RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / 28 Days Later
28 Days Later

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

28 Days Later (2003)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
88 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:196

Fresh:173

Rotten:23

Average Rating:7.3/10

Consensus: 28 Days Later is both a terrifying zombie movie and a sharp political allegory.

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $44,900,469

Synopsis: After breaking into a primate research facility, a group of animal rights activists discover caged chimps chained up before banks of screens displaying horrifically violent images. Ignoring the... After breaking into a primate research facility, a group of animal rights activists discover caged chimps chained up before banks of screens displaying horrifically violent images. Ignoring the warnings of the terrified researcher who maintains the chimps are 'infected', they begin to free the animals and are immediately subjected to a bloody attack from the enraged creatures. 28 days later… Cycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma in the deserted intensive care unit of a London hospital. Mystified, he wanders the wards and corridors in search of others and eventually heads into the city streets, calling out for help. As the shadows lengthen Jim seeks shelter in a church only to find dead bodies piled in heaps on the chapel floor. A sudden noise alerts him to the presence of a priest but his lightening speed, blood stained eyes and murderous screams send Jim reeling into the street. More "infected" are attracted by the noise and Jim runs in panic and confusion as a growing flock sprint after him through the dark streets. A sudden explosion from a makeshift bomb heralds the arrival of fellow "survivors" Selena (NAOMIE HARRIS) and Mark (NOAH HUNTLEY). Following a daring rescue they take Jim to safety and start to explain to him the nature of the infection, that it is transmitted in the blood, is overwhelming within seconds, that Britain has been overrun and that they have no way of knowing if it has spread worldwide. Selena and Mark reluctantly agree to help the shell-shocked Jim return home to Deptford to find his parents, with terrifying consequences. Later, as they sneak through the darkened streets, Selena and Jim spot a lone light in a tower block and investigate to see if there are other survivors. The unlikely pair they find are father and daughter Frank (BRENDAN GLEESON) and Hannah (MEGAN BURNS) whose water supplies are running dangerously low and are desperate to find alternative shelter. As the group takes shelter in the tower block, an automated radio broadcast is picked up. A Manchester-based group of soldiers, led by Major Henry West (CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON), claim to have the 'answer' to infection and invite any survivors to join them at their blockade. Faced with no practical alternative, the group sets out northwards in Frank's black cab unaware that the worst is yet to come. Directed by Danny Boyle, 28 DAYS LATER is from an original screenplay by Alex Garland, the author of The Beach, and produced by Andrew Macdonald. The film stars Cillian Murphy (DISCO PIGS), Naomie Harris (WHITE TEETH), Christopher Eccleston (24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, THE OTHERS, SHALLOW GRAVE), Megan Burns (LIAM) and Brendan Gleeson (THE GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE GENERAL, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A.I). [More]

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, Brendan Gleeson, Luke Mably

Director: Danny Boyle

Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: Alex Garland
Producer: Andrew MacDonald
Composer: John Murphy
Studio: 20th Century Fox

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 10

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for 28 Days Later

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

This smart, genuinely creepy movie also feels real, which is why its horrors hit so hard.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
06/27/03
Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald

Hits all the right buttons of a satisfying end-of-the-world yarn.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
06/27/03
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star

What 28 Days Later lacks in budget it more than makes up in grainy style and unrelenting tension.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/27/03
Louis B. Hobson
Louis B. Hobson
Jam! Movies

Brisk, smart and often truly frightening.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/27/03
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

[Boyle's] back on British turf here and in fine dark form.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
06/27/03
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

The rare horror film that splatters and pauses to consider the splatter, that follows a traditional storyline and then improves upon it, and that avoids cliches while playing one out.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
06/27/03
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

If 28 Days Later falls short of classic horror movie status, Boyle pokes the genre with a sharp enough stick to prove it has some nasty life in it yet.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
06/27/03
Terry Lawson
Terry Lawson
Detroit Free Press

Few movies have managed to tap into our fears of bioterrorism, the unknown and sociopathic rage as effectively as this one does.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
06/27/03
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

This starkly beautiful, harrowing journey into the worst that can happen opens with video feed images of our unnatural disasters.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
06/27/03
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

Exhilarating, exciting and, thanks to its cool, mostly unknown leads and touches of black humor, is destined to be a hipster cult classic, much as Trainspotting was before it.

Full Review Source: Contra Costa Times | comment Comment
06/27/03
Mary F. Pols
Mary F. Pols
Contra Costa Times

A tough, smart, ingenious movie that leads its characters into situations where everything depends on their (and our) understanding of human nature.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 3 Comments
06/27/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I think Garland and Boyle just want to make our flesh creep by showing someone else's flesh decaying. If that's their aim, they achieved it.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
06/27/03
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Terrifying on the basic heebie-jeebie level, respectful toward its B-movie forebears, and all the more unnerving for coming out in this fretful era of SARS and germ warfare.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
06/27/03
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

The deep thematic concerns are never fully developed, but the characters are, and the story compels. Also, the movie's pretty scary.

Full Review Source: New Times | comment Comment
06/27/03
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

It is Dod Mantle's visuals and Boyle's direction that are "28 Days Later's" greatest asset.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
06/27/03
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

[Boyle's] choice of mostly unknown actors is so disturbingly effective that when we eventually come across Brendan Gleeson..., it's a relief just to see a familiar face.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
06/27/03
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

A satisfying mix of shock, gore and dystopian suspense.

Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
06/27/03
Donald Munro
Donald Munro
Fresno Bee

The movie is derivative as hell, but it's also blazingly well-made, and it moves at a ferocious clip.

Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
06/27/03
David Edelstein
David Edelstein
Slate

A movie that's creepy and truly suspenseful in some places, unintentionally comic or plain awful in others.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
06/27/03
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A movie that, in the best horror tradition, leaves much to the imagination while scaring the bejesus out of you.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
06/27/03
Glenn Whipp
Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for 28 Days Later

October 06, 2008: A Director for 28 Months Later? Opens in new window
Who is Paul Andrew Williams, and why is his name being bandied about in connection with "28 Months Later"? Follow the link to find out! More...

September 12, 2008: Another 28 for Danny Boyle? Opens in new window
Could there possibly be a second sequel to "28 Days Later"? Danny Boyle thinks so, although he seems worried that his idea might be silly. More...

May 06, 2008: Neil Marshall's 10 Post-Apocalyptic Picks
The Doomsday director runs RT through the movies that inspired his cyber-punk vision of a dodgy future. More...

October 10, 2007: RT's Top 50 Horror Movie List Unmasked
Halloween is a great time for three of life's essential pleasures -- pigging out on candy, dressing up in a fun costume, and watching an obscene amount of horror movies.... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
76% 76% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
15
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
38
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
22
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
118
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
176
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
130
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
76
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
59
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
37
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
18
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Total Recall: Children's Book Adaptations
3
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • 28 Days Later at Rotten Tomatoes
  • 28 Days Later at IGN
  • 28 Days Later at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.