The 28 Days Later franchise is filled with terrifying sequences, but which are the best from each film? The original Danny Boyle movie arrived in 2002, when the zombie genre itself was all but deceased. The success of 28 Days Later and other zombie fare, like Dawn of the Dead (2004), brought the genre back to life.
The 28 Days Later franchise still stands out from the undead crowd, though. From their uniquely British take on a very familiar genre to their cast of famous faces (Cillian Murphy, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Renner, etc). It helps that each of the movies so far feels very different from one another, whilst also feeling part of the same universe.
The upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will pick up from the ending of the previous film, with a third and final chapter planned should the sequel become a hit. While awaiting to see what fresh horrors lie inside The Bone Temple, it’s worth revisiting the scariest scenes from the first three outings.
Jim Walks Through An Abandoned London (28 Days Later)
Cillian Murphy walking around London in the opening scene of 28 Days Later, with Parliament and Big Ben in the background
28 Days Later is a film packed with traditional scary sequences. There’s the prologue where the Rage Virus-infected monkeys escape, or the scene where Frank (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly turns after being infected. Boyle stages some masterfully intense horror beats, but the movie’s most terrifying sequence is still Jim exploring an empty London.
The UK capital is one of the most photographed cities in the world, and it is never, ever quiet. That’s why the sight of Jim strolling through iconic landmarks like Westminster Bridge without any people in sight is so unsettling.
The 28 Days Later Franchise
Director
Rotten Tomatoes Score
28 Days Later (2002)
Danny Boyle
87%
28 Weeks Later (2007)
Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
73%
28 Years Later (2025)
Danny Boyle
88%
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (January 16, 2026)
Nia DaCosta
N/A
There’s a reason Jim’s wall through the city was at the forefront of 28 Days Later’s marketing campaign. Not only is it an incredible achievement that was largely shot without CGI, but it’s just a starkly terrifying scene. It’s almost nightmarish in tone, as Jim wanders around famous locations screaming out for other people.
Of course, Jim’s quiet walk ends with his first encounter with the infected and a relentless chase, but the power of 28 Days Later’s opening still lingers. In the same way I Am Legend later used an empty New York to the same effect, there’s something about an abandoned London that remains chilling.
The Opening Chase (28 Weeks Later)
Robert Carlyle as Don in the opening scene of 28 Weeks Later.
Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland weren’t as involved with the first sequel, 28 Weeks Later. That might be one reason it feels like the odd man out of the franchise, but it’s pretty unrated, too. It’s got a fantastic cast (including Rose Byrne, Imogen Poots and Idris Elba), a relentless pace and some fantastically frightening setpieces.
Where the Juan Carlos Fresnadillo sequel falls is the lack of emotional connection to the main characters. One part that even critics agree upon is that 28 Weeks Later’s opening is incredible, where a group of survivors takes shelter in a remote cottage that is soon invaded by the infected.
Robert Carlyle’s Don and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) desperately try to escape as scores of infected rip into their safe haven. The frantic editing and pounding score make this prologue very unnerving, and it only becomes more so when Don is forced to make a horrible choice.
28 Weeks Later’s opening climaxes with Don fleeing as fast as he can, with a horde of the infected chasing him down. Even more so than the original, this sequence really captures what is so horrifying about the Rage-infected; no matter how hard a victim flees, they will never cease the chase.
The Alpha Causeway Chase (28 Years Later)
Alfie Williams as Spike and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie run from an Alpha Infected in 28 Years Later
28 Years Later marked the first entry in the series since 2007, and was more than worth the wait. Boyle and Garland reunited on this third instalment, which follows a boy named Spike (Alfie Williams) as he ventures beyond his isolated settlement to see what’s become of Britain 28 years on from the outbreak.
28 Years Later delivers on the horror and setpieces whilst being consistently surprising and subversive. The story rarely takes the path of a traditional zombie flick, but it does add a new wrinkle to the infected in the form of Alphas. These beefy brutes are much bigger and stronger, and can rip out spines with ease.
An Alpha is also behind the scariest setpiece in 28 Years Later, where Spike and his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) flee across a rapidly flooding causeway to safety. The editing and camerawork are panic-inducing, with Boyle elongating the suspense as long as possible.
Strangely, Boyle also makes the Alpha causeway chase beautiful, with the sequence being framed by a gorgeous night sky. This is one example of 28 Years Later’s subversive tendencies, but no matter how amazing the sky looks, the sheer terror of this unstoppable brute chasing the fleeing father and son is never lost.
The scene ends with the duo barely escaping alive, and underlines how lethal the world outside their little haven is. The sequels to 28 Years Later will no doubt see those walls coming down, as it feels like this Alpha chase is just a taste of things to come.
28 Days Later (2002) Movie Poster
Created by
Alex Garland
First Film
28 Days Later
Latest Film
28 Weeks Later
Upcoming Films
28 Years Later
Cast
Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell
Movie(s)
28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later
The 28 Days Later franchise is a British post-apocalyptic horror series that began with the 2002 film 28 Days Later, followed by the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later. It explores a world ravaged by the Rage Virus, focusing on survivors navigating an outbreak of violent, infected humans. The franchise is set to continue with a new trilogy, beginning with 28 Years Later in 2025.
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