28 Years Later hits theaters this weekend as the third movie in an ongoing zombie franchise and the first of a brand-new trilogy. Starting with 28 Days Later in 2002, the franchise imagines a world where a devastating virus spread in the United Kingdom and turned normal, everyday people into the rageful, bloodthirsty Infected. The first film followed the initial aftermath of the outbreak and starred Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris. Then, 28 Weeks Later was released in 2007, following a largely new cast but expanding the overall universe. Now, original director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are revisiting this universe.

Because of the trilogy plans, 28 Years Later is an interesting addition to the series. Boyle and Garland’s involvement, along with the confirmation that Murphy will return in the 2026 sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, certainly seems to imply the new movie requires some prior knowledge going in. I fully intended to play catch-up ahead of my screening, but I unfortunately ran out of time. Instead, I’m now happy to provide answers to a question I suspect plenty of people are asking: Do you need to watch the other movies before seeing 28 Years Later?

Is 28 Years Later’s Plot Or World Confusing For Newcomers?

Jumping Into New Universes Can Be Overwhelming – But Not Here

From the first time I saw the perfectly edited trailer for 28 Years Later, I was pretty much on board and ready to see what Boyle and Garland had in store. As the тιтle already reveals, the movie picks up years after the virus swept through the United Kingdom and centers on a village of survivors off the coast of Scotland. I wasn’t sure if it would be at all confusing to jump into this world years after its most pivotal events took place, but 28 Years Later begins with a gory, disturbing prologue that effectively reveals just what it was like when the Infected began rampaging across the country.

From there, a few lines fill us in on what’s happened since then, giving the audience everything they need to know: the virus has been kept contained in the United Kingdom, and it has decimated much of its population. Beyond that, 28 Years Later turns its focus to a young boy, Spike (Alfie Williams), and his parents, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Isla (Jodie Comer). Neither of these characters are people featured in the previous movies; they are fresh creations with their own story, one that is easy to follow with no prior familiarity with the franchise.

Even when Jamie and Spike venture onto the mainland for a scouting mission, any necessary exposition about the Infected themselves is delivered via Jamie teaching Spike. We’re there to witness Spike’s very first mission, so he’s learning right alongside the most uninformed of us. When it comes to its world-building and story, 28 Years Later is very accommodating to newcomers.

Does 28 Years Later Heavily Reference The Previous Movies?

You Don’t Need To Do Any Homework For This one

Thanks to mega-franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, we’ve become accustomed to sequels that are chock-full of Easter eggs and sly references to the stories that came before. Just imagine trying to watch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker without having seen the original films and being confronted with some guy named Palpatine. For something like 28 Years Later, which is reviving a dormant property, it would make sense for there to be references to the early movies.

If there are any major Easter eggs, though, they slipped right by me. 28 Years Later skips the notion of a legacy sequel by creating a wholly new environment and characters; the closest thing to a connection to the previous movie appears to be the Infected, and even they have a fair amount of originality. Now, there’s a good chance Boyle and Garland did sneak in some smaller nods to the other movies, and I just missed them, but that at least tells me that I wasn’t required to understand them to enjoy the movie.

Does 28 Years Later Make Me Want To Continue With The Franchise?

This Is Only The Beginning Of My Journey Here

Before watching 28 Years Later, I told myself I’d still watch the previous movies just to see what they were like. However, there was always a chance that I’d be turned off by the new movie, that I wouldn’t be interested in learning more about this particular brand of Infected. I’m not a huge zombie person; the closest I’ve gotten to checking out the genre is Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and HBO’s The Last of Us.

Luckily, the desire to watch 28 Days Later and its sequel still remains. If anything, I get the feeling that checking out the prequels will enhance my experience with the new movie and its follow-ups. This is less to fill in any blanks that cropped up while watching 28 Years Later and more to see if the adrenaline-inducing, tonally bonkers approach Boyle took when making this movie applies to the previous installments too. Also, it would be cool to get a greater understanding of how the outbreak reached this point, even if it isn’t required for the new trilogy.

Would I Recommend 28 Years Later To Other Franchise Newcomers?

Those Unfamiliar With The Series Should Still Give It A Try

As someone who still hasn’t seen Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning because I haven’t yet watched all the previous movies (only have Ghost Protocol left!), I totally understand the desire to be fully up-to-date on the previous 28 Days Later installments before seeing the new movie. However, with so much to watch these days and theatrical windows getting frustratingly shorter, time is of the essence, and some might be eager to just dive in.

If you’re one of those people, I absolutely recommend giving 28 Years Later a sH๏τ. It’s a thrilling theatrical experience, and it doesn’t require any prior knowledge going in. In many ways, that makes it a refreshing franchise entry, one that prioritizes well-developed new characters and locations but still feels firmly planted in the world that was already established. With The Bone Temple scheduled for release in January 2026, there’s plenty more time to catch up on everything else within this universe. But if you’re looking for something good to watch this weekend, 28 Years Later fits the bill.