Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 19, 2025 · Entertainment

Ralph Fiennes Steals the Show in 'Terrifying' 28 Years Later

Critics have at last weighed in on Alex Garland and Danny Boyle 's new zombie horror movie 28 Years Later ahead of its release in UK cinemas on Friday 20 June

28 Years Later: The Most Anticipated Horror Film of 2025 Sets the Box Office Ablaze!

Get ready for a thrilling ride as Alex Garland and Danny Boyle's latest masterpiece, 28 Years Later, takes the UK cinemas by storm on June 20th! With an all-star cast including Harry Potter sensation Ralph Fiennes and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, this zombie horror film is sure to leave you screaming for more.

The movie picks up where the original left off - two decades since the deadly virus ravaged London. This time around, a group of survivors finds themselves stranded on the secluded island of Lindisfarne, blissfully unaware that the virus hasn't reached their shores yet... or so they think!

23 years on from the original which saw a deadly virus plague London, the new movie finds a group of survivors living on the secluded island of Lindisfarne, where the virus is yet to reach (Pictured: Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie and Alfie Williams as Spike)

Critics have been raving about this spine-tingling horror film, with Rotten Tomatoes handing it an impressive 94% critic approval rating after aggregating reviews from over 91 esteemed film critics. The consensus? 28 Years Later is a terrifying masterpiece that will leave you on the edge of your seat!

Robbie Collin, writing for The Telegraph, gave the film a glowing five-star review, praising Garland's "peculiarly British pulp humour" and Boyle's visual flair. He noted that the film's blend of "Arthurian fantasias and wartime newsreel footage" adds to its unique charm.

The Times critic Ed Potton also awarded the film five stars, hailing Jodie Comer's performance as "impressive as always". He wrote: "Is this the most beautiful zombie film of them all? It's hard to think of another that combines such wonder and outlandishness with the regulation flesh-rending, brain-munching and vicious disembowelment."

Ralph Fiennes stars in the movie as Dr. Kelson, with critics praising the actor's 'scene-stealing' performance

But not everyone was impressed. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw gave the film three stars, finding it "a little awkwardly" shifting gears between deep sadness and graphic-novel strangeness.

Meanwhile, The Independent's Clarisse Loughley also awarded the film three stars, noting that while Boyle's direction is compelling, the film's themes feel a tad heavy-handed.

Despite the mixed reviews, 28 Years Later has become the best horror ticket pre-seller of 2025, with expectations of grossing around $30 million in its opening weekend. So, are you ready to join the apocalypse?

The BBC's Caryn James handed the highly-anticipated film four stars out of five as she dubbed Ralph Fiennes's performance 'scene-stealing'

Don't miss out on this thrilling ride! Get your tickets now and experience the terror for yourself!

Source: TheScholarlyNote.com

Spike (left) - played by Alfie Williams who has been dubbed a 'gem' by critics - is a 12-year-old boy whose mother Isla (Jodie Comer) is unwell, confused and depressed