Common Sense Media Review
Violent zombie horror has language, nudity, rape references.
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Why Age 16+?
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28 Days Later
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 17 parent reviews
Based on 41 kid reviews
Kids say this movie offers a mix of intense gore, graphic violence, and challenging themes that may not be suitable for younger audiences. While many enjoy its thrilling and suspenseful nature, parental guidance is strongly advised due to explicit content, including swearing, nudity, and implications of sexual violence.
- graphic violence
- parental guidance
- intense themes
- adult audiences
- enjoyable thriller
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In 28 DAYS LATER, a virus has swept London, turning people into zombie-like creatures and almost wiping out the human race. Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital bed with no knowledge of what's going on and quickly teams up with fellow survivor Selena (Naomie Harris). The two come across Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and his daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns), who have plans to travel to an outpost they've heard about on the radio. Along the way, the zombies are terrifying, but they're not as bad as other human survivors the group is about to encounter.
Is It Any Good?
Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) keeps viewers off-balance throughout this fast-paced zombie horror movie. Nightmarish quick cuts and digital video give 28 Days Later a gritty, hallucinatory immediacy. Boyle also makes brilliant use of empty spaces, from eerily deserted London streets to a formerly magnificent country house, now occupied by members of the military, who eat rotting food around the table once used for glittering parties. Characters aren't particularly developed beyond their main defining qualities (idealistic Jim, tough Selena, stout-hearted Frank, ingenue Hannah), but that just adds to the sense of urgency—we don't have time to get to know them, just as they don't have time to get to know one another. What's important here is the terrifying portrayal of apocalyptic chaos and the lengths that the four main characters will be pushed to in order to survive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in 28 Days Later. Do you think it was too much, or does it add to the story? How does it compare to other violent horror movies? Have you ever watched a horror movie where you consider the violence too much? Where do you draw the line?
The movie viscerally portrays the threat of sexual violence. Does it feel like an important message within the story, or a gratuitous plot point? Do you think the intent makes a difference?
The franchise has gone on to include sequels like 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. Have you seen any? What keeps audiences coming back?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 26, 2003
- On DVD or streaming : October 16, 2003
- Cast : Cillian Murphy , Naomie Harris , Noah Huntley
- Director : Danny Boyle
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 108 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence and gore, language and nudity.
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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