The 28 Days Later Films Ranked

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The 28 Days Later film franchise redefined the modern zombie genre by emphasizing speed, realism, and psychological tension over traditional undead tropes. Beginning with 28 Days Later (2002), directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the series introduced the terrifying concept of the “Infected”—humans driven into uncontrollable rage by a virus rather than reanimated corpses. This shift allowed the films to explore themes of societal collapse, isolation, and moral breakdown with unsettling plausibility. The stark, digitally shot images of an abandoned London became iconic, reinforcing the sense of emptiness and vulnerability in a world that has lost its social order almost overnight.

The sequel, 28 Weeks Later (2007), expanded the scope of the franchise by examining the consequences of attempted reconstruction and the fragile nature of human trust. While more action-driven than its predecessor, it maintained the franchise’s bleak tone and thematic focus on fear, survival, and the cyclical nature of violence. Together, the films influenced a wave of fast-moving infected in later cinema and television, notably shaping works like World War Z and The Walking Dead. As a franchise, 28 Days Later stands out not just for revitalizing zombie horror, but for using the genre as a lens to critique human behavior under extreme pressure.

After years of rumours about a Months Later film, the franchise finally continued with the 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the first two chapter in new trilogy that revisits the infected world decades after the original outbreak. These films explore how the virus, survivors, and society itself have evolved over time, bringing the series’ core themes into a long-term post-apocalyptic context. Together, the 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, and 28 Years Later entries form a franchise that not only revitalized zombie cinema but also consistently used horror as a way to interrogate human nature under extreme and enduring pressure.

Here are our rankings for the 28 Days Later films.