I went into 28 Years Later without having seen the previous films, but the trailer really caught my attention. It looked intense, atmospheric, and full of potential. Unfortunately, that potential was completely wasted.
The film leans heavily into gore—some of it well-made—but it quickly becomes excessive. One early scene sticks with me: the first infected gets shot, and suddenly an impossible amount of blood erupts from their neck. Not because it was scary or shocking, but because it was sad. Sad in the sense that moments like these could have been powerful in a serious, well-crafted zombie film. Instead, they felt like missed opportunities.
There were actually several moments that started building real tension, where I thought, “Okay, this could get good.” But nearly every time, the film rushed forward or undercut the suspense. It felt like it didn’t know how to pace itself or commit to a tone.
And then came the ending—which was absolutely terrible. It dragged the whole film down from bad to trash. A complete narrative mess that left me wondering what the point of any of it was.
In the end, I was really disappointed. Even without any expectations from the earlier movies, I still feel let down. I wouldn’t recommend this film at all.
And honestly, seeing how highly it’s rated on some major review sites has made me lose a lot of faith in those platforms. At this point, I seriously suspect that many of the positive reviews were bought—because I can't find any other explanation for the praise this movie is getting.