28 Years Later’s most intense moments highlight why the post-apocalyptic film series appeals to horror fans. The critical response has been mildly negative in some quarters. Regardless, the zombie thriller marks an exciting return of a horror saga that captivated viewers with its imagination of a world devastated by a contagious disease that turns humans into zombies.
The Rage Virus remains a threat to human existence 28 Years Later, but a 12-year-old wouldn’t let it stop him from finding help for his sick mum. Starring Jodie Comer and Alfie Williams alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Edvin Ryding, and Ralph Fiennes, the zombie horror explored the depths of courage required to overcome fear. The movie’s ending sets up a sequel scheduled for release in January 2026. Pending its arrival, here’s a ranking of 28 Years Later’s most intense moments.
1. Erik’s Second Encounter With Alpha Samson
The humane and brutal scenes leading up to Erik’s (Ryding) second and final encounter with Alpha Samson are perhaps the most reflective part of the horror thriller. Erik narrowly escaped Alpha Samson the first time their path crossed, but he wasn’t that lucky the second time. He reencountered the hulky infected in the company of Spike and Isla.
This time, he stood no chance. The Alpha picked him up while he was bent on killing a newborn of an infected woman and ripped his head off his body. From Erik’s gory death to the unsettling scene of Isla helping an infected in labor, the sequence is easily 28 Years Later’s most intense moment.
2. When Dr Kelson Euthanased Isla
For the most part, the zombie horror follows Spike’s effort to help his mother. After learning about Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph) during his first journey to the mainland, Spike leaves the protection of the Holy Island to find the doctor. Despite his close encounter with death the first time, he returns to the mainland with his mother, hoping the doctor will have a solution to Isla’s illness. Unfortunately, the doctor diagnosed Isla with cancer and ultimately euthanized her. It was hard to watch Spike lose his mum after the perilous journey to find Dr. Kelson.
3. Erik’s First Encounter With Samson
Before rescuing Spike (Williams) and Isla (Comer) from a bunch of infected, Erik Sundqvist encountered Alpha Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) in a scene that amounted to one of 28 Years Later’s most intense moments. The Swedish soldier and other members of his patrol team met a horde of infected after drifting to the quarantined island. All but three perished in the chase that ensued. While trying to escape, Erik and the remaining two survivors run into Samson, an intimidating Alpha who rips out the head of a soldier, pulling it out with the spine and using it as a weapon to club another to death.
4. Jamie And Spike’s Close Encounter With An Alpha
Jamie and Spike’s journey to the mainland isn’t just an inciting incident for the story. It delivered one of 28 Years Later’s most intense moments, engaging and preparing the viewers for what’s to come. Leaving the protection of their island despite Isla’s objection, Jamie (Taylor-Johnson) believes he’s getting his son acquainted with the reality of their world following the Rage Virus devastation.
Spike had enjoyed the protection of Lindisfarne all his life, and it’s time to experience life outside the Holy Island. What Jamie didn’t anticipate was an encounter with an Alpha — an evolved, stronger, and smarter variant of the infected. A nail-biting chase ensues, eliciting an edge-of-your-seat response as Jamie and Spike run for their lives with the Alpha closing in on them.
5. When A Slow Low Crawled Up To Spike While He Was Sleeping
Twenty-eight years after the Rage Virus outbreak, the infected have evolved and are broadly categorized into two groups: “The Fast Ones” and “The Fat Ones,” also known as “The Slow Lows”. The Slow Lows are physically repulsive. They crawl around lazily, digging the earth for worms, and are pretty easy to kill. Be that as it may, they are as dangerous as the Fast Ones when in close contact.
This nearly happened after Spike escaped from the island with his mother in search of medical help. He offers to keep watch but falls asleep, deep enough for a Slow Low to crawl up to him and aim for a snack off his neck. Thankfully, Isla intervened and saved his life. Check out The Last of Us Season 2’s most intense moment.
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