Zombified Delights: '28 Years Later' Scores Big With Critics

After 20 suspense-filled years, 'Danny's Dead' director Danny Boyle and wordsmith Alex Garland have returned to the undead with '28 Years Later', a highly-anticipated follow up to the 2002 thriller '28 Days Later'. The grimly gorgeous flick made its world debut in London last Wednesday, and critics were quick to sing its gory praises. With 78 reviews currently populating Rotten Tomatoes, this cinematic revival has scored a terrifically terrifying 95 percent approval rating!

This zombie saga featuring fresh face Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes hits theaters this Friday. Let's chew on what our brave critics are saying:

David Rooney of Hollywood Reporter reassured us that "there's no cynical cash-grabbing here. The filmmakers returned to a tale that's chillingly relevant in today’s politically troubled climate. Story clues have been dropped for future sequels, and I, for one, can't wait."

Rolling Stone's David Fear applauded Boyle and team: "Far from turning the original into a B-movie bambi, they have expanded and enriched this vision of a world on the precipice, skilfully blending British folk horror and panic-inducing nationalism with the gloom of a generation growing up amidst normalized chaos."

Entertainment Weekly's Jordan Hoffman called out Boyle's killer touches: "The director has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this production, offering a thrilling mix of familiar propaganda film footage, unexpected editing choices, and show-stopping infection-action snapshots."

Bilge Ebiri's review for New York magazine was thoughtful: "Sure, it feels more like a buffet of ideas than a coherent narrative, but isn't that what our fractured world is like today? '28 Years Later' might be choppy, strange, and not universally convincing, yet it's unforgettable."

IndieWire's David Ehrlich dove a bit deeper: "'28 Years Later' spotlights the humanity (or lack thereof) of zombies in a truly touching way. At first, it felt tedious to explore the evolution of the infected, but the radical ways in which the script navigates this are seriously compelling."

Germain Lussier of I09 praised Boyle and Garland's world-building skills: "'28 Years Later' answers questions about a zombie world I didn't even know I had! With moments that take it a notch higher and an exhilarating narrative, I almost wish there was another movie just about that."

Touching on more critical notes, Jake Coyle from the Associated Press called out a "jarringly disjointed" visual style but admitted, "There are poignant reflections on mortality and hubris; surprisingly deep for a movie featuring spinal cord yanking scenes. Amid all the carnage, there's a unique take on the coming-of-age genre."

Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson described it as "part horror film, part anthropology study," he said, "In the midst of terror, Boyle’s film becomes an unusual rumination on mortality and resilience. Scary, yet also strangely moving, filled with unbearably tense moments where you can't help but fear the unseen creepiness lurking in the darkness."