The hit horror sequel lands on streaming amid box office success and pandemic parallels

After terrifying audiences in cinemas, the apocalyptic thriller 28 Years Later is set to infect living rooms everywhere. The third film in the acclaimed horror franchise is reportedly heading to digital platforms this Tuesday, marking a major new chapter in its relentless spread.

Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland—both returning from the original 28 Days Later—this latest instalment stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes. Released in theatres on June 20, it has since clawed in $150 million worldwide, with $70 million from US audiences and $80 million overseas, against a production budget of $60 million.

According to industry tracker When to Stream, 28 Years Later will become available on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) on July 29. Though Sony Pictures has yet to officially confirm the date, the film is already listed for pre-order on Amazon Prime Video for $24.99. Viewers can expect to rent it for $19.99 for a 48-hour window.

Set decades after the outbreak of the deadly rage virus, the story follows a small band of survivors living on an island fortress, connected to the mainland by a single, heavily guarded causeway. Taylor-Johnson’s character, Jamie, ventures off the island with his 12-year-old son, Spike—played by breakout actor Alfie Williams—defying the wishes of Isla, his wife and the boy’s protective mother, portrayed by Comer.

Their journey into the mainland’s infected wasteland is portrayed as a twisted rite of passage, where Spike must learn to fend for himself against creatures that blur the line between man and monster. These are not traditional zombies, Boyle insists, but infected humans whose feral speed and unrelenting rage present a more chilling, grounded threat.

“We always said they weren’t zombies,” Boyle recently told TIME magazine. “They’re not undead. They’re infected—and they’ll kill you, but they can also die.”

That philosophical stance has shaped the film’s tone since the series’ debut in 2002. Where George A. Romero’s zombies stumbled, Boyle’s infected sprint, creating a sense of imminent, chaotic danger that has become the franchise’s trademark.

Screenwriter Garland has also confirmed that the narrative draws influence from the COVID-19 pandemic. The strict quarantine on the island, the suspicion of outsiders, and the desperation for human connection all echo themes that emerged globally during lockdowns.

Critics have praised the film’s return to visceral horror and socio-political allegory. Ralph Fiennes delivers a haunting performance as a scientist turned island enforcer, while Comer brings layered emotion as a mother torn between safety and her son’s need for independence.

Cinematically, the film oscillates between claustrophobic interiors and sweeping, ruined landscapes. The contrast mirrors the film’s emotional range—from quiet moments of familial tension to explosive sequences of survival horror.

For fans of the original films, 28 Years Later delivers the adrenaline, dread, and moral complexity they’ve come to expect. For newcomers, it offers a timely reminder: even after 28 years, some viruses—like fear—never die.