How to watch 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later
The horror franchise is back, 23 years after it first began.
One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2025, 28 Years Later, is now out in UK cinemas, with director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland returning to the world they created back in 2002.
28 Days Later, which starred Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris, was released to critical and audience acclaim, while its sequel, 2007's 28 Weeks Later, was less lauded but still a well-regarded film.
Heading into 28 Years Later, it's clear that Boyle and Garland are skewing closer to the original rather than its sequel, with Boyle having said: "We decided to base this trilogy being inspired by the first film.
"Not just in terms of character, as the Cillian Murphy character eventually appears, but also in terms of the definition of the virus, its behaviour, and reactions to it."
Still, fans may well want to catch up with both films, and refresh their memories ahead of the new instalment. So, how can they find them currently and are they available to stream?
Read on for everything you need to know about how to watch 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later.
How to watch 28 Days Later
28 Days Later is currently available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer, while it is also available on Sky Cinema and NOW for subscribers to those services.
The film is also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Sky Store, Apple TV and Rakuten TV.
It was first released in 2002 and it was written by Alex Garland directed by Danny Boyle.
The official synopsis for 28 Days Later says: "Animal rights activists free a group of infected chimpanzees to horrifying results in this speculative sci-fi horror effort from writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle.
"Waking from a coma in a deserted London hospital 28 days later, bicycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) takes to the deserted city streets in a state of mystified confusion.
"Joining forces with another group of survivors following a terrifying encounter in a seemingly abandoned church, Jim soon learns the truth behind the deserted streets and the menacing creatures that lurk in the shadows.
"It's soon revealed that the chimpanzees had been harboring a deadly virus that sends its victims into a furious, murderous rage, and in the days following the initial exposure, the entire population was nearly wiped out due to the resulting homicidal rampage.
"Is there still a glimmer of hope for humanity - or has the deadly 'rage' virus found its way to foreign shores and infected the entire planet?"
How to watch 28 Weeks Later
28 Weeks Later is currently available to stream on both Disney+ and Netflix, with subscribers to those services able to watch it for no extra payment.
The film is also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Sky Store, Apple TV, Rakuten TV and Microsoft Store.
It was first released in 2007, five years after the first, and it was written by Rowan Joffé, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, EL Lavigne and Jesus Olmo, and directed by Fresnadillo.
The official synopsis for 28 Weeks Later says: "The inhabitants of the British Isles have lost their battle against the onslaught of disease, as the deadly rage virus has killed every citizen there.
"Six months later, a group of Americans dare to set foot on the isles, convinced the danger has come and gone. But it soon becomes all too clear that the scourge continues to live, waiting to pounce on its next victims."
28 Years Later is now showing in UK cinemas.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
