Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s new film, 28 Years Later, brought their iconic zombie franchise back to the spotlight. Centering on a new group of survivors long after the Rage virus that has devastated the United Kingdom, 28 Years Later sets up a sprawling and exhilarating tale of action and horror that will surely heighten people’s appetite for good zombie movies.
Thankfully, fans of the film can treat themselves to several similar zombie movies that have been released over the years. Given how popular the zombie subgenre has become, it can be a challenge for one to narrow down their viewing choices when there are so many options available. However, those who loved 28 Years Later should now have these five films at the top of their watchlist.
REC (2007)
This Spanish horror film follows a reporter and her camera operator when they are quarantined inside a building where a virus is spreading, turning those inside into zombies. Similar to 28 Years Later and its shaky iPhone camerawork, REC presents its story with “found footage” taken by one of the characters, making for an immersive and heart-pounding viewing experience. Though Boyle and Garland’s new film is far less claustrophobic than REC, the latter also seems to incorporate a supernatural element into its terrifying depiction of the zombie apocalypse.
REC is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Overlord (2018)
This zombie movie begins with a group of U.S. soldiers who end up fighting for their lives in a dangerous land already ravaged by war: Nazi-occupied France. There, they discover the Third Reich conducting human experiments on villagers, turning them into savage members of the undead. Both Overlord and 28 Years Later feature a healthy dose of over-the-top gore and action to satisfy hardcore zombie fans, all while presenting the horrors of war and violence carried out by humans and zombies alike.
Overlord is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
I Am Legend (2007)
Loosely based on Richard Matheson’s classic novel, I Am Legend centers around a scientist seeking to find a cure for a virus that has wiped out most of humanity and mutated the survivors into vampiric cannibals. Please note that the film’s alternate ending, which was replaced with the one seen in theaters, is widely regarded as the canonical, superior conclusion. Like 28 Years Later and its predecessors, this modern adaptation of I Am Legend explores grief, loss, and humanity’s potential for evil, with some characters appearing to act even worse than the zombies, making for an especially dark and thought-provoking narrative.
I Am Legend is available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Army of the Dead follows a team of former mercenaries who try to rob a casino in Las Vegas years after a zombie plague has ravaged the city. Like 28 Years Later, director Zack Snyder’s action-packed zombie film follows its heroes as they leave the comfort of their homes to explore a zombie-infested land. It also features different breeds of zombies, including the slow-walking shamblers and the quick, intelligent Alphas, adding different levels of terror and action to the story. Snyder’s film even mirrors the fantasy-inspired aesthetic of 28 Years Later, with the Alpha zombie, Zeus, ruling over his undead army in the ruins of Las Vegas like a medieval king.
Army of the Dead is available to stream on Netflix.
28 Days Later (2002)
This is a fairly obvious choice, but fans of 28 Years Later should catch up on the film that started Boyle and Garland’s whole horror franchise. Led by actor Cillian Murphy decades before Oppenheimer, 28 Days Later follows a man who wakes up from a coma in a post-apocalyptic London, where he is forced to survive against hordes of infected zombies and radical human survivors. 28 Days Later is known for popularizing super-fast zombies with the frenetic, frightening visuals replicated in the threequel. While 28 Years Later takes place long after the initial zombie outbreak, the original film also explores how people try to rebuild and maintain society while blurring the line that separates humans from the infected.
28 Days Later is available to stream on Pluto TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
