"Nothing could've prepared me": Horror fans react to Sinner star Jack O'Connell's brief appearance in zombie sequel 28 Days Later

Danny Boyle's horror sequel 28 Years Later is finally out in cinemas, and everyone is talking about the same thing. No, not its electric soundtrack or giant zombie penis... Jack O'Connell's wild, brief appearance at the very end of the movie.

Warning! The rest of this article contains spoilers for 28 Years Later. Proceed with caution!

The Sinners star was cast in 28 Years Later back in May 2024, though details of his character were kept secret right up until its release. While we were explicitly shown Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer's married couple Jamie and Isla, and Alfie Williams as their son Spike in the trailers, as we were Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Ian Kelson, O'Connell's "Sir Jimmy Crystal" remained hidden. And, well, now we know why.

For starters, he only shows up right at the end of the film – so it makes sense that they wouldn't want to tease him too much this time around, so as not to disappoint audiences when he's barely in it. 28 days after the death of his mother, Spike has vowed to stay and fend for himself on the mainland, but the youngster gets himself into a sticky situation when he tries to flee a horde of infected, and winds up running right into a dead end. It's then that O'Connell's Jimmy pops up...

His look is pretty striking regardless: bleached hair, purple shell suit, and blinged-out accessories (including a dainty tiara), but it's the fact that the get-up was clearly inspired by one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders Jimmy Savile that knocked UK audiences for six. To add to the absurdity of the moment, he helps Spike escape the horde by ordering his blonde-wigged cronies, who are all dressed exactly like him, to dispatch them in a combat style that can only be described as parkour-meets-Ninjutsu.

"They were smart for not including Jack O'Connell in any of the trailers for 28 Years Later bc nothing in the world can prepare you for what he looks like," one fan wrote on Twitter, while another said: "Y'all are not f***ing ready for Jack O'Connell in 28 Years Later."

"Lololol the only thing good about 28 Years Later was Jack O'Connell and his merry band of Post-Apocalyptic Chavs," added a third.

Check out some more reactions below...

"You didn't get to see Ralph’s character in your 28 minutes, but he's a big character in this one and becomes a huge character in the second one. And Jack O'Connell, who's right at the end of this film, becomes a huge character in the second film," director Danny Boyle previously teased to Indiewire. "And Alfie goes through [both films]." Consider us intrigued to see where this goes...

28 Years Later is in cinemas now. Its sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is due out on January 16, 2026. For more, check out the new horror movies coming your way soon.