10 Movies Like 28 Days Later You Must See

Directed by Danny Boyle, ’28 Days Later’ follows bicycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy), who wakes up from a coma at a hospital in London to discover society has completely collapsed within 28 days. The tragedy was brought about by a highly contagious virus that was passed onto humans by an infected chimpanzee from a laboratory in Cambridge. The virus turns people extremely violent and spreads as they attack their healthy counterparts. Wandering the empty streets, Jim comes across other survivors like Selena (Naomie Harris) and attempts to get to safety together. The 2003 post-apocalyptic zombie horror redefined the genre for the 21st century. If it has you craving more, here is a list of movies similar to ’28 Days Later’ to satiate your appetite.

10. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)

‘The Girl with All the Gifts’ by Colm McCarthy is set in the near future, where most people have succumbed to a disease caused by a parasitic fungus that is transmitted through bodily fluids. It leads to people becoming fast, mindless zombies called “hungries.” The hope for humanity comes in the form of a group of children who are infected but do not show any external symptoms. They are kept grouped together at an army base, where they are experimented upon in the hope of a cure. Like ’28 Days Later,’ the film depicts a reality following the collapse of everyday society where army camps among civilians are a common sight.

9. #Alive (2020)

‘#Alive’ is a post-apocalyptic horror film from director Cho Il-hyung that centers around Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in), a young adult who finds himself alone in his apartment as a zombie outbreak takes place in the outside world. After staying locked inside for days, he runs out of necessities after facing multiple zombie attacks. In the end, he decides to go outside and confront the problem head-on. The film depicts the onset of the problem, which ultimately leads to society resembling what is seen in ’28 Days Later.’

8. Doomsday (2008)

In Neil Marshall’s ‘Doomsday,’ a deadly virus breaks out in Scotland that the UK government fails to contain or cure. In a desperate measure, a 30-foot wall is erected around the region, turning it into a pariah state. In 2035, when the same disease is discovered in London, the UK government sends a team over to Scotland to investigate how the country has coped. They discover a post-apocalyptic society where the survivors are either marauders or medieval knights. While ’28 Days Later’ depicts the societal breakdown over a short period, ‘Doomsday’ shows how a state would change after dealing with the virus for years.

7. Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End (2024)

Originally titled ‘Apocalipsis Z: El principio del fin,’ ‘Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End’ by Carles Torrens centers around Manel, a grieving widower who fails to evacuate in time during a deadly virus outbreak in Europe that turns people into aggressive zombies. When he attempts to get leave, the government of Spain closes its borders, trapping him and the other remaining survivors in a dystopia. Manel’s journey mirrors that of Jim in ’28 Days Later,’ as they both set out to explore the hellscape they are left in in search of an escape.

6. Extinction (2015)

‘Extinction’ by Miguel Ángel Vivas takes place nine years into a post-apocalyptic future where a contagious virus has turned people into zombies across the world. A group of survivors takes shelter in a snow-covered town, hoping that the cold weather will protect them from the danger. However, they discover to their horror that the infected have adapted themselves to extreme climate conditions, as well as evolved into something worse. As in ’28 Days Later,’ the characters in ‘Extinction’ are left on their own to ensure their survival.

5. Quarantine (2008)

John Erick Dowdle’s directorial ‘Quarantine’ follows a reporter and her cameraman tagging along with Los Angeles firemen who get distress calls from a residential building. Upon reaching, they find that the residents are getting infected by a deadly and contagious strain of rabies that is turning them into aggressive zombies. The government soon put the building on quarantine, with the reporters continuing to record everything taking place inside, which ultimately makes up the film. ‘Quarantine’ depicts one of the possible ways in which a zombie apocalypse may originate, which can lead to the events of ’28 Days Later.’

4. Patient Zero (2018)

Helmed by Stefan Ruzowitzky, ‘Patient Zero’ is set in the middle of a global zombie apocalypse when US military scientists run experiments on the infected individuals in the hope of coming up with a cure. Working with Morgan, a man who has been bitten but not turned and can communicate with the infected, they discover that some of the infected are becoming increasingly intelligent and organized. As the scientists desperately try to locate Patient Zero to help their research, a horde of zombies attacks the facility, endangering all progress that has been made. Unlike ’28 Days Later,’ ‘Patient Zero’ shows the zombie apocalypse through the eyes of the military and the scientists who are responsible for containing the situation.

3. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

‘Dawn of the Dead’ marks the directorial debut of Zack Snyder with a remake of George A. Romero’s 1978 film of the same name. It tells the story of a group of people who find themselves taking refuge at a shopping mall in Milwaukee and fighting back during a zombie apocalypse. As hordes of zombies keep attacking, the strangers band together to put up a united front against the undead, even though distrust within themselves hurts their approach. The film shifts the action across the Atlantic and involves a greater number of people, but remains similar in spirit to ’28 Days Later.’

2. Train to Busan (2016)

‘Train to Busan’ by Yeon Sang-ho revolves around a father-daughter duo travelling by train from Seoul to Busan who unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse while onboard. Banding together with fellow travellers, they attempt to fight back and stay alive until reaching their destination. However, the situation is made increasingly difficult with the outbreak taking place all over the country, and the railway stations spilling with zombies. From the deserted streets of London in ’28 Days Later,’ the action shifts to a moving train in Korea, as the films deal with the same trouble.

1. 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, ’28 Weeks Later’ serves as a standalone sequel to ’28 Days Later.’ Following the events of the first film, NATO forces attempt to establish safe zones in the UK for people unaffected by the Rage Virus that turns them into zombies. However, when two boys break quarantine to return to their former home, they set off a chain of events that bring the infection within the safe zone. The movie depicts how far situations have worsened over time, and how human fallacies may continue to make it worse.