If you’ve seen 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, then you already know what to expect in the newest movie within the franchise. 28 Years Later continues the grisly themes and visual horrors of a zombie virus, which many likely expected.
28 Years Later is set almost three decades since the rage virus escaped the biological weapons laboratory. Some people have found ways to live with the infected around them, but it’s dangerous and there are still quarantines around. A group of survivors have taken to a small island connected to the mainland by just one causeway, which is heavily defended to ensure no one with the virus gets in.
What happens when an infected makes it through? And what happens when there’s a mutation spotted, that isn’t just affecting the infected? The survivors are being affected too, and now there’s a threat against humanity once more.
28 Years Later age rating: Explaining the R rating
Like the previous two movies, 28 Years Later is an R-rated movie, and it earns that pretty quickly from the level of violence and gore that’s shown. However, if you’ve watched the other two movies recently with your teens, they may want to watch this, and it could work for some of the older teenagers in the house.
Sex & nudity: There is a brief scene that involves a woman receiving oral sex, but clothing remains on and everything is left to the imagination. That’s the only scene that involves sex, but there are a few other nude moments, including a man showering in the street with his bare back and buttocks to the camera.
Violence & gore: This is where the R-rating comes into play, because 28 Years Later does not hold back from the grisly horror of a zombie virus. There is a scene that involves a man hanging from his feet with a plastic bag over his head, and we can visibly see birds pecking at his sides and pulling something out of his body. That scene ends with a boy shooting an arrow through the man’s head, leading to plenty of blood splatter.
While many of the deaths happen off-screen, some of the injuries are shown first. We see zombies attack survivors, taking over and eating them, because the camera pans to other scenes and people in the area. Of course, there are several survivors who will shoot at the infected for survival, and 28 Years Later doesn’t shy away from the blood splatter when the infected are hit.
Much of the gore is when people are in survival mode or when the zombies attack. There is one scene in particular that will stand out, which is when a soldier’s head is pulled from his body by one of the infected.
Language: The F-bomb is dropped multiple times, with various iterations of the word. There are also usages of the S-word, B-words, and much more. Some of the cursing is with British terminology, which won’t initially appear that severe, such as “bloody fool” or “bloody hell,” and it could raise questions by teens as they may not have heard the terminology that much.
Alcohol & drugs: There’s one scene that involves a child drinking alcohol while at a party, but he is sick afterward. This movie is mostly focused on survival and the mutations in the zombie virus.
Overall verdict: Who is 28 Years Later appropriate for?
When it comes to 28 Years Later, you’ll want to assess the first two movies. Are they the sort of movies your teens are into? Do they watch The Walking Dead with you? If so, then they’ve seen all the violence and gore that this iteration of the franchise brings.
However, if your kids aren’t used to that level of violence in the zombie world, stay away from it. There are some slightly more graphic shots compared to some of the other movies, and they could leave children with questions. I definitely wouldn’t watch it with anyone under 15.
28 Years Later is now available in theaters.