The 28 Days Later film series has always been deeply entrenched in British culture. One of the most iconic images of the franchise is Cillian Murphy’s Jim standing in an abandoned London. And while 28 Weeks Later showed the rage virus spreading to Paris, 28 Years Later took the virus back to the British Isles while the rest of the world continues as usual. This makes not only the story, but the outbreak itself, uniquely British.
As a result, the final twist in 28 Years Later may have seemed confusing for American viewers. Who are these tracksuit-wearing cult members, and why do they all wear blonde wigs? But underneath the wild tonal swing is a dark and sordid real-life tale that reveals just how dark our pop culture idolatry can be — and how it will be explored in the next movie.
