28 Weeks Later ending explained: Major reveals and how it sets up the upcoming sequel

The ending of 28 Weeks Later sends a shiver down our spines, really hammering home how fragile we all are and the lasting effects of the Rage virus. It is the complete opposite of 28 Days Later, which ended with a little spark of hope. But this one? It squashes that hope like a bug, leaving us with a bleak picture.

28 Weeks Later wraps up with infected mobs taking over Paris, which is saying the virus has now spread across Europe. And it gets even darker with the hint of another sequel, 28 Years Later. It is going into what happens after Britain's been under quarantine and how everyone's trying to deal with the mess this virus has made of the world.

Alex Garland, who penned the script for the new film in the series, chatted with Empire magazine and shared that:

"The storyline is inspired by Brexit and the feeling of the rest of the world turning its back on the UK."

This change in direction shakes things up in the franchise and personal tales of making it through with more general political messages.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for 28 Weeks Later. Readers’ discretion is advised.

What happened at the end of 28 Weeks Later?

The climax of 28 Weeks Later is not chaotic and sad. Imagine, after everything they have been through, Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton) and Tammy (Imogen Poots) finally find their mom, Alice (Catherine McCormack), alive in some cellar. But oh no, she's got this nasty Rage virus inside her, hiding like it is no big deal.

Then their dad, Don (Robert Carlyle), comes along, feeling guilty and desperate. He does the one thing you shouldn't do in a zombie movie—he kisses her. This turns out he gets infected and it is all downhill from there.

Alice dies at the end of 28 Weeks Later, and it is like someone lit a match in a dry forest—the NATO-guarded safe area in London goes up in chaos.

We have got a U.S. sniper named Doyle (Jeremy Renner) and a scientist, Scarlet (Rose Byrne), trying to be the heroes. They decide to help the kids get out of that mess. But here is the kicker: it is not all sunshine and rainbows. They have to give their lives to make sure the siblings can escape.

28 Weeks Later ends with the kids being flown off to France, which sounds like a safe bet, right? Wrong. Because it turns out that sweet little Andy is also carrying the virus. So, this isn't just a London problem anymore, it is going global.

The last shot is that of infected people sprinting through the streets of Paris. It is a nightmare that doesn't end, even when the movie does.

How does the ending set up 28 Years Later?

The finale sets the stage for the anticipated follow-up film, 28 Years Later. It will drop us back into a world where the Rage virus is still lurking in the shadows, especially in Britain that's been completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Alex Garland, the brains behind the story, talked to Empire and hinted that the 28 Weeks Later sequel is going to be influenced by the whole Brexit situation. The UK is now an isolated island because everyone else has given up on it.

Producer, Andrew Macdonald, hit the nail on the head when he described it:

"Nothing is allowed into Britain and nothing is allowed out. Britain has paused."

While the infected chaos in Paris might make you think the whole world is facing a pandemic in the movie, Garland makes it clear that these events are probably under control, shifting the story back to Britain.

The creators fuse the political aspects with the personal, using Andy's special ability to not get infected as a possible way to save everyone, while also showing us how hard it is for people to keep going in a society that's falling apart.