8 Zombie Horrors That Are as Good as ‘28 Days Later’ Franchise

28 Years Later comes to theaters on June 20, 2025. The franchise is getting a revival after 18 years of silence.

For fans of Danny Boyle's infected nightmare, there's plenty more zombie goodness to sink your teeth into. These 8 films have that same desperate energy and fresh take on the undead that made 28 Days Later such a game-changer in the first place.

1. ‘REC’ (2007)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, REC has 90% from critics and 82% from the audience.
• On IMDb, REC is rated 7.4/10.

Warning: if you're not used to found footage horror, the shaky cam will take some getting used to, but it's well worth it in the end.

This Spanish zombie horror film follows a television reporter and a cameraman as they accompany emergency workers into a dark building. REC delivers the same intensity as 28 Days Later, but in a confined space that amplifies everything even more.

Available on: Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video.

2. ‘The Battery’ (2012)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Battery has 78% from critics and 67% from the audience.
• On IMDb, The Battery is rated 6.2/10.

Fun fact: the movie was shot with a $6,000 budget and just in 15 days.

The Battery follows two ex-baseball players surviving in a zombie-infested world. With its realistic take on human relationships during an apocalypse, The Battery offers a fresh perspective that fans of 28 Days Later will appreciate.

Available on Kanopy, Plex and Fawesome for free.

3. ‘Pontypool’ (2008)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Pontypool has 83% from critics and 68% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Pontypool is rated 6.5/10.

Pontypool takes place in a small town where a deadly virus is spread through language. Set almost entirely in a radio station, Pontypool creates claustrophobic tension similar to 28 Days Later, but with a linguistic twist that'll blow your mind.

Available on: AMC+, Philo, Shudder.

4. ‘Resident Evil’ (2002)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Resident Evil has 36% from critics and 67% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Resident Evil is rated 6.6/10.

Before you roll your eyes at another video game adaptation, hear us out: the original Resident Evil film has that same sense of disorienting horror that made 28 Days Later so effective. When Alice wakes up with amnesia in a mysterious mansion, she's thrown into a nightmare.

Paul W.S. Anderson creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere as our protagonists descend deeper into the Hive facility.

Available on: Starz, Philo, Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Spectrum On Demand.

5. ‘Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead’ (2014)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead has 82% from critics and 58% from the audience.
• On IMDb, Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead is rated 6.2/10.

Following a mechanic trying to save his sister during the apocalypse, Wyrmwood balances its horror with dark humor and genuinely creative worldbuilding. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, but still delivers scares and some truly inventive zombie action.

Available on Kanopy for free.

6. ‘The Crazies’ (2010)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, The Crazies has 72% from critics and 57% from the audience.

• On IMDb, The Crazies is rated 6.5/10.

In The Crazies, a mysterious toxin turns people into violent psychopaths. While not technically zombies, the infected share many similarities with the rage victims in 28 Days Later. The film excels at creating that same sense of paranoia and distrust that made 28 Days Later so good.

Available on Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex and Fawesome for free.

7. ‘I Am Legend’ (2007)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, I Am Legend has 68% from critics and 68% from the audience.
• On IMDb, I Am Legend is rated 7.2/10.

Will Smith stars as Robert Neville, possibly the last human survivor of a pandemic.

I Am Legend shares the iconic empty city imagery that made 28 Days Later deserted London so memorably eerie. But while 28 Days Later explored how quickly social bonds form in crisis, I Am Legend examines what happens when those bonds are completely absent.

Available on: Peacock Premium, Microsoft Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.

8. ‘#Alive’ (2020)

• On Rotten Tomatoes, #Alive has 88% from critics and 63% from the audience.
• On IMDb, #Alive is rated 6.3/10.

#Alive tells the story of a gamer trapped in an apartment during a zombie outbreak. He must find a way to survive with limited resources while maintaining his sanity in isolation. The film focuses on the psychological impact of survival and isolation. The zombies in this are fast, aggressive and terrifying.

Available on: Netflix; Plex for free.