Set 28 years after the events of 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, 28 Years Later picks up with a world that has largely recovered from the virus’s initial outbreak, but society remains deeply fractured. The rage-infected population has dwindled, but pockets of survivors still face brutal challenges as they rebuild their lives.

The story follows Jim (Cillian Murphy), who has spent years hiding from the remnants of the infected, and a new character, Alex (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a young man searching for answers in a world that is trying to regain its humanity. When a mysterious new strain of the Rage virus emerges, more deadly and unpredictable than before, Jim and Alex must navigate a volatile world of scavengers, militarized factions, and a growing wave of infection. As the two men form an uneasy alliance, they are forced to make impossible choices in their desperate attempt to survive and protect the fragile hope for a restored future.