Questions

What is the plot?

The film opens in 2002 during the initial outbreak of the Rage virus in the Scottish Highlands. A young boy named Jimmy Crystal flees his home as infected attack his family. He finds refuge in a local church where his father, a minister, is praying in ecstasy, interpreting the virus as a sign of the apocalypse. Before his father is overtaken by the infected, he gives Jimmy a cross necklace and helps him escape to safety.

Twenty-eight years later, the Rage virus has been eradicated from continental Europe, but the British Isles remain quarantined with few survivors. A small, isolated community lives on the holy island of Lindisfarne, protected by a tidal causeway that floods at high tide. Among the inhabitants are Jamie, a scavenger; his wife Isla, who suffers from a debilitating mental illness; and their 12-year-old son Spike. Jamie and Spike prepare for a coming-of-age hunting ritual, which involves crossing the causeway to the mainland.

Jamie and Spike cross to the mainland for the hunt. There, they discover an infected individual tied up and branded with the name "Jimmy." They soon encounter a large pack of infected led by an "Alpha," a more evolved and intelligent infected. Forced to take shelter overnight in the attic of a dilapidated cottage, Spike observes quarantine patrol boats and a distant fire. When the attic collapses, the Alpha chases Jamie and Spike across the partially flooded causeway. The village sentries kill the Alpha with a ballista, ending the immediate threat.

Back on the island, Isla’s health deteriorates due to her illness, which is later revealed to be metastatic cancer. Her pain and confusion worsen, and she decides to end her life on her own terms. She asks Kelson, a doctor in the community, to help her die peacefully before her condition worsens. Spike protests, but Isla insists on her choice. Kelson administers a morphine dart to immobilize Spike during the procedure, and then euthanizes Isla, who dies lucid and at peace.

Following Isla’s death, Spike struggles to reintegrate into the island community. Feeling alienated and disillusioned, he leaves the island with the newborn baby they had. Spike ventures back to the mainland, where he discovers the truth about Jimmy, the boy from the opening scene. Jimmy has survived and formed a violent cult of killers dedicated to hunting and murdering infected. Jimmy’s group operates under a strict, brutal ideology and represents a new form of societal adaptation to the post-apocalyptic world.

The film ends with Jimmy offering Spike a place within his group. Spike’s acceptance or rejection of this offer is left ambiguous, leaving the future of both Spike and the world uncertain. This final scene sets the stage for the announced sequel, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," and highlights the emergence of a new, dangerous form of humanity shaped by violence and survival.

What is the ending?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

At the end of 28 Years Later (2025), Spike returns to his island community after the death of his mother, Isla, who chose to end her suffering with the help of Dr. Ian Kelson. Spike struggles to reintegrate into the community and ultimately leaves with a newborn baby and a group led by Jimmy, the boy from the opening scene who survived the initial outbreak and now commands a violent cult. Jimmy offers Spike a place in his group, leaving the future uncertain and setting the stage for the sequel.

The ending unfolds as follows:

The film’s climax centers on Isla, Spike’s mother, whose debilitating illness worsens. She is lucid and aware that her cancer has metastasized and that she will soon die in pain. Isla decides to end her life on her own terms. She asks Dr. Ian Kelson, a reclusive survivor and doctor, to help her die peacefully before her condition deteriorates further. Spike protests vehemently, but Kelson administers a morphine dart to immobilize Spike during the procedure, respecting Isla’s choice. Isla dies surrounded by love and dignity, a moment portrayed with sensitivity and care.

After Isla’s death, Spike returns to the island community but finds himself alienated and unable to reconnect with the people there. He takes a newborn baby with him and leaves the community. The narrative then reveals Jimmy, the young boy from the film’s opening flashback during the initial Rage virus outbreak, who has survived all these years. Jimmy has grown into a charismatic and violent leader of a cult-like group that hunts the infected with brutal efficiency. He is dressed distinctively and bound by a strict ideology shaped by the harsh world they inhabit.

Jimmy encounters Spike and offers him a place within his group. The film ends on this note, with Spike’s fate uncertain and the world’s future hanging in the balance. This closing scene highlights the emergence of a new form of humanity shaped by violence and survival, distinct from the mindless infected but potentially more dangerous. The ending serves as a bridge to the announced sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, promising further exploration of this dark evolution.

In summary, the main characters’ fates at the end are:

  • Isla: Dies by her own choice with the help of Dr. Kelson.
  • Spike: Leaves the community with a newborn baby and joins Jimmy’s violent cult.
  • Jimmy: Revealed as a survivor from the original outbreak, now a cult leader.
  • Dr. Ian Kelson: Assists Isla’s death and remains a reclusive figure.

The final scenes emphasize the harsh realities of survival in a post-apocalyptic world and the complex moral choices faced by the characters.

Is there a post-credit scene?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

The movie 28 Years Later (2025) does not have a post-credits scene. There is no additional footage during or after the credits, so audiences can leave the theater once the credits begin to roll without missing any extra scenes.

Instead of a post-credits scene, the film’s ending itself serves to set up the story for the announced sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is scheduled for release in early 2026. The narrative conclusion before the credits provides a clear indication of what will come next, effectively fulfilling the role that a post-credits scene might have played.

In summary, the movie follows the franchise tradition of not including after-credits scenes, relying on its ending to hint at future developments rather than adding a separate teaser or bonus scene.

What is the significance of the cross necklace that Jimmy Crystal receives from his father during the initial outbreak?

The cross necklace is bequeathed to Jimmy by his father, a minister who interprets the Rage virus outbreak as a sign of the end times and the Day of Judgement. The necklace symbolizes his father's faith and protection as he helps Jimmy escape the infected before succumbing himself.

Who is the 'Alpha' infected and what role does it play in the story?

The 'Alpha' is an evolved infected creature that is stronger and more intelligent than typical infected. It leads a large pack of infected and pursues the main characters Jamie and Spike across the causeway, until it is killed by village sentries using a ballista.

What is the nature of Isla's illness and how does it affect her and her family?

Isla, Jamie's wife and Spike's mother, suffers from a mentally debilitating illness characterized by migraines and hallucinations. Her condition worsens over the course of the film, and she ultimately chooses to end her life with the help of a doctor, Kelson, to avoid further suffering.

What is the coming-of-age hunting ritual that Spike participates in?

Spike, at 12 years old, goes on a hunting ritual with his father Jamie, which is a traditional rite of passage for boys in their community, typically done at ages 14 or 15. This ritual involves venturing onto the mainland to hunt, symbolizing a transition into adulthood.

What secrets and horrors does the mainland hold that Spike and Jamie discover?

On the mainland, Spike and Jamie find an infected tied up and branded with the name 'Jimmy', encounter the Alpha infected, and observe foreign quarantine patrol boats and fires inland. They uncover that the infected have evolved and that the quarantine is strictly enforced, hiding deeper truths about the virus and its effects on survivors.

Is this family friendly?

The movie 28 Years Later (2025) is not family friendly and contains content that may be upsetting for children or sensitive viewers. It features brutal and extremely violent scenes, including gruesome infected attacks and tense, bloody moments typical of the horror and zombie genre.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:

  • Graphic violence and gore, consistent with the franchise's intense horror style.
  • Disturbing horror elements involving infected individuals and rage virus effects.
  • Emotional and tense family conflicts with themes of betrayal, rage, and loss, including scenes of a family member killing another under virus influence.
  • Dark and desperate human behavior in a post-apocalyptic setting, with a bleak atmosphere and folk horror undertones.
  • Some scenes may be psychologically intense or disturbing, including controversial moments involving infected characters and their offspring.

The film is rated 15, indicating it is intended for mature audiences and not suitable for children. It contains strong horror and violence elements that may be distressing for sensitive viewers.

Who dies?

⚠ Spoiler – click to reveal

Yes, several characters die in the 2025 movie 28 Years Later. Here are the key deaths and their circumstances:

  • Isla (Spike's mother) dies from terminal cancer. She has a mentally debilitating illness that worsens throughout the film. When they find Dr. Kelson, he diagnoses her with advanced cancer and a terminal prognosis. Isla chooses to die peacefully rather than suffer further. She allows Kelson to drug Spike to prevent interference and then embraces her son one last time before walking off with Kelson to be painlessly euthanized. This assisted death is portrayed as a lucid, voluntary choice by Isla to end her pain and confusion.

  • Jamie (Spike's father) is present in the story but his death is implied earlier in the timeline or offscreen. The plot focuses more on Spike and Isla after Jamie crosses to the mainland for a hunting ritual. The infected tied up and branded "Jimmy" is a reference to a character from the original outbreak, not Jamie himself.

  • Erik, a Swedish soldier who helps Spike and Isla, is killed near the end. After Isla helps a pregnant infected give birth, Erik pledges to kill the newborn and threatens Spike and Isla. The newborn's father arrives, and Erik is killed in the ensuing conflict.

  • Jimmy, a young boy from the original outbreak shown in flashbacks, dies during the initial rage virus outbreak in 2002. His father, a minister, helps him escape before succumbing to the infected.

  • Various infected characters die throughout the film, including an "Alpha" infected killed by village sentries with a ballista, and infected killed in a gas-filled room ignited by gunfire from Erik.

In summary, the most significant character deaths are Isla's assisted euthanasia due to terminal cancer, Erik's violent death during a confrontation, and flashback deaths of Jimmy and his father during the original outbreak. The infected also die in various action scenes.