28 Days Later
Twenty-eight days after a killer virus was accidentally unleashed from a British research facility, a small group of London survivors are caught in a desperate struggle to protect themselves from the infected. Carried by animals and humans, the virus turns those it infects into homicidal maniacs -- and it's absolutely impossible to contain.
Despite its small-scale budget of $8.0M, 28 Days Later became a massive hit, earning $85.0M worldwide—a remarkable 963% return. The film's compelling narrative found its audience, illustrating how strong storytelling can transcend budget limitations.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
28 Days Later (2002) exhibits precise narrative design, characteristic of Danny Boyle's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 53 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jim
Selena
Frank
Hannah
Major Henry West
Main Cast & Characters
Jim
Played by Cillian Murphy
A bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to find London deserted and must survive in a post-apocalyptic world infected by the Rage virus.
Selena
Played by Naomie Harris
A pragmatic and ruthless survivor who has learned to make hard choices to stay alive in the infected world.
Frank
Played by Brendan Gleeson
A caring father trying to protect his daughter Hannah while maintaining hope that rescue will come.
Hannah
Played by Megan Burns
Frank's teenage daughter who must rapidly mature in the face of apocalyptic horror.
Major Henry West
Played by Christopher Eccleston
A military officer commanding a Manchester blockade who has adopted a morally compromised survival strategy.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jim wakes alone in an empty hospital, IV still in his arm. The world appears abandoned - silent, eerie, papers blowing through deserted London streets.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 13 minutes when Mark is infected by a drop of blood in seconds. Selena immediately kills him with her machete, establishing the brutality required to survive. Jim realizes the old rules of civilization no longer apply.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to The group decides to journey north to the military blockade broadcasting "the answer to infection." They load Frank's taxi and leave the relative safety of London, choosing hope over mere survival., moving from reaction to action.
At 57 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat They arrive at the blockade to find it abandoned, no salvation waiting. Frank is infected by a drop of blood from a corpse, and soldiers immediately execute him. Jim, Selena, and Hannah are taken prisoner by the military. False hope collapses into a darker reality., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 84 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jim is shot and left for dead in a ditch by the soldiers. He appears to die, a literal "whiff of death." Selena and Hannah are moments away from being raped. All hope appears lost - the survivors are more monstrous than the infected., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 90 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jim releases the infected soldier Mailer into the mansion, weaponizing the infected against the soldiers. He synthesizes survival instinct with tactical thinking, using the enemy against itself. His eyes show rage - he has become what's necessary to save those he loves., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
28 Days Later's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping 28 Days Later against these established plot points, we can identify how Danny Boyle utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish 28 Days Later within the horror genre.
Danny Boyle's Structural Approach
Among the 12 Danny Boyle films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.6, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. 28 Days Later represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Danny Boyle filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional horror films include Lake Placid, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Cat's Eye. For more Danny Boyle analyses, see The Beach, T2 Trainspotting and Trainspotting.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jim wakes alone in an empty hospital, IV still in his arm. The world appears abandoned - silent, eerie, papers blowing through deserted London streets.
Theme
In the church, the infected priest lunges at Jim. Selena later states: "Plans are pointless. Staying alive is as good as it gets." The theme of survival versus humanity is established.
Worldbuilding
Jim explores the apocalyptic London, discovering his world has ended. He visits his parents' home, finds them dead by suicide. Encounters his first infected in a church. Mark and Selena rescue him, explain the Rage virus outbreak, and kill Mark when he's infected.
Disruption
Mark is infected by a drop of blood in seconds. Selena immediately kills him with her machete, establishing the brutality required to survive. Jim realizes the old rules of civilization no longer apply.
Resistance
Selena teaches Jim the rules of survival: stay alert, trust no one, kill without hesitation. They find Frank and Hannah in a tower block. The group debates following the radio broadcast promising salvation at a military blockade. Jim resists hope, having lost everything.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The group decides to journey north to the military blockade broadcasting "the answer to infection." They load Frank's taxi and leave the relative safety of London, choosing hope over mere survival.
Mirror World
At the countryside supermarket, the group experiences a moment of normalcy and connection. Frank and Hannah represent the possibility of preserving family and humanity. Jim and Selena begin to trust each other, hinting at emotional connection beyond survival.
Premise
The road trip delivers on the promise of exploring a post-apocalyptic Britain. Beautiful countryside, abandoned estates, the tunnel of infected, moments of hope and terror. The group bonds as a makeshift family, finding joy in small things while navigating constant danger.
Midpoint
They arrive at the blockade to find it abandoned, no salvation waiting. Frank is infected by a drop of blood from a corpse, and soldiers immediately execute him. Jim, Selena, and Hannah are taken prisoner by the military. False hope collapses into a darker reality.
Opposition
At the military mansion, Major West reveals his "answer to infection": repopulating through forced breeding. The soldiers grow increasingly threatening toward Selena and Hannah. Jim is taken to be executed but escapes. The antagonist shifts from infected to surviving humans who have abandoned their humanity.
Collapse
Jim is shot and left for dead in a ditch by the soldiers. He appears to die, a literal "whiff of death." Selena and Hannah are moments away from being raped. All hope appears lost - the survivors are more monstrous than the infected.
Crisis
Jim survives and lies in darkness, processing what he must become to save Selena and Hannah. He moves through the night like an infected himself, accepting he must embrace violence and rage to fight monsters. His transformation begins.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jim releases the infected soldier Mailer into the mansion, weaponizing the infected against the soldiers. He synthesizes survival instinct with tactical thinking, using the enemy against itself. His eyes show rage - he has become what's necessary to save those he loves.
Synthesis
Chaos erupts as infected and soldiers slaughter each other. Jim moves through the carnage, kills soldiers, rescues Selena and Hannah. Selena nearly kills Jim, thinking he's infected, but recognizes his humanity at the last second. They confront and kill Major West, escape in a taxi as the mansion burns. Jim is shot but survives.
Transformation
Jim wakes in a sunlit countryside cottage, recovering. Selena and Hannah have created a home, spelling "HELLO" in fabric for rescue planes. The image mirrors the opening hospital scene but transformed - no longer alone, surrounded by chosen family, healing rather than waking to horror. Humanity preserved.