Why '28 Days Later' Was So Hard To Find
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If you are a horror fan then you have probably heard of 28 Days Later. The film is a cult classic and is one of the most well-known zombie horror films ever. It spawned a sequel, 28 Weeks Later, and the third film in the franchise is hitting theaters this summer. After 28 Years Later got a 2025 release date, many fans wanted to go back and watch the original, but they couldn’t find it anywhere. You couldn’t stream it, rent it, or buy it digitally, and a physical copy would cost you more than $200 on most websites. Why was it so hard to find though? Let’s take a look at why this film was so hard to find even though its sequel could be found everywhere.
28 Days Later is one of the most unique films to be classified as a “zombie” film. The word “zombie” is never used in the film, and the “zombies” are actually living humans. For those of you unfamiliar with the film, here is a quick synopsis. After a group of animal rights activists free an infected chimp from a research facility, the “Rage” virus takes over London. A bike courier named Jim, played by Cillian Murphy, wakes up in a hospital after having surgery to find that after just 28 days almost everyone in London has been infected. The film follows Jim as he finds survivors and attempts to make it to a “safe haven” being run by the military that they have heard about on the radio. The sequel, 28 Weeks Later, follows a completely different group of people and takes place 28 weeks after the “Rage” infection was first released. It is also focused on people living in a containment zone that the military has set up to try to prevent any further infection from spreading. 28 Years Later will take place 28 Years after the “Rage” virus was first released and show what humanity looks like now.
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The reason that 28 Days Later was impossible to find in recent years was because of rights issues. When the film was made in 2002, it was distributed by Searchlight Pictures, originally Fox Searchlight Pictures. It officially became a subsidiary of Disney in 2019, but you still couldn’t watch the film on any streaming services. This made it clear that Disney had lost the rights to film and were not able to get their hands on them which made it illegal for them to make it available for streaming. The reason that there are so few physical copies of the film is not known for certain. Some have said that because the film was not selling well when it was first released they quit printing copies, but this has never been confirmed. We do know that Disney quit producing copies of the film when they took over Fox.
Whatever the reason, you are probably going to have to pay a small fortune to get a physical copy. Thankfully the film’s sequel 28 Weeks Later is available to stream on both Hulu and Disney + with a Hulu subscription. This is possible because the film was distributed by 20th Century Studio, originally 20th Century Fox, which Disney owns. Unfortunately, Disney also quit producing copies of this film, so it is equally as difficult to find a physical copy.
So, why can we rent and buy 28 Days Later on digital platforms now? Well, we have the producer of the film, Andrew Macdonald, to thank for that. He repurchased the rights to the film in early 2024 and then sold the digital distribution rights to Sony, who is releasing 28 Years Later. Sony is one of the few major studios that does not have their own streaming service, so for the film to hit streaming, they will have to make a deal with one of the many streaming platforms. You can now find 28 Days Later to buy or rent on digital platforms like Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV.
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Source(s): Yahoo! Entertainment
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My Top 10 Horror Films Of 2024
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2024 was a great year for horror films. Not only did we get some great original films, but we also got some awesome additions to well-established franchises. It was also the year that I explored a lot of horror films that had been on my list for years which means I only caught six of the horror films that were released in 2024. I have compiled a list of those six films plus four others that I watched this year and where you can watch them. I am excited to see how 2025’s horror films will stack up against 2024’s lineup.
10. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
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My husband and I were very late to the party with these movies, but with 28 Years Later coming out later this year we had to see the first two films. I loved this movie and if I wasn’t saving the top spots for films that came out in 2024 this would definitely be higher on the list. I loved the casting choices and writing for this film, and I cannot wait to see where the third film takes the franchise.
28 Weeks Later is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
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9. The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016)
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This is one of the scariest horror films I have ever seen. I am typically pretty good at expecting jump scares, but this film had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It is one of the top horror films I’ve ever seen, and I cannot recommend it enough! It is also a bit of a mind trip, so make sure you’re paying full attention when you check it out.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is available to watch on Netflix.
8. V/H/S/ Beyond
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This is the first film in the franchise that I have seen in its entirety, and it was really good. I loved the way that each story was different, but still stuck to the theme of aliens. I think that it is important to know what you are getting into with this film when you decide to watch it. The film is very low budget in its quality, but that is what makes the film so great. I highly, highly recommend that you add this to your list of films to check out in 2025.
V/H/S/ Beyond is available to stream on Shudder.
7. LONGLEGS
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This was easily one of the most talked about films of 2024 before Nosferatu was released. Not only did LONGLEGS have the best marketing campaign of any film in recent years, but it was also one of the most original films to come out in 2024. While the film ended up having one of the worst endings ever, the rest of the film was really interesting, and Nicolas Cage reminded us why he is a legend.
LONGLEGS is available to rent on Amazon Prime.
6. Late Night With The Devil (2023)
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Late Night with the Devil was one of the most well-executed horror films I saw in 2024. While this film technically came out in 2023, it was impossible to find until early 2024. The film was expertly cast and had more than a few twists and jumpscares. Unfortunately, the ending completely ruined the last 20 minutes of the film. It felt disjointed and like they ran out of ideas. Even though the ending was terrible, I still think that this is a film every horror fan should see at least once.
Late Night with the Devil is available to watch on Hulu.
5. Hush (2016)
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If you have read my articles before then you know that I absolutely love Mike Flanagan, especially when he works with his wife, Kate Siegel. Hush was originally released on Netflix in 2016, but they lost the rights to the film, so it was re-released in physical form and on other digital platforms earlier in 2024. I love this movie, and it is the perfect starter film for new horror fans. It feels similar to the cat-and-mouse vibe of Scream but with less blood.
Hush is available to watch on Tubi or rent on most platforms.
4. Abigail
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I loved Abigail! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but the campiness of the film was so expertly done. I also loved the casting choices because they brought together actors like Giancarlo Esposito, Melissa Barrera, and Kathryn Newton – actors you would never expect to see in a film together, but it worked perfectly. I loved the twists in this movie and how it wasn’t just fun, it had a ton of layers. I am still holding out hope that they do a sequel.
Abigail is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
3. Trap
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I honestly do not understand all of the hate that Trap got when it first came out. I put off watching this movie for so long because I didn’t want to be disappointed, but the only disappointment was that it took me so long to see it. I don’t feel like this belongs in the horror genre because it felt more like a psychological thriller, but I still loved it. Josh Hartnett was a genius, as always, and the rest of the cast was incredible. Everyone is talking about the music in Smile 2, but they are seriously missing out on the music in this film. I cannot recommend this film enough!
Trap is available to watch on Max.
2. 28 Days Later (2002)
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This is the best “zombie” movie I have ever seen. I will admit that I have not yet seen Night of the Living Dead, but as of now, this is the best film in the subgenre. While this film originally came out in 2002, it was not made widely available until December of 2024. It is perfectly filmed in a way that makes you feel like you are there with the characters, and the writing draws back the curtain on what life would really be like in the early stages of the apocalypse.
28 Days Later is available to rent on most digital platforms.
1. A Quiet Place: Day One
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I watched the entire A Quiet Place franchise in 2024 for the first time, and it quickly became my favorite horror franchise. This is a big deal because I have had the same favorite franchise (Scream) since I was 16 years old – well over a decade ago. I wasn’t sure how I felt about a prequel since I felt like we got that at the beginning of A Quiet Place Part 2, but I was so wrong. This is the first film I have ever watched where I can describe it as a perfect film. There is nothing that I would change about the film at all, and when the credits began to roll, I was struggling to figure out which emotion I should feel first.
A Quiet Place: Day One is available to watch on Paramount+.
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