmy, Jimmima, and others. Could it be that Cillian Murphy’s character, Jim, has joined their ranks?

In the upcoming sequel, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” due for release in January 2026, directed by Nia DaCosta, we find Murphy reprising his role. Interestingly, the marketing strategy for this film subtly hints at it being the first installment of a planned trilogy, although the third movie is yet to be approved. Danny Boyle disclosed that Murphy’s character has a part in “The Bone Temple” and a more significant role in the closing chapter if the series proceeds. However, there’s no loud proclamation about this. Given recent experiences with movies like “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” which were criticized for announcing themselves as incomplete stories, it seems the makers of “28 Years Later” are being cautious. The film doesn’t feel like the opening act for most of its duration; it’s only in the wild climax that you sense this story is just starting. Unfortunately, Murphy’s brief appearance feels like a tantalizing hint, and the suggestion of further plot developments leaves the rest of the movie feeling like setup for what the trilogy might truly be about.

If Jimmy’s group and their peculiarities serve as a preview, the upcoming movie will likely abandon serious cancer themes in favor of something offbeat and possibly stranger than the twists found in “28 Years Later.” As DaCosta stated at a CinemaCon event in March, although influenced by “28 Days Later,” the script for “The Bone Temple” is distinctly unique. DaCosta further mentioned that she had the opportunity to express her unconventional side during the writing process. The movie will also have its dark moments, as while the Jimmy cult might be eliminating the infected, they aren’t necessarily a benevolent force. In “28 Years Later,” when Spike and his father initially reach the mainland, they encounter one of the infected with “JIMMY” carved into him, suggesting a questionable stability within the group that Spike eventually joins at the end of the film. Despite the intriguing hints about the sequel, it’s disheartening to see the continuation of this story only partially revealed. Fans have been eagerly anticipating Boyle and Garland to resume this saga for nearly two decades; now they are being asked to wait even longer to learn where the story is headed — and an uncertain amount of time to discover its conclusion.

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2025-06-20 19:54