28 Days Later

{{short description|2002 post-apocalyptic horror film by Danny Boyle}}

{{about|the horror film|the comics|28 Days Later (comics){{!}}28 Days Later (comics)|the romantic comedy film|28 Days (film){{!}}28 Days (film)}}

{{Infobox film

| image = 28 days later.jpg

| alt = A monochrome black on red image, with a large biohazard warning symbol and underneath a man walking with London in the background

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Danny Boyle

| writer = Alex Garland

| producer = Andrew Macdonald

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Anthony Dod Mantle

| editing = Chris Gill

| music = John Murphy

| studio = {{plainlist|

}}

| distributor = Fox Searchlight Pictures (through 20th Century Fox)

| released = {{film date|2002|11|1|United Kingdom|2003|06|27|United States|df=yes}}

| runtime = 114 minutes{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1262585345/|title=28 Days Later|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=3 February 2015|archive-date=26 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226150326/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=28dayslater.htm|url-status=live}}

| country = United Kingdom
United States

| language = English

| budget = $8 million

| gross = {{US$|84.6 million|long=no}}

}}

28 Days Later is a 2002 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. It stars Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to discover that the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society. Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson appear in supporting roles.

Garland took inspiration from George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead film series and John Wyndham's 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids. Filming took place in various locations in the United Kingdom in 2001. The crew filmed for brief periods during early mornings and temporarily closed streets to capture recognisable and typically busy areas when they were deserted. John Murphy composed an original soundtrack for the film, with other instrumental songs by Brian Eno, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and other artists.

28 Days Later was released on 1 November 2002 in the UK and 27 June 2003 in the US to generally positive reviews and commercial success. Grossing $84.6 million worldwide on a budget of $8 million, it became one of the most profitable horror films of 2002. Reviewers praised Boyle's direction, the cast's performances, Garland's screenplay, the atmosphere and soundtrack.

Despite Boyle not considering it a zombie film, 28 Days Later is credited with reinvigorating the genre and influencing a revival in it a decade after its release, with its fast-running infected and character-driven drama. It has been featured in several "best-of" film lists. The film's success launched its titular film series. The franchise also includes the graphic novel 28 Days Later: The Aftermath (2007), and the comic book series 28 Days Later (2009–2011).

Plot

A group of animal rights activists infiltrate a laboratory in Cambridge which houses highly aggressive chimpanzees. One activist frees a chimpanzee despite being warned by a scientist that it is infected with a highly contagious Rage Virus; it attacks her, and within seconds of exposure, she succumbs to the virus. She immediately attacks the others. Soon, the virus spreads rapidly across Great Britain, resulting in total societal collapse.

Twenty-eight days later, bicycle courier Jim, who had a traffic accident and fell into a coma before the outbreak, awakens in St Thomas' Hospital in London to find it deserted. Leaving the hospital, Jim wanders the empty streets of London, discovers newspapers headlining a mass evacuation, and eventually enters a church which contains the aftermath of a massacre. Infected humans appear and chase after Jim, but he is rescued by survivors Selena and Mark, who take him to their refuge in a streetside shop.

At Jim's request, the group travels on foot to his parents' house in Deptford, where he learns that they committed suicide. When dusk settles in, the group decides to stay the night. Jim lights a candle, which attracts the infected as they break into the house. Mark is wounded while fending them off. Before the infection can take hold, Selena immediately kills him and tells Jim she is prepared to "kill him in a heartbeat".

Spotting a makeshift signal from afar, Jim and Selena make their way up Balfron Tower. They encounter cab driver Frank and his young daughter Hannah in one of the flats. Frank shows them a military radio broadcast offering protection and a cure to the virus at a blockade outside Manchester. Frank plans to take Hannah to the blockade, and the four agree to travel together.

The group reaches Manchester and finds the blockade deserted. Frank, frustrated, kicks a tall gate on which a dead body is balanced. A drop of blood from the corpse falls into Frank's eye, infecting him. As he warns the others, hidden soldiers appear and shoot him.

The soldiers bring Jim, Selena, and Hannah to a heavily fortified mansion under the command of Major Henry West, and treat their guests to a tour and banquet. However, the sanctuary turns out to be a ruse; West reveals to Jim that his broadcast was intended to lure female survivors into sexual slavery. Jim and Sergeant Farrell refuse to go along with this scheme, so West orders them to be shot. Two soldiers shoot Farrell and then argue, allowing Jim to escape.

Jim sees a jet contrail in the sky, showing proof that the outside world is still active. After luring West away from the mansion with a siren and killing a soldier, he returns and frees Private Mailer, an infected soldier kept chained up for observation, to infect and kill the remaining soldiers. One, Corporal Mitchell, attempts to abduct Selena, but Jim kills him with such ferocity that Selena momentarily fears Jim must be infected, before kissing him, relieved. Jim, Selena, and Hannah attempt to escape in Frank's cab, but West, who has hidden in the back seat, shoots Jim in the stomach. Hannah retaliates by putting the cab in reverse, allowing Mailer to pull West through the rear window and kill him, and drives off.

Another twenty-eight days later, Jim recovers at a remote cottage in Cumbria, where the infected are shown lying on the roads, dying of starvation. As a Hawker Hunter jet flies overhead, Jim, Selena, and Hannah unfurl a huge cloth banner spelling the word "HELLO". The three survivors wave at the jet, and the pilot spots them.

Cast

{{main|List of characters in the 28 Days Later film series|l1=List of characters in the 28 Days Later film series}}

{{Multiple image

| image1 = Cillian Murphy-2014.jpg

| caption1 = Cillian Murphy

| image2 = Naomie Harris 2, 2012.jpg

| caption2 = Naomie Harris

| image3 = Brendan Gleeson.jpg

| total_width = 400

| caption3 = Brendan Gleeson

}}

Cillian Murphy as Jim, a bicycle courier who was previously in a coma
Naomie Harris as Selena, a chemist and battle-hardened survivor
Brendan Gleeson as Frank, a taxi driver
Megan Burns as Hannah, Frank's young daughter
Christopher Eccleston as Major Henry West, the leader of a group of renegade soldiers outside Manchester
Noah Huntley as Mark, a survivor and Selena's partner
Stuart McQuarrie as Sergeant Farrell, the only one of the renegade soldiers to oppose West
Ricci Harnett as Corporal Mitchell, a renegade soldier
Leo Bill as Private Jones, a renegade soldier
Luke Mably as Private Clifton, a renegade soldier
Junior Laniyan as Private Bell, a renegade soldier
Ray Panthaki as Private Bedford, a renegade soldier
Sanjay Rambaruth as Private Davis, a renegade soldier
Marvin Campbell as Private Mailer, an infected soldier held captive

Additionally, Alex Palmer, Bindu De Stoppani, and Jukka Hiltunen portray the animal liberation activists, while David Schneider portrays a scientist at the laboratory. Christopher Dunne and Emma Hitching appear as Jim's parents. Toby Sedgwick plays an infected priest encountered by Jim.

On the DVD commentary, Boyle explains that with the aim of preserving the suspension of disbelief, relatively unknown actors were cast in the film. Cillian Murphy had starred primarily in small independent films, while Naomie Harris had acted on British television as a child, and Megan Burns had only one previous film credit. However, Christopher Eccleston and Brendan Gleeson were well-known character actors.

Production

= Development =

Early influences on writer Alex Garland included the George A. Romero films Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978), which he loved as a child. Garland claimed to have largely forgotten about the zombie genre until he played the video game Resident Evil (1996), which reminded him how much he loved zombies after "having not really encountered zombies for quite a while".{{cite news |last=Hasan |first=Zaki |title=INTERVIEW: Director Alex Garland on Ex Machina |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/zaki-hasan/interview-director-alex-g_b_7038618.html |work=HuffPost |date=10 April 2015 |access-date=21 June 2018 |archive-date=10 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410071357/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/zaki-hasan/interview-director-alex-g_b_7038618.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Ralph |date=2023-06-27 |title='28 Days Later': The Oral History of Danny Boyle's Genre-Redefining Zombie Masterpiece |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/28-days-later-oral-history-danny-boyle-alex-garland |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=Inverse |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611123951/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/28-days-later-oral-history-danny-boyle-alex-garland |url-status=live }} Director Danny Boyle liked Garland's screenplay for a proposed zombie film, having directed the 2000 film adaptation of Garland's novel The Beach.

Producer Andrew Macdonald had access to funding from the National Lottery, and pitched it to Universal Pictures, who declined to support it. Budget constraints proved to be an issue, with Christopher Eccleston having to take an emergency pay cut.

On the DVD commentary, Boyle and Garland frequently call the film post-apocalyptic and a horror film, commenting on scenes that quote from Romero's Dead trilogy. During the initial marketing of the film, Boyle tried to distance the film from such labels. Boyle identified John Wyndham's 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids as Garland's original inspiration for the story.{{cite news |last=Kermode |first=Mark |date=6 May 2007 |title=A capital place for panic attacks |work=The Guardian|location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/may/06/features.review |url-status=live |access-date=12 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513170940/http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0%2C%2C2073292%2C00.html |archive-date=13 May 2007}}{{Cite news |last=Inglis |first=Becca |date=2022-11-19 |title=28 Days Later gutted the apocalyptic thriller – but is it a zombie movie? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/28-days-later-how-danny-boyle-reanimated-zombie-movie/ |access-date=2024-06-14 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite web |title=FILMMAKER MAGAZINE {{!}} Summer 2003: The Diseased World |url=https://www.filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/summer2003/features/diseased_world.html |access-date=2024-06-14 |website=www.filmmakermagazine.com}}

Five months after the film was released in Europe, video game publisher NovaLogic hosted a graffiti competition in a cross-promotion with the game Devastation. The connection was owed mainly to the similar theme of a devastated world. The prizes consisted of signed screenplay copies and posters along with DVDs.{{cite web |url=http://www.novalogic.com/press.asp?ID=74 |title=DEVASTATION GONE GOLD |date=14 April 2003 |access-date=1 October 2022 |website=NovaLogic |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611123959/http://www.novalogic.com/press.asp?ID=74 |url-status=live }} For the Infected, Boyle took inspiration from real-life diseases, particularly Ebola, with aspects of rabies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/features/film-interviews/28-days-later-interview-anniversary-cillian-murphy-danny-boyle-3340282|title='28 Days Later' at 20: Danny Boyle and Cillian Murphy on why it wouldn't get made today|first=Dan|last=Seddon|website=NME|date=1 November 2022|access-date=11 February 2024|archive-date=11 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611124000/https://www.nme.com/features/film-interviews/28-days-later-interview-anniversary-cillian-murphy-danny-boyle-3340282|url-status=live}} James McAvoy auditioned for a role as an Infected.{{cite web|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2013-03/22/james-mcavoy-interview-trance-macbeth-x-men|title=James McAvoy interview on Trance & X:Men Days of Future Past – GQ.COM (UK)|date=26 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326222534/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2013-03/22/james-mcavoy-interview-trance-macbeth-x-men |access-date=11 February 2024|archive-date=26 March 2013}}

= Filming =

File:London, United Kingdom (Unsplash mfbEp8lS1hA).jpg, including Westminster Bridge, had to be filmed early in the morning or while the crew briefly closed streets for the film's opening sequence.]]

The film features scenes set in normally bustling parts of London, such as Westminster Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Horse Guards Parade and Oxford Street. To depict these locations as desolate, the film crew closed off sections of street for minutes at a time, usually on Sunday mornings. They typically had around 45 minutes after dawn to shoot the locations devoid of members of the public and traffic.

Portions of the film were shot on a Canon XL1 digital video (DV) camera,{{cite news |first=Douglas |last=Bankston |url=https://theasc.com/magazine/july03/sub/index.html |title=Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF injects the apocalyptic 28 Days Later with a strain of digital video |work=TheASC.com |date=1 July 2003 |access-date=1 May 2007 |archive-date=20 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120182055/https://theasc.com/magazine/july03/sub/index.html |url-status=live }} which was smaller and more manoeuvrable than traditional film cameras, which would have been impractical on such brief shoots. The scenes of the empty M1 motorway were also filmed within limited periods, during which a mobile police roadblock slowed traffic sufficiently to leave a long section of carriageway empty. The section of the motorway depicted runs near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, around 150 miles southeast of Manchester.{{cite book|last=Nigel|first=Freestone|title=The Ultimate British Roads and Motorways Quiz Book: 200 Questions on Road and Motorway History|publisher=Andrews UK|year=2013}}

For the London scene in which Jim walks by an overturned double-decker bus, the film crew placed the bus on its side and removed it when the shot was finished, all within 20 minutes.{{cite web|title=28 Days Later : About The Shoot|url=https://www.cinema.com/articles/1468/28-days-later-about-the-shoot.phtml|access-date=22 March 2021|website=cinema.com|archive-date=11 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611123953/https://www.cinema.com/articles/1468/28-days-later-about-the-shoot.phtml|url-status=live}} The crew had asked Westminster City Council for permission to place the bus outside Downing Street, which was denied; when they arrived there at 4am and nobody from the council was present, they placed the bus there anyway.

The September 11 attacks took place during filming. Boyle notes the parallel between the "missing persons" flyers seen at the beginning of the film and similar flyers posted in New York City in the wake of the attacks. Boyle said his crew probably would not have been granted permission to close off Whitehall for filming after the terrorist attacks.{{cite journal |last=Trimble |first=Sarah |year=2010 |title=(White) Rage: Affect, Neoliberalism, and the Family in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later |journal=Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=295–322 |doi=10.1080/10714413.2010.495255 |s2cid=146485661}}

The mansion used in the film was Trafalgar Park near Salisbury.{{cite web|title=The History|url=http://trafalgarpark.com/history/|access-date=22 March 2021|website=Trafalgar Park|archive-date=2 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302003706/http://trafalgarpark.com/history/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=12 April 2016|title=This glorious country house was gifted to Horatio Nelson's family after he died in battle. It's up for sale – take a look around.|url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trafalgar-park-sale-inside-12m-country-house-gifted-admiral-nelsons-grieving-family-1554498|access-date=22 March 2021|website=International Business Times UK|archive-date=25 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525013815/https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trafalgar-park-sale-inside-12m-country-house-gifted-admiral-nelsons-grieving-family-1554498|url-status=live}} Many rooms, including the Cipriani-painted music room and the main hall, were filmed with minimal set decoration. The scenes set upstairs were filmed downstairs, as the mansion's owner resided upstairs.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}} The old ruins used as the setting for an idyllic interlude in their journey to Manchester were those of Waverley Abbey, Surrey. The end scenes of the film with Jim, Selena and Hannah living in a rural cottage were filmed around Ennerdale in Cumbria.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2006/03/31/cumbriaonfilm_others_feature.shtml |title=Cumbria live |publisher=BBC |access-date=30 September 2010 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611123953/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/content/articles/2006/03/31/cumbriaonfilm_others_feature.shtml |url-status=live }}

The production team hired an optometrist to supervise with the red contact lenses needed for cast members playing the infected.

At a certain point, Macdonald announced to the crew that the production had run out of money, and filming ceased without a satisfactory closing sequence having been shot. After several different pitches for a new ending, with the original ending which featured Jim's death having tested badly with audiences, the studio granted more funding to shoot the ending eventually used. The crew arranged for a real jet to fly overhead for them to film, as this was cheaper than approximately £70,000 for a computer-generated one.

= Alternative endings =

The DVD extras include three alternative endings, all of which conclude with Jim dying. One of these was filmed, which involved Jim dying of his gunshot wounds.{{cite web |date=2021-06-12 |title=The Original Ending of 28 Days Later Was Far More Haunting |url=https://screenrant.com/28-days-later-movie-alternate-ending-darker/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=ScreenRant |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611124000/https://screenrant.com/28-days-later-movie-alternate-ending-darker/ |url-status=live }} In another, Jim dreams of the accident that left him in a coma as he dies from his gunshot wounds.{{cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=28 Days Later (2002) - All Alternate Endings |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOLXWcA5Y1E |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Youtube}} The third, a more radical departure, was presented only in storyboards; instead of Frank being killed by soldiers after being infected, the other survivors tie him up and discover a research laboratory at the blockade, where Jim undergoes a blood transfusion in order to save Frank. The US cinematic release included one of the alternative endings after the film's credits in response to intense online debates over whether or not it was a more appropriate conclusion than the official ending.{{cite web |access-date=2 February 2008 |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3153077.stm |title=Plotting alternative film endings |date=15 August 2003 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611123953/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3153077.stm |url-status=live }}

Music

{{listen

|filename=In The House - In A Heartbeat.ogg

|title=John Murphy – "In The House – In A Heartbeat"

|description=Music from the 2002 film 28 Days Later.}}

The film's score was composed by John Murphy, featuring electric guitar and atmospheric electronic production. It also features tracks from Brian Eno, Grandaddy and Blue States,{{Citation |title=28 Days Later (Enhanced) (Score)/O.S.T. – Original Soundtrack {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/28-days-later-enhanced-score-ost-mw0000033709 |access-date=2022-03-28 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328093859/https://www.allmusic.com/album/28-days-later-enhanced-score-ost-mw0000033709 |url-status=live }} and was released in a combined score and song compilation in 2003.

A heavily edited version of the track "East Hastings" by the post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor appears in the film, but the track is excluded from the soundtrack, because Boyle could only obtain the rights to use it in the film.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/nov/10/features.review27 |title=Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Adjusting to Fame After '28 Days Later' |access-date=26 November 2006 |work=The Guardian|location=London |author=Kitty Empire |author-link=Kitty Empire |date=10 November 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209205941/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0%2C6903%2C836839%2C00.html |archive-date=9 December 2006 |url-status=live}}

28 Days Later: The Soundtrack Album was released on 17 June 2003. A modified version of the track "In The House – In A Heartbeat" was used as the character Big Daddy's theme in the 2010 film Kick-Ass. The same song was played in the 2012 advertisement campaign of Louis Vuitton, "L'Invitation au voyage".{{cite web|last=Kilic|first=Uygar|title=Louis Vuitton L'Invitation au Voyage Advertisement Campaign: Video and Collection|url=http://carsandlife.net/2012/11/louis-vuitton-linvitation-au-voyage.html|work=Cars & Life|date=19 November 2012|access-date=28 November 2012|archive-date=6 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206191332/http://www.carsandlife.net/2012/11/louis-vuitton-linvitation-au-voyage.html|url-status=live}} In 2019, the song was remixed to include the theme of The Terminator by Brad Fiedel for the second trailer of Terminator: Dark Fate,{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} and also eventually again remixed and used in the 2019 video game Metro Exodus.

Reception

= Box office =

28 Days Later was a considerable success at the box office and became highly profitable on a budget of about £5 million. In the UK, it took in £6.1 million, while in the US, it became a surprise hit, taking over $45 million despite a limited release at fewer than 1,500 screens across the country. The film garnered over {{US$|85.7 million|long=no}} worldwide.{{cite web |title=28 Days Later... |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0289043/ |publisher=Box Office Mojo |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811023732/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0289043/ |url-status=live }}

= Critical reception =

Critical views of the film were positive. On the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 235 critics' reviews gave 28 Days Later a positive review, with an average rating of 7.40/10. The site's consensus reads: "Kinetically directed by Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory."{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_days_later |title=28 Days Later (2003) |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=4 June 2023 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611130430/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_days_later |url-status=live }} On Metacritic, the film received a rating of 73 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/28-days-later |title=28 Days Later... Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=6 June 2010 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611124956/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/28-days-later/ |url-status=live }}

Bravo awarded it the 100th spot on their list of 'The 100 Scariest Movie Moments' in a four-episode 2004 television series. The commentators explained that making the zombies move fast for the first time was a bright and effective idea.{{cite web|title=The 100 Scariest Movie Moments |url=https://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |work=BravoTV.com |access-date=18 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030070540/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/index.shtml |archive-date=30 October 2007 }}{{Citation|title=The 100 Scariest Movie Moments (TV Mini-Series 2004) – IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450892/|access-date=22 March 2021|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422111112/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450892/|url-status=live}} In 2007, Stylus Magazine named it the second-best zombie movie of all time.{{cite web |title=Stylus Magazine's Top 10 Zombie Films of All Time |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/movie_review/stylus-magazines-top-10-zombie-films-of-all-time.htm |work=StylusMagazine.com |access-date=18 July 2012 |archive-date=31 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231170606/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/movie_review/stylus-magazines-top-10-zombie-films-of-all-time.htm |url-status=dead }} The film also ranked at number 456 in Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[https://www.empireonline.com/500/8.asp "Empire's 500 Greatest Movies of All Times"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924011902/http://www.empireonline.com/500/8.asp |date=24 September 2015 }}. Empire. Retrieved 18 July 2012. Bloody Disgusting ranked the film seventh in their list of the Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade, with the article saying "Zombie movie? Political allegory? Humanist drama? 28 Days Later is all of those things and more—a genuine work of art by a director at the top of his game. What's so amazing about the film is the way it so expertly balances scenes of white-knuckled, hell-for-leather horror with moments of intimate beauty."{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |title=00's Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade... Part 3 |work=Bloody Disgusting |date=18 December 2009 |access-date=3 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224094428/https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/18425 |archive-date=24 December 2009 |url-status=live }} In 2017, a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine ranked it the 97th-best British film ever.[https://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-british-films#tab_panel_4 "The 100 best British films"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208092408/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/100-best-british-films-the-full-list |date=8 February 2013 }}. Time Out. Retrieved 24 October 2017 Rotten Tomatoes lists the film on its 100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer.{{Cite web |title=100 Best Zombie Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/essential-zombie-movies/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en-US}}

= Legacy and cultural impact =

28 Days Later had an impact on subsequent horror films,{{cite news |date=29 June 2018 |title=How '28 Days Later' Changed the Horror Genre |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/have-get-a-quiet-place-killed-zombie-genre-1121491 |access-date=31 May 2019 |archive-date=31 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531092014/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/have-get-a-quiet-place-killed-zombie-genre-1121491 |url-status=live }} and is credited with starting a revival for the zombie genre,{{cite news |date=10 May 2013 |title=Is The Zombie Revival Dead? |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/planet-ivy/zombie-films-revival_b_3252303.html |access-date=31 May 2019 |work=HuffPost}} along with the Resident Evil franchise.{{cite news |date=2 August 2012 |title=Vertigo is named 'greatest film of all time' |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19078948 |access-date=18 August 2012 |archive-date=15 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815153000/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19078948 |url-status=live }} The 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, for example, was influenced by 28 Days Later. 28 Days Later was followed by other infection films such as Cabin Fever (2002),{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=September 12, 2003 |title=Cabin Fever Movie Review & Film Summary (2003) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cabin-fever-2003 |access-date=June 22, 2018 |website=RogerEbert.com}} Shaun of the Dead (2004), Black Sheep (2006), I Am Legend (2007),{{cite news |last=Jensen |first=Jeff |date=August 16, 2007 |title=Will Smith: Making a 'Legend' |url=https://ew.com/article/2007/09/06/will-smith-takes-i-am-legend/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125200746/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20052055,00.html |archive-date=November 25, 2007 |access-date=November 8, 2007 |publisher=Entertainment Weekly}} Planet Terror (2007), Doomsday (2008),{{cite news |last=Biodrowski |first=Steve |title=Interview: Neil Marshall Directs "Doomsday" |url=http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2008/03/07/interview-neil-marshall-directs-doomsday |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309212354/http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2008/03/07/interview-neil-marshall-directs-doomsday/ |archive-date=2008-03-09 |access-date=10 April 2020 |publisher=Cinefantastique.com}} Dead Snow (2009), Zombieland (2009), Devil's Playground (2010),{{cite web |last=Bibbiani |first=William |date=10 October 2011 |title=DVD Review: 'Devil's Playground' |url=http://www.craveonline.com/film/reviews/175844-dvd-revi-devils-playground |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520020550/http://www.craveonline.com/film/reviews/175844-dvd-revi-devils-playground |archive-date=20 May 2014 |accessdate=21 February 2014 |work=CraveOnline}} The Night Eats the World (2018),{{cite web |last=Mintzer |first=Jordan |date=7 March 2018 |title='The Night Eats the World' ('La Nuit a devore le monde'): Film Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/night-eats-world-la-nuit-a-devore-le-monde-review-1092691 |accessdate=12 July 2018 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |publisher=Prometheus Global Media}} and Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023),{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=Roger |date=2025-01-15 |title=Movie Review: Zombie Apocalypse is the least of This Cali Hamlet’s problems — “Hemet, or the Landlady Don’t Drink Tea” |url=https://rogersmovienation.com/2025/01/15/movie-review-zombie-apocalypse-is-the-least-of-this-cali-hamlets-problems-hemet-or-the-landlady-dont-drink-tea/ |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=Movie Nation |language=en}} as well as books such as World War Z (2006), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2009) and Warm Bodies (2010), and zombie-themed graphic novels and television shows such as The Walking Dead. The film was parodied in the South Park episode "Die Hippie, Die" (2005){{Cite web |last=Matar |first=Chris Longo, Daniel Kurland, David Crow, Nick Harley, Joe |date=2019-04-16 |title=The Complete Guide to South Park Movie Parodies and References |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-complete-guide-to-south-park-movie-parodies-and-references/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}} and in The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror XX" (2009).{{Cite web |last=Seemayer |first=Zach |date=October 28, 2014 |title=12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments |url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020827/https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=2020-10-24 |website=Entertainment Tonight |language=en-US}} The zombie revival trend lasted for more than a decade after 28 Days Later, before eventually declining in popularity by the late 2010s.

File:COVID-19 - Piccadilly Circus, London UK.jpg, some media commentary compared images of deserted city streets (such as London, pictured) to scenes in 28 Days Later.]]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, images of a national lockdown in the United Kingdom and stay-at-home orders elsewhere were compared to the opening sequence of 28 Days Later.{{Cite web |last=Dobraszczyk |first=Paul |title=Empty cities have long been a post-apocalyptic trope – now, they are a reality |url=https://theconversation.com/empty-cities-have-long-been-a-post-apocalyptic-trope-now-they-are-a-reality-153263 |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=The Conversation |date=18 January 2021 |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327234353/https://theconversation.com/empty-cities-have-long-been-a-post-apocalyptic-trope-now-they-are-a-reality-153263 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Lee |date=2021-01-26 |title=Video reveals eerily empty London amid strict COVID-19 lockdown |url=https://nypost.com/2021/01/26/deserted-london-streets-look-eerie-amid-covid-19-lockdown/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=New York Post |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328091806/https://nypost.com/2021/01/26/deserted-london-streets-look-eerie-amid-covid-19-lockdown/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Reis Filho |first=Lúcio |date=2020-07-16 |title=No Safe Space: Zombie Film Tropes during the COVID-19 Pandemic |journal=Space and Culture |volume=23 |issue=3 |pages=253–258 |doi=10.1177/1206331220938642 |bibcode=2020SpCul..23..253R |issn=1206-3312|doi-access=free }}{{Cite web |title=Coronavirus: What can we learn from a Hollywood pandemic? The positives from four outbreak films |url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-can-pandemic-disaster-films-help-us-navigate-the-outbreak-11979655 |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Sky News |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328091806/https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-can-pandemic-disaster-films-help-us-navigate-the-outbreak-11979655 |url-status=live }} In 2021, Megan Burns said of the film, "When I joined the cast of 28 Days Later I had no idea of how big a cultural impact it would have and what a game-changer it would be to the 'zombie' genre. Even now after all these years, (or perhaps especially now with the current situation,) people want to talk about the film and that's incredible."{{Cite web |last=Ewingpublished |first=Jerry |date=2021-10-31 |title=blanket release cover of in the House, In A Heartbeat from 28 Days Later |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/blanket-release-cover-of-in-the-house-in-a-heartbeat-from-28-days-later |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=loudersound |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611124958/https://www.loudersound.com/news/blanket-release-cover-of-in-the-house-in-a-heartbeat-from-28-days-later |url-status=live }} Director Christopher Nolan said he cast Murphy as Scarecrow in Batman Begins (2005) after being impressed by his performance in 28 Days Later.{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/movies/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-cillian-murphy-in-conversation/ |title=Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy discuss their epic movie partnership |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=9 June 2024 |archive-date=9 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509184730/https://ew.com/movies/oppenheimer-christopher-nolan-cillian-murphy-in-conversation/ |url-status=live }}

= Accolades =

Best Horror Film (2003 US Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films – Saturn Award){{Cite web|url=https://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?action=search#c|title=Past Saturn Award Recipients|website=saturnawards.org|accessdate=11 February 2024|archive-date=25 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225183728/http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?action=search#c|url-status=live}}
Best British Film (Empire Award){{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/empire-awards-2003/|title=The Empire Awards 2003|date=2 May 2003|website=Empire|accessdate=11 February 2024|archive-date=14 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814154232/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/empire-awards-2003/|url-status=live}}
Danny Boyle (Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver){{Citation|title=28 Days Later...|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/awards|access-date=24 February 2018|archive-date=11 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125503/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/awards/|url-status=live}}
Best Director – Danny Boyle (International Fantasy Film Award){{cite web|url=https://fantasporto.com/premiados|title=Fantasporto|access-date=20 November 2015|archive-date=15 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215201531/http://fantasporto.com/premiados|url-status=dead}}
Best International Film – Danny Boyle (Narcisse Award)
Best Breakthrough Performance – Naomie Harris (Black Reel)
Best Cinematographer – Anthony Dod Mantle (European Film Award)

Subsequent media

= Sequels =

A sequel, 28 Weeks Later, was released on 11 May 2007.{{cite news|first=Michael |last=Gingold |url=https://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=2322 |title=July 14: Fox sets HILLS II and more release dates |work=Fangoria |date=14 July 2006 |access-date=1 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831234938/http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=2322 |archive-date=31 August 2006 |url-status=dead }} Danny Boyle and Alex Garland took producing roles alongside Andrew Macdonald. The plot revolves around the arrival of American troops about seven months after the incidents in the original film, attempting to restore order and revitalise a nearly desolate Britain. The cast includes Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Mackintosh Muggleton and Idris Elba.

In March 2007, Danny Boyle said that he would be interested in making a third film in the series, 28 Months Later.{{cite web |title=28 Months Later? |url=http://www.moviehole.net/news/20070328_28_months_later.html |work=Moviehole.net |access-date=18 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012031055/http://www.moviehole.net/news/20070328_28_months_later.html |archive-date=12 October 2007 }} In 2019, he said "Alex Garland and I have a wonderful idea for the third part".{{cite web |last1=Stolworthy |first1=Jacob |title=28 Days Later: Danny Boyle reveals 'wonderful' idea for third film |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/28-days-later-3-danny-boyle-alex-garland-james-bond-interview-robert-pattinson-a8971776.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624130434/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/28-days-later-3-danny-boyle-alex-garland-james-bond-interview-robert-pattinson-a8971776.html |archive-date=2019-06-24 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |website=The Independent |date=24 June 2019 |access-date=9 February 2020}}

In January 2024, it was announced that a third film in the series, 28 Years Later, was in development. It is considered the first installment in a potential trilogy, with Boyle directing the first film and Garland writing all three. With a planned $75 million budget per installment, the duo will also produce the trilogy alongside the original producer Andrew Macdonald and former Fox Searchlight Pictures head Peter Rice.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/28-years-later-in-the-works-1235783306/ |title=Danny Boyle, Alex Garland Teaming for Sequel to Their Zombie Hit '28 Days Later' (Exclusive) |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |last2=Galuppo |first2=Mia |date=10 January 2024 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=11 January 2024 |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520013841/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/28-years-later-in-the-works-1235783306/ |url-status=live }} Cillian Murphy will reprise his role as Jim.{{Cite web |last=Screen Rant |date=17 May 2024 |title=Cillian Murphy Officially Returning For 28 Years Later |website=Screen Rant |url=https://screenrant.com/28-years-later-cast-cillian-murphy-returning-update/ |access-date=19 October 2024}}

= Comic books =

Fox Atomic Comics, in association with HarperCollins, released a graphic novel bridging the time gap between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, titled 28 Days Later: The Aftermath, written by Steve Niles.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

28 Days Later, a comic sequel also linking Days and Weeks and produced by Fox Atomic (until its demise) and Boom! Studios, began production in 2009. The series focuses on Selena and answers questions about her in the film and her sequel whereabouts.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/?page=article&id=20690 |title=BOOM!, Fox Announce "28 Days Later" Comic Book Series |work=ComicBookResources.com |access-date=18 July 2012 |archive-date=17 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617002332/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20690 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/11/28-years-later-sequel-28-days-later-danny-boyle-alex-garland |title=28 Years Later: Danny Boyle and Alex Garland reportedly reuniting for third zombie film |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=11 January 2024 |access-date=12 January 2024 |last1=Sun |first1=Michael |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125502/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/11/28-years-later-sequel-28-days-later-danny-boyle-alex-garland |url-status=live }}

Digital availability

28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later became properties of the Walt Disney Company, following the company's acquisition of Fox in 2019. By November 2022, 28 Days Later had become unavailable on Disney-owned streaming services, including its removal from Disney+ Star internationally, hinting that Disney had lost rights to the film; only its sequel, still owned by Disney, was available on streaming sites.{{Cite web |last=Frisky_Picker |date=2022-12-13 |title=Update: 28 Days Later is nearly unavailable to watch anywhere. |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/zkjff9/update_28_days_later_is_nearly_unavailable_to/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=r/horror |archive-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611125503/https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/zkjff9/update_28_days_later_is_nearly_unavailable_to/?rdt=38262 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=@jowrotethis |url=https://twitter.com/jowrotethis/status/1620463920904572928?lang=en |access-date=2023-07-30 |via=Twitter}}

In February 2024, it was revealed that producer Andrew MacDonald had bought back the rights to the film from Disney and Searchlight Pictures, promptly selling it to Sony Pictures (via Columbia Pictures) along with the upcoming sequel 28 Years Later.{{cite web | url=https://puck.news/ryan-cooglers-25-year-plan/ | title=Ryan Coogler's 25-Year Plan | date=9 February 2024 | access-date=10 February 2024 | archive-date=9 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209071014/https://puck.news/ryan-cooglers-25-year-plan/ | url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=T |first=Amber |date=2024-12-10 |title=Looks Like 28 DAYS LATER Is Finally Coming To Digital |url=https://www.fangoria.com/28-days-later-coming-to-digital/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=www.fangoria.com |language=en-US}} In December 2024, following a largely favourable response from the public to the trailer for 28 Years Later, Sony announced that it would be making 28 Days Later available for purchase on digital and rental platforms from 18 December.{{cite web|title='28 Years Later' Is 2nd Most Watched Horror Trailer Ever; Sony Releasing '28 Days Later' On Digital Due To Fan Response|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=16 December 2024|access-date=16 December 2024|url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/28-years-later-record-28-days-later-digital-release-1236204600/}}