Heading to see 28 Years Later this weekend? Here are 6 crucial things you need to remember about the horror series' first two movies

Spike, Isla, and Doctor Kelson walking through a wooded area in 28 Years Later

(Image credit: Sony Pictures)

28 Years Later could be the horror hit of the year. I'm expecting to see a lot of people heading out to catch it, and other new movies, this weekend.

But almost two decades on from the original movie being released, you'd be forgiven for forgetting what happened, especially as 28 Days Later has famously been absent from a lot of the best streaming services for a long time.

Luckily, if you do want to rewatch 28 Days Later, it's currently streaming on BBC iPlayer for a limited time (28 days, funnily enough!) in the UK, though frustratingly it's only available to rent or buy in the US and Australia.

28 Weeks Later is a lot more accessible to stream: it is on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally). But if you'd rather have a quick recap, I've got you covered.

Here are six crucial things you need to know before watching the third movie.

1. The deadly Rage virus started in chimpanzees

An infected chimpanzee as seen in 28 Days Later — (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Viruses need to start somewhere and in the beginning of 28 Days Later, we're introduced to a group of captive chimpanzees who have been infected with 'Rage' by scientists for research purposes.

This virus is contagious, of course, and a Cambridge scientist briefly warns us of this before it's too late. This controversial animal testing serves as the catalyst for everything that follows in 28 Weeks Later and soon, 28 Years Later as well.

2. The outbreak started after animal rights activists freed the chimpanzees

Cillian Murphy wanders around a deserted London, with Big Ben in the background — (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Activists freed the chimpanzees from their cages, believing they were doing the right thing, but in seconds everything changed. One of the infected chimps attacked an activist, causing her to succumb to the virus and attack everyone else.

Soon enough, this virus is taken from the lab out onto the streets, resulting in total societal collapse as it spreads across the UK. We then center on London, where Jim wakes from a coma to find the place completely deserted, in one of the movie's most iconic and complicated sequences. Getting London to look abandoned was impressive stuff.

3. There's a chance Cillian Murphy's character Jim is still alive

A zombie in 28 Years Later — (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

A rumor went round saying Cillian Murphy was the zombie as shown above, but that has since been disproven. While this isn't Cillian Murphy, there is a chance his character, Jim, could still be alive.

28 Days Later has an ambiguous ending. We see Jim and a group of survivors having relocated to Cumbria, with their fates left unknown after attempting to make contact with a jet flying overhead.

So, who knows, maybe there'll be some surprise cameos in 28 Years Later?

4. The second outbreak was caused by humans being asymptomatic carriers

Catherine McCormack as Alice in 28 Weeks Later — (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

The second outbreak as seen in 28 Weeks Later was caused by an asymptomatic carrier of the 'Rage' virus.

We learn that a woman named Alice carried the virus without being infected, and she was the potential key to finding a cure. Unfortunately this opportunity is soon snatched away, as when she kisses her husband Don, she infects him. She's attacked and killed in the process, and as citizens are infected, the 'Rage' virus outbreak begins again.

5. We know that the virus has spread beyond the UK

A group of zombies running with the Eiffel Tower in the background. — (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

28 Weeks Later does not end on a positive note, unlike its predecessor and its somewhat hopeful ambiguity. Instead, we saw that the 'Rage' virus has left the UK and has spread to mainland Europe.

During the ending, a group of zombies are seeing fleeing a French metro station in Paris, and it's a large-scale attack as the authorities are now desperately requesting backup. It's very likely that it didn't stop at France either, and perhaps 28 Years Later will show the full-scale of it.

6. The infected are still around during the events of 28 Years Later

Doctor Ian Kelson standing upright in a place surrounded by bone columns in 28 Years Later — (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Finally, our most recent piece of information from 28 Years Later suggests the infected are still around and I can't wait to find out how the deadly virus has evolved.

We don't have a lot to go off just yet, aside from what's been teased in trailers, but it's important to note we'll still be seeing some of the infected around in the new movie.

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.

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