Health Beyond the Blog: “28 Years Later”

This post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie is also a close analysis of how societies apply stigma to incurable diseases.

by Laniah Bowdery

In 28 days it began, in 28 weeks it spread, in 28 years it evolved. 28 Years Later (2025) is a post-apocalyptic film that speaks to the stigma surrounding disease and the way that public perception of disease can shift over time. The movie starts with the beginning of an outbreak. Viewers see how quickly the rage virus, a blood-borne pathogen, spreads through contact with an infected person’s blood. After the initial infection, it shifts to how the survivors of infection are dealing with the remnants of the outbreak. 

The “zombies” in this movie are not the traditional undead, but rather humans with a virus that makes them display abnormal amounts of aggression and hemorrhaging. This plot point highlights the effects of stigma on disease prevention and progression. The treatment of people who are infected in the movie is highly reflective of society at large. People who are infected have little hope for a cure because there is no education or research into the virus. This is similar to real life, where stigma surrounding diseases creates different barriers to treatment, access to sympathy, and successful research. Human immunodeficiency virus is a real life example of a virus that faced years of stigma and still has several negative associations leading to health inequities. 

Despite being a movie, 28 Years Later (2025) provides key insight into the dangers of stigma and why destigmatization is important. Destigmatizing illness fosters a more positive society, reduces burden on those experiencing illness, and reduces discrimination for these individuals. With destigmatization, society can make more steps toward proper cures and treatments so that individuals can lead long, healthy lives. 

28 Years Later is available to stream on Netflix.