Netflix is now streaming one of the best horror movies of the year – and it’s already dominating. Just a few days after becoming available on the popular platform in the United States, the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic, coming-of-age tale has quickly sprinted up the streamer’s Top 10.
Following on from 2002’s critically acclaimed 28 Days Later and its 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later at last reveals what has happened to the world since the onslaught of the Rage Virus and the “zombies” that took over. Directed by Danny Boyle, who co-wrote the screenplay with Alex Garland, 28 Years Later boasts a stellar cast that includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Edvin Ryding. Now available to stream on Netflix in the United States, you can check out the official synopsis for 28 Years Later below.
“Academy Award®-winning director Danny Boyle and Academy Award®-nominated writer Alex Garland reunite for 28 Years Later, a terrifying new story set in the world created by 28 Days Later. It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.”
28 Years Later now stands at #1 on Netflix’s Top 10, with even the return of Danny Boyle’s beloved zombie franchise unable to unseat action movie icon Liam Neeson and his panned thriller sequel, Ice Road: Vengeance, from the top spot. Other movies currently in the charts include Netflix’s massive genre mash-up hit KPop Demon Hunters, rom-com The Wrong Paris, and Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story.
’28 Years Later’ Was Met With Acclaim Despite Some Bold Choices & a Sequel Is Coming in 2026
28 Years Later has seen huge success since release, racking up $151.2 million at the worldwide box office. The long-awaited horror sequel was also met with largely positive reviews from critics, though, as classic movies always do, it makes some bold and divisive choices. As a result, 28 Years Later stands at 89% “Certified Fresh” from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside 64% from audiences on the Popcornmeter.
A further sequel in the series, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, has already been shot, with Candyman director Nia DaCosta at the helm. And, mercifully, it sounds like the follow-up will live up to the legacy of the Danny Boyle-directed predecessors. Perhaps even surpassing them.
An extremely early reaction to The Bone Temple was reportedly interrupted by “multiple applause breaks during the film,” with one attendee saying, “I thought part 1 was outstanding, but this surpassed it.” Jack O’Connell’s returning Sir Jimmy Crystal has also been hailed the “villain performance of the year.” 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is scheduled to be released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on January 16, 2026.
- Release Date
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June 20, 2025
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Director
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Danny Boyle
- Franchise(s)
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28 Days Later
