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Major spoilers ahead for the ending of ‘28 Years Later’.
The early reviews are in, and most agree that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s ‘28 Years Later’ is not just bold, but deeply strange—in the best way. While the film is full of jarring tonal shifts, curious stylistic choices and moments that veer between the absurd and the profound, it’s the ending that has really stirred debate.
The final stretch picks up 28 days after the death of Isla (played by Jodie Comer), with her son Spike (Alfie Williams) now travelling alone across the mainland. Viewers see him adapting into a skilled survivor—cooking fish by a roadside fire and taking down infected with a bow and arrow. However, his calm is shattered when he’s overwhelmed by a horde of infected, forcing him to flee. Just as he’s cornered near a ravine blocked by boulders, help arrives from above—literally.
Enter Jack O’Connell in a shocking new look: blonde wig, gaudy tracksuit, and enough jewellery to rival a pawn shop. He introduces himself as Jimmy, and fans quickly realise he’s the grown-up version of the child seen in the film’s surreal Teletubbies prologue—his father’s crucifix now one of many chains around his neck. It’s also clear that he’s not alone. More “Jimmies” arrive, all similarly dressed, and together they unleash a frantic, blood-soaked assault on the infected, using spears and nun-chucks in a sequence reminiscent of peak Tarantino-style Grindhouse action.
They invite Spike to join their crew on the road, which seems to be setting the stage for the upcoming sequel, ‘The Bone Temple’, scheduled for release in January.
This ending has divided audiences. On one hand, it undercuts the emotional weight of Isla’s death and the quiet grief that follows. The transition from heartfelt loss to cartoonish violence is undeniably jarring. On the other, it perfectly encapsulates the bizarre world Garland and Boyle have built—a post-apocalyptic Britain where grief, madness, and reinvention go hand in hand.
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What’s stirred even more conversation is the Jimmies’ appearance, which unmistakably echoes disgraced British TV figure Jimmy Savile. While never directly referenced, the visual cues—platinum wigs, oversized tracksuits, flashy jewellery, and the repeated use of the name “Jimmy”—suggest a dark satire. In the timeline of the film, Britain collapsed long before Savile’s crimes became public, meaning in this universe, he remains known primarily for his eccentric celebrity persona. Whether it’s a bold artistic choice or an unfortunate coincidence, the cult-like group’s styling invites serious scrutiny.
Thematically, though, the film does lay the groundwork for such madness. Earlier, Spike’s father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) warned that the mainland had descended into collective insanity. Characters like Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson—who built a literal death monument out of human bones—serve as further proof that post-apocalyptic Britain is a place of extreme responses and desperate reinventions. The film seems interested in how new belief systems, rituals, and cultures form amid collapse—from nationalist enclaves to nihilistic death worship.
A Bold, Bizarre Finale That Sets Up What’s Next
So yes, it’s jarring to go from Isla’s touching final moments to kung-fu battles in what looks like Savile cosplay. It’s not exactly a graceful transition, and for many, it overshadows the film’s emotional climax. But as a setup for what’s to come in ‘The Bone Temple’, it’s loud, chaotic, and undeniably memorable.
Like the rest of ‘28 Years Later’, the ending is daring, messy, and thought-provoking. Whether you find it tonally incoherent or weirdly brilliant, one thing’s for sure: you won’t forget it anytime soon.
