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The third installment in the 28 series, 28 Years Later, picks up almost three decades after the horrific events of 28 Weeks Later. The story shifts to a small community of isolated survivors, protected from the mainland with a heavily armed force. When Jimmy and his son, Spike, go to the mainland on a hunting ritual, things spiral out of control with new mutant Rage Virus-infected zombies.
Director Danny Boyle takes fans of the post-apocalyptic horror classic franchise back into a world where survival comes with a price. The religious undercurrents of the movie, combined with its cleverly eerie atmosphere, makes for an immersive viewing experience. For fans fresh out of watching 28 Years Later in theaters, here are some movies that will definitely give the same existential heebie-jeebies.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer.
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The Road, The Night Eats the World, and other movies for 28 Years Later fans
1) The Road (2009)
A father and son struggle to survive the post-apocalyptic wasteland they find themselves in after most of humanity is wiped out. They encounter horrors like never before—cannibalistic gangs, trapped survivors, and a potential stalker—on the road to a potential safe haven. There are skull shrines in this movie, too.
28 Years Later explores the prolonged horrors of a well-established apocalypse, so the horrors of The Road might seem different at first glance. But both movies explore the core concepts of survival, trust, and doing what it takes for trauma-ridden human beings to keep themselves afloat.
Where to watch: Prime Video
2) The Night Eats the World (2018)
Travel from the Scottish Highlands in 28 Years Later to a wild party in Paris, where Sam goes to collect his music tapes from his ex-girlfriend Fanny's house. As the chaos of the party consumes him, he passes out on the floor of her office, only to wake up to a zombie apocalypse. Survival slips into delusion as he isolates himself.
While the premise of this French zombie film resonates more with 28 Days Later(lone survivor waking up to an apocalypse), the movie shows zombies very similar to the Rage Virus-infected ones in the franchise: fast, stealthy, and unimaginably strong. That sets up fans for a grimly immersive experience.
While 28 Years Later focuses on survival through community, this movie pushes the premise, exploring the mania, paranoia, and obsession that comes from surviving a zombie apocalypse all alone.
Where to watch: Prime Video
3) The Crazies (2010)
When the small town of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, is suddenly overrun with raging psychopathic killers born of a biological infector, Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) and his deputy, Russell (Joe Anderson), quickly find themselves in the middle of an investigation.
For fans of 28 Years Later who want an apocalyptic premise that goes beyond zombies and focuses on rage as a vehicle for human suffering, this is the next watch. Director Breck Eisner deftly navigates science fiction and horror, in a story that sees a small, isolated town overrun by raging killers, with the indomitable Timothy Olyphant at the helm. Watch out for the chilling pitchfork scene.
Where to watch: Prime Video/Apple TV
4) Carriers (2009)
Alex and David Pastor's post-apocalyptic horror movie pushes past the typical zombie premise to explore the withering human psyche when survival of the fittest becomes the motto. Similar to 28 Years Later, zombies lurk among survivors, murder is a perfectly acceptable means to an end, and nobody is safe, even if they travel as a group.
Carriers is, alternatively, a road trip gone very, very wrong. It starts with brothers Brian (Chris Pine) and Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), along with Brian's girlfriend Bobby (Piper Perabo) and their friend Kate (Emily VanCamp), planning a trip to the beach after the "World Ender Virus" has wiped out most of humanity. As one can guess, the group's bad ideas snowball, putting them in danger.
Where to watch: Prime Video/Netflix
5) The Quiet Earth (1985)
More science fiction and less horror, this Geoff Murphy post-apocalypse film focuses on how isolation and trauma deeply affect the psyche. When scientist Zac's suicide attempt fails and he wakes up to a world where no other human beings—except two, Joanne and Api—exist, he must figure out what happened while trying not to succumb to his deteriorating mental state.
28 Years Later and The Quiet Earth both capture the desolate existential dread after humanity's existence is irreversibly altered. While there aren't any raging zombies in the latter, its eerily quiet premise promises that something horrific is always right around the corner.
Where to watch: Prime Video
6) Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Swap the idyllic landscape of Lindisfarne in 28 Years Later with a decrepit shopping mall, and throw in a few zombies, and fans have the premise of Dawn of the Dead. A heavily fortified entry point, a group trying to survive a horrific apocalypse, and a new reality setting in—isn't this familiar to fans of the franchise?
The movie, with a screenplay by James Gunn, can sometimes appear a little campy or over the top, but that's where it distinguishes itself from its zombie competition. It also has surprisingly tender character dynamics, something one wouldn't expect in a horror movie, but that's what makes it an entertaining watch.
Where to watch: Netflix
7) Train to Busan (2016)
The claustrophobic feeling of being too close to zombies and unable to protect each other is accurately captured in 28 Years Later and Train to Busan. In the former, a father-son (and later a mother-son) duo gets caught with a mutant variant of the Rage Virus-infected zombies. In the latter, it's a father, Seok-Woo (Gong Yoo), on a train to Busan, South Korea, with his daughter during a zombie attack.
Directors Yeon Sang-Ho and Danny Boyle play with the atmosphere of the premise. Whether it's the dimly lit surroundings, immersive sound effects, or the characters living in the moment, fans feel the tension in the air and get sucked into the apocalypse.
Where to watch: Netflix
Catch 28 Years Later in theaters worldwide. The prequels, 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, are available on Prime Video.
