This movie isn’t entirely without merit, though. The initial portion was quite engaging, with an opening sequence that brought to mind 28 Weeks Later. However, the narrative then shifts abruptly to follow different characters for the majority of the film. While this could have worked—perhaps offering a glimpse into how the infection unfolded twenty-eight years prior—the ending includes a callback that feels strangely disconnected from everything else. Aside from that, the first half is compelling, and the suspense surrounding a father and son’s struggle for survival is palpable, particularly with the introduction of a new type of infected: the alpha. These are essentially enhanced versions of the infected, exhibiting greater intelligence and strength. It's only after they reach the supposed safe village that the movie noticeably transitions into something resembling a coming-of-age story, oddly reminiscent of Stand By Me. That’s when my enjoyment started to diminish. The latter half largely involves the boy and his mother searching for a doctor. Throughout this journey, events seem to unfold without much purpose. Granted, the second half touches on themes of accepting death, but it feels glossed over when the boy reacts more intensely to his father's infidelity than the man who commits the act. This moment is jarring because it doesn’t align with how the character had previously been portrayed. Ultimately, the boy remains outside the safe village and wanders off, leading to a peculiar encounter with a group of survivors—one of whom turns out to be the child from the opening scene. It was odd seeing this group of five, who I initially mistook for a gang of elderly women performing parkour and attacking infected runners while some heavy metal music played. I did find it amusing that I wasn’t alone in the theater wondering what was happening when that sequence began. To sum up: The movie is good and quite suspenseful until they return to base, at which point it becomes a poorly executed coming-of-age story culminating in an ending reminiscent of Power Rangers. This film feels similar to what happened with Longlegs; the advertising presented a very different movie than the one I actually saw. I’m unsure how the subsequent films will turn out (if they even get made), but the fact that this first installment feels like filler doesn't inspire much confidence about their quality.

Source on TMDB