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28 Years Later (soundtrack)

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28 Years Later (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Young Fathers
ReleasedJune 20, 2025 (2025-06-20)
StudioAIR Studios, London
GenreFilm score
Length66:52
LabelMilan
ProducerYoung Fathers
Young Fathers chronology
Heavy Heavy
(2023) 		28 Years Later
(2025)

28 Years Later (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score to the 2025 film 28 Years Later, directed by Danny Boyle; the third instalment in the 28 Days Later film series, following 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007). The album featured music composed by the Scottish hip hop and pop group Young Fathers in their film debut and released through Milan Records on 20 June 2025.

Development

[edit]

"The genre-defying, intuitive sound of Young Fathers is uniquely suited to the world of 28 Years Later. They have crafted a musical landscape that brings an intense, primal energy to the visuals but also heart and humanity to a world that is at once horrific and strangely beautiful."

— Danny Boyle on working with Young Fathers.[1]

The Scottish progressive hip hop group Young Fathers—a trio consisting of Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings—composed the film score for 28 Years Later, replacing John Murphy who did the same for its predecessors.[2][3] Boyle chose them to work on the film on his affinity towards their work and collaborated with crew members from Scotland, as the film was set in that country. Boyle used some of their music for T2 Trainspotting (2017).[4]

Boyle added that he cannot brief someone for scoring an apocalyptic genre, sending them the script and discussing about it and also sending the songs they are listening while editing the film, so they could discuss about music over ideas, with the composer sending the demos. Working with a band, who never scored for a film was a huge risk,[5] which Boyle noted "Sony didn’t know the first thing about them, but they were wonderful" and had described the band as "The Beach Boys on steroids" emphasizing on the use of vocal harmonies and beats which worked well for the genre.[6]

The band worked in a crammed shed in Edinburgh, where "they produce extraordinary stuff there. It was very beautiful. There’s some of the stuff you’d expect from them in there, which gives a very different flavour to the film."[6]

Release

[edit]

The soundtrack was released through Milan Records on 20 June 2025, the same day as the film.[7][8]

Reception

[edit]

Shannon Connellan of Mashable wrote "The Scottish hip-hop trio does not appear in the film, but they bring their signature experimental style to a hypnotic and merciless score that functions as an omnipresent threat. Their soundtrack simultaneously hums like a revving vehicle, flickers like a crow pecking at remains, shrieks like a human pursued by some grotesquerie, and echoes like an unidentified beast caterwauling into the night."[9] Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com and Ben Travis of Empire called it "ethereal" and "astonishing".[10][11] Amy Nicholson of Los Angeles Times described it a "chilling electronic score".[12] Damon Wise of Deadline Hollywood called it "ominous".[13]

Nikki Baughan of Screen International wrote "Young Fathers’ intense score combines with an ardent, altered narration of Rudyard Kipling’s repetitive wartime poem ‘Boots’ to create a frightening, disorienting soundscape."[14] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called it a "wide-ranging score" that accompanies "disturbing passages of ambient synth distortion with propulsive action riffs, bristling with violent drumbeats."[15] Katie Walsh of The Seattle Times wrote "the score by Scottish band Young Fathers clashes with industrial noise, blending with the sound design by Johnnie Burn, pulsing with sirens and heavy footfalls."[16] Jordan Bassett of NME called it an "elegiac soundtrack"[17] Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com called it "a terrific soundtrack by Young Fathers, though the absence of the classic John Murphy theme takes a bit of getting used to."[18]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Young Fathers.

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Promised Land"3:13
2."Lowly"3:36
3."Boots"3:10
4."Slow Low I"2:26
5."Travelling"1:09
6."Abide"1:10
7."Alpha Intro"2:36
8."Alpha"2:33
9."Mask"1:10
10."Sheku"3:58
11."Causeway"5:08
12."Mania"6:16
13."Rise"2:05
14."Slow Low II"2:44
15."Calling Card"1:19
16."Alpha Tunnel I"0:43
17."Alpha Tunnel II"0:44
18."Happy Eater"4:44
19."Baby Born"1:47
20."Alpha Baby"2:52
21."Hum"2:36
22."Hush"1:10
23."Remember"5:29
24."Pals"4:03
Total length:66:52

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Film Music Reporter:[19]

  • Music composed and produced by: Young Fathers
  • Music supervisor: Simon Astall
  • Music mixer: James Trevacus
  • Music editor: Rachel Park
  • Conductor and orchestrator: Rosie Danvers
  • Orchestral engineer and pre-mixer: Jake Jackson
  • Score recordist: John Prestage
  • Orchestral contractor and score reader: Hilary Skewes
  • Orchestral session co-producers: Rosie Danvers, Tommy Danvers
  • Orchestral copyist: Colin Rae
  • Assistant engineers: Eve Morris, Wil Jones
  • Head of studios: Charlotte Matthews
  • Score coordinator: Katy Jackson
  • Solo violins: Jonathan Morton, Ben Hancox, Max Baille, Hannah Dawson
  • Solo viola: Ann Beilby
  • Orchestra recorded at AIR Studios, London

Additional music

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Additional music featured in the film includes the following:

Charts

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Chart performance for 28 Years Later (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Chart (2025) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[20] 43

References

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  1. ^ Hussain, Shahzaib (23 June 2025). "Young Fathers Share 28 Years Later Original Soundtrack". Clash. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  2. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (23 May 2025). "Young Fathers Scoring '28 Years Later'". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 25 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  3. ^ Skinner, Tom (23 May 2025). "Young Fathers have written the score for '28 Years Later'". NME. Archived from the original on 7 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  4. ^ Jack, Lauren (23 June 2025). "28 Years Later: All of the franchise's Scottish connections including Young Fathers' score". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  5. ^ Navarro, Meagan (18 June 2025). "How '28 Years Later' Director Danny Boyle Took a Risk with Sequel's New Sound [Interview]". Bloody Disgusting!. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b Reilly, Nick (18 June 2025). "Danny Boyle tells us why he chose Young Fathers to score '28 Years Later': 'They're like a hardcore Beach Boys'". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  7. ^ Pearis, Bill (20 June 2025). "Listen to Young Fathers' score for zombie sequel '28 Years Later'". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom (20 June 2025). "Young Fathers Share Their 28 Years Later' Score: Stream". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  9. ^ Connellan, Shannon (18 June 2025). "Review: '28 Years Later' is a triumphant return, one of the scariest films of the year". Mashable. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  10. ^ Daniels, Robert (20 June 2025). "28 Years Later movie review & film summary (2025)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  11. ^ Travis, Ben (13 June 2025). "28 Years Later". Empire. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  12. ^ Nicholson, Amy (19 June 2025). "Review: Brainy and bizarre, '28 Years Later' shows a zombie series running into dark, strange territory". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  13. ^ Wise, Damon (18 June 2025). "'28 Years Later' Review: Danny Boyle Delivers Severed Heads And Broken Hearts In His Gory Zombie-Horror Threequel". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  14. ^ Baughan, Nikki (18 June 2025). "'28 Years Later' review: Director Danny Boyle returns to lead horror franchise into new territory". Screen International. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  15. ^ Rooney, David (18 June 2025). "'28 Years Later' Review: Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Danny Boyle's White-Knuckle Sequel to His Apocalyptic Game-Changer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  16. ^ Walsh, Katie (19 June 2025). "Review: Infectious '28 Years Later' brings zombie genre back to life". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  17. ^ Bassett, Jordan (19 June 2025). "'28 Years Later' review: brilliantly bizarre sequel turns the franchise on its (decapitated) head". NME. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  18. ^ Bumbray, Chris (18 June 2025). "28 Years Later Review: A stunning (but not perfect) return for the franchise". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Music Team Credits – 28 Years Later". Film Music Reporter. 20 June 2025. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
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