28 Years Later with Alex Garland

Jun 23, 2025

Acclaimed writer-director Alex Garland, known for hits like Ex Machina and Annihilation, discusses his latest film, 28 Years Later, alongside longtime collaborator Danny Boyle. The conversation dives into the film's deeper themes of memory, survival, and the impact of societal shifts such as Brexit. Garland reflects on the evolution of his characters, from the haunting alphas to the unique mythology surrounding them. He also explores the emotional weight of mortality in storytelling, creating a thought-provoking sequel that pushes horror into new territory.

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ANECDOTE

Abandoned Chinese Soldiers Draft

An early abandoned sequel draft had Chinese special forces entering quarantined Britain to find a cure but revealed a weaponization plot.
This draft felt generic to Garland and lacked the weirdness that ultimately defined the final story.

INSIGHT

Brexit-Inspired Isolation Theme

The film's isolationist tidal island reflects Brexit's regressive nostalgia for a past perceived as better.
It critiques how history is misremembered or selectively forgotten, informing the film's themes.

INSIGHT

The Alpha Concept Explained

The infected are portrayed as biological beings needing to eat and drink, leading to pack dynamics with alpha leaders.
This logic adds an evolutionary layer to the zombie mythos and changes how the infected are perceived.

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The last time acclaimed writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Civil War, Annihilation) appeared on Script Apart, he told Al about his desire to quit directing temporarily and focus on writing – you know, like in the early days of his career. Well, it doesn’t get much more like those early days than returning to the blood-soaked quarantined Britain he imagined two decades ago, with a director who he shared an incredibly fruitful partnership with around the turn of the century.

28 Years Later, which hit cinemas on Friday, sees Alex team up once more with Danny Boyle – the filmmaker with whom he made The Beach and Sunshine, as well as a 2002 zombie horror that redefined the genre. This sequel, however, is no retread of the film that sent a shiver through Britain’s spine. It’s a deeply contemplative meditation on Britain, death and how history is remembered and misremembered. The film stars Alfie Williams as Spike, a boy living in a protected tidal island community off the coast of Northumberland, who leads his mother, played by Jodie Comer, on a dangerous quest onto the mainland in search of a doctor to cure a mysterious ailment. What follows is not what many fans expected, in all the best ways.

What you’re about to hear is a spoiler-filled conversation delving deep into the influence of Brexit on the film. We dissect that ending and its allusions to a disgraced figure from British pop culture history. Also explored: the origins of the Alpha zombies, the inspiration behind Ralph Fiennes’ Kelson character, and Alex’s original draft of a 28 Years Later movie, which saw Chinese special forces infiltrate Britain in search of the lab where the rage virus began. Enjoy the episode and stay away from those infected, people.

Support for this episode comes from Final Draft.

Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek. This episode was recorded and mixed by Daniel Gregory.

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