Spoilers for 28 Years Later are below!
Summary
The world of28 Years Laterhas drastically changed since the events seen in the franchise’s last installment,28 Weeks Later. The franchise started in 2002 with28 Days Later, whichfollows Cillian Murphy’s Jimas he wakes up in a hospital, finding himself alone, only to discover that London has been overrun by people infected by the Rage virus, which turns them into fast-moving zombies. Jim’s journey sees him meeting other uninfected people along the way, hoping to survive the virus' hold on their country.
The sequel, 2007’s28 Weeks Later, follows a new group of characters. The film sees the U.S. military aiding the United Kingdom in dispatching infected individuals, setting up safe zones, and reintegrating people into specific areas. This plan falls apart when infected people end up swarming the safe zones, forcing people into a fight for survival. The infected even break the UK quarantine, with the end of the movie showing them in Paris, France.28 Years Latercontinues the story, picking up long after the events of28 Weeks Later, pitting the movie’s characters against a disturbing new reality.
What Happened To The Rage Virus Taking Paris At The End Of28 Weeks Later?
The final shot in28 Weeks Latershows a group of infected running free, only to then show them heading toward the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Many fans assumed this event would influence the events of the next movie in the series, seeing the Rage virus break free from the UK and make its way through Europe and the rest of the world. Given the state of things in the trailers for28 Years Later, it could be presumed that this outcome came to pass. However,28 Years Laterlets audiences know from the start that the Rage virus in Paris didn’t end the world.
Theopening of28 Years Laterfeatures a short exposition, informing viewers of what has happened since the last movie and letting them know that the Rage virus outbreak in France has been quelled.Europe kept the virus from spreading, holding the infection in the UK.While the movie doesn’t specify how harmful the Rage virus spread in Europe was,28 Years Lateris quick to retcon the zombies in Paris, ensuring the scale of the outbreak was not global. This also sets the events of28 Years Latersquarely in the UK.
The UK Has Been Cut Off From The Rest Of The World In28 Years Later
After Europe fought back the Rage virus from running rampant throughout its countries, the outbreak only persisted in the UK, an island country, allowing it to be quarantined. The plans to wipe out the infected and reintegrate people back into the existing infrastructure of the UK, as seen in28 Weeks Later, were abandoned.The United Kingdom was cut off from the rest of the world, and the remaining uninfected people were left to fend for themselves.A zone around the UK is patrolled by military ships from other countries whose sole job is to ensure nothing goes to or leaves the island country.
That is the world where thecharacters of28 Years Laterfind themselves, as they have found a way to survive in the UK for nearly 30 years. The survivors have no help from the outside world, living with only the supplies they can find, make, or grow. Audiences also learn from a stranded soldier that even he is out of luck. His people won’t be coming to save him, and he’ll be killed if he tries to leave. Even as people continued to survive through the drastic circumstances beset by the Rage virus, the infected thrived as well.
The Rage Virus Has Created New Types Of Infected
28 Years Laterfeatures the same type of fast-moving zombies the franchise introduced in 2002. However, in the years since28 Days Later, the Rage virus has created two distinct new types of infected people. The first type encountered by Spike (Alfie Williams) and his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) are referred to as Slow Lows.The Slow Lows are bulky, obese-looking infected whose movements stay low to the ground,meaning the characters are likely to see them crawling rather than walking, hence the name. This type of infected persists, but also looks to have been hindered by the virus, not possessing the same agility as most people exposed to it.
The othernew type of infectedare referred to as Alphas.The Alphas are massive and strong, towering over every character, with muscles they use to rip people and animals apart.Spike explains that the Rage virus seemingly acted like steroids in the Alpha infected, giving them their imposing stature. Alphas can also take more damage than most. Standard infected can be taken down with a single well-placed arrow, but Alphas are seen riddled with arrows, often capable of surviving deadly blows, likely due to their Rage virus-induced physique.
The next installment,28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, has already been filmed and is due out in January. That sequel will continue Spike’s story, and as seen in28 Years Later, there are plenty of new horrors to delve into with the drastic changes the world has endured thanks to the Rage virus.
