28 Days Later

A group of animal rights activists infiltrates a Cambridge laboratory and frees a chimpanzee. The scientist warns the chimp is infected with a deadly virus he calls 'Rage'. The activist is infected in the attack, and the virus begins to spread rapidly across Britain.

News of the outbreak spreads quickly as the Rage virus sweeps across Great Britain. Society unravels with hospitals overwhelmed and cities emptied. The virus's spread signals a future where normal life may be impossible.

Bicycle courier Jim awakens from a coma to find St Thomas' Hospital in London deserted and abandoned. He leaves the hospital and discovers the city is eerily quiet, with evacuation headlines everywhere. The sense that civilization has collapsed becomes unavoidable.

Jim navigates the empty streets and is chased by infected, but is rescued by survivors Selena and Mark. They bring him to a safe refuge in a streetside shop and pledge to help him survive in the new world. The trio forms the first stable group Jim has found since waking up.

At Jim's request, the group travels on foot toward his old home in Deptford to learn what happened to his family. He discovers his parents have died by suicide rather than face the outbreak. The journey turns somber as they seek shelter for the night.

Dusk settles around the Deptford house as infected neighbors begin to gather outside. Mark is bitten while defending the group, and Selena makes a merciful choice to end his suffering to prevent Jim from being exposed. The group faces the grim reality of the outbreak closing in.

Jim and Selena follow a makeshift signal lamp to a flat owned by cab driver Frank and his daughter Hannah. Frank reveals a radio broadcast promising protection at a blockade outside Manchester. The group agrees to travel together, hoping for safety behind the blockade.

On the way to Manchester they must navigate a dangerous tunnel and a wrecked path. They perform a risky tire change by lifting the car, all while rats and infected close in. They press on and later stop at an abandoned supermarket to salvage supplies like chocolate and whiskey.

When they reach Manchester, the blockade is deserted. A drop of blood from a dead body infects Frank, who warns others to keep their distance. Soldiers arrive, shoot Frank, and take the survivors into custody.

Jim, Selena, and Hannah are brought to Major Henry West's fortified mansion. West tours the sanctuary and reveals his plan to use female survivors to sustain his morale and control. Jim and Sergeant Farrell refuse to participate, triggering their imprisonment and a tense standoff that foreshadows a deadly confrontation.

Farrell is killed, and Jim learns the outbreak has led to a widespread quarantine around Britain. He escapes with a ruse, freeing an infected soldier, Private Mailer, to infiltrate and kill the remaining soldiers. The act underscores the brutal calculus needed to survive under siege.

Jim lures West away with a siren and frees Mailer to attack the soldiers, hoping to turn the odds in their favor. Corporal Mitchell attempts to abduct Selena, but Jim kills him, prompting Selena to momentarily fear Jim is infected. The moment gives way to a rekindled bond between them as they kiss.

In a frantic escape sequence, West hides in the back seat and shoots Jim in the stomach. Hannah reverses the taxi to throw him off, and Private Mailer bursts through the rear window, dragging West out and mauling him to death as the car speeds away. The trio finally breaks free from West's reach.

Jim, Selena, and Hannah recuperate at a remote cottage in Cumbria. The infected lie dying on the roads nearby as a Hawker Hunter jet flies overhead. They unfurl a large banner reading 'HELLO' and wave at the passing plane, hoping the pilot sees their message of survival.