Extermínio: A Evolução

I watched this on its premiere in my country. Tbh horror movies and the like have bored me lately. I was eager to watch this movie because I loved the older ones, but I was cautiously optimistic, because of all the other IPs getting worse and worse.

But this was amazing.

Imo, this is how you make a sequel. Take the premise and run with it. Especially if you have an excellent premise on your hands! After so many years, no, I didn't need old characters to return. A specific family story within a horror-movie universe, with excellent cinematography and not so many jump scares, as tension build-up, was exactly what I needed to watch, only I wasn't aware, until I did.

Don't expect to feel the same things you felt in 2002, but that's a good thing. They didn't try to recreate something that would 100% fail.

One of the best movies I've watched these last few years. Who would've told it would be out of a horror movie franchise? 😅

Having watched the second one the night before I watched 28 years later, it makes you realise how very different they are as a trilogy.

I think it might feel different to certain ages, I was in my 20's with the first film, which is still the best one, and loved the hard hitting raw violence and shock of it. 28 weeks later was a bit more 'Hollywood' vibe and then 28 years later has a more mature and in tune with the way the world has been over the past few years. Vulnerability is more prominent and it has maybe less violence but as the infected have aged and changed so have the characters. Spike the young boy is a likeable character, where as I find a lot of times they can be annoying. If you've grown up with these films you might find you like them more, just my thoughts on it.

The film is truly a tale of two halves. The first act was definitely entertaining. The world design looked amazing. Sprawling scenery and some genuinely scary moments involving the infected. This part of the film was by far the closest to the previous instalments. The direction here stands out - with grainy close-ups, fast jump cuts, and jarring transitions reminiscent of the original film, it pulls you right into the chaos.

Unfortunately, the momentum doesn't last. As the film transitions into its second half, it shifts gears into a more melodramatic human drama. The focus moves away from the infected threat and toward a lackluster subplot involving a mother and a doctor. The characters at this point make some questionable decisions which really doesn't help the film's validity.

The final act unfortunately teetered on lacklustre and borderline comedic, completely changing the tone of the first act.

I stand by saying the directing, camera work, editing and cinematography were the highlight. The landscapes and post apocalyptic setting was beautiful to look at. These elements made the film worth watching. There were some plot elements that were interesting enough but were never explored to the full potential.

However a weak plot, even weaker characters and a lacklustre ending prevent this instalment from being memorable.

Was going to be difficult to surpass the previous 2 movies and for me 28 years later didn't. Boyle could have really ramped up the adrenaline but it just wasn't there. Lots of pointless sub stories going on and the military scenes didn't add any value to the story. It's a one watch movie and yes it is worth just that one watch, but it's not a rollercoaster ride like the previous movies. The opening running scene of 28 weeks later was too difficult to match and for me Boyle just didn't pull it off.

After all these years it was disappointing or perhaps I just need to lower my expectations and realise the previous movies are just the best. Such a shame.

28 Years Later had the potential to be a haunting, meaningful return to the bleak, rage-infected world that first stunned audiences with 28 Days Later and its solid follow-up, 28 Weeks Later. Unfortunately, the latest installment delivers a visually competent yet narratively hollow experience that squanders its legacy.

The film does manage to re-capture some of the atmosphere that made the original so iconic-desolate cityscapes, tense silences broken by bursts of frantic violence, and that persistent feeling of hopeless survival. The performances are serviceable, and there are a few moments where the emotional core threatens to break through the surface.

But then comes the ending-a frustrating, empty finale that offers no real payoff, no thematic resolution, and, worst of all, no meaningful contribution to the world it inhabits. Rather than expanding the lore or delivering a final statement on humanity, rage, or survival, the conclusion feels like it either ran out of ideas or deliberately chose ambiguity over substance. It doesn't provoke thought-it just ends, with a shrug.

After nearly three decades since 28 Days Later, audiences deserved a story that either pushed the universe forward or gave it a satisfying closure. 28 Years Later does neither. It's a return, yes-but not one worth remembering.