FILM REVIEW: 28 Years Later The Bone Temple (2026)

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple - New Release Review

Director: Nia DaCosta

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Chi Lewis Parry, Erin Kellyman

Written by: Alex Garland

Produced by: Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alec Garland, Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice

Cinematography by: Sean Bobbitt

Original Score by: Hildur Guðnadottir

Synopsis:

As Spike is inducted into Jimmy Crystal's gang on the mainland, Dr. Kelson makes a discovery that could alter the world.

Thoughts:

There was a lot of talk about what Danny Boyle and Alex Garland were cooking up when they announced that they were not only going to make a sequel to '28 Days Later' but that it was going to be the first of a trilogy set 28 years after the outbreak of the rage virus. Not only was Boyle's return to the series well received thanks to his incredible experimental visuals but it packed quite an emotional punch due to the manner in which Garland's script explored our relationship with death. Now we have the second film in the proposed trilogy, 'The Bone Temple' with Boyle handing the directorial duties to Nia DaCosta but retaining Alex Garland on the screenwriting front. 

Set just after the events of the previous film, 'The Bone Temple' follows Spike (Alfie Williams) who has been initiated into the Jimmy cult led by "Sir Lord" Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell). At the same time a change in Dr. Kelson's (Ralph Fiennes) relationship with the infected Alpha, Samson (played by Chi Lewis-Parry) has ramifications that could change the face of the world. 

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Middle chapters are never an easy thing to pull off. They feel like stop gaps before a grand finale and most of the time there is an expectation that they have to go big or tread darker territory (or sometimes do both). In opting for this grander vision what you get is bombast as filmmakers deviate too far away from what made their original story so great. With '28 Years Later', Boyle created an expansive view of an isolated Britain ravaged by the infected so the temptation would be to continue with this approach in the sequel. In a clever move DaCosta opts for a more intimate approach that taps into the psychological elements of Garland's script. 

It is a much more character based film that explores the idea of infectious evil in the face of fear driven indoctrination by putting the dark religious beliefs of the nefarious Jimmy Crystal at the fore. In doing so we get a bloodier and more brutal film that hits hard (especially when Jimmy and his gang offer charity) but it never loses focus of this core idea. Strangely though the film has a wicked sense of humour as it moves in unexpected directions. This might seem like a tonal nightmare for any filmmaker to navigate but DaCosta pulls it off with ease even delivering a few crowd pleasing moments (one of which involves Dr. Kelson in the third act which will surely go down as one of the greatest scenes you'll see in any horror film this year). 

Visually it is an impressive film as DaCosta holds the camera in close ups allowing us to observe the inner machinations of the characters, allowing the subtleties in their performances to shine through. Although some may view it as more conventional compared to the previous film, it works quite well for this chapter in the trilogy which manages to maintain continuity with the previous entry but it also has its own voice. Despite this shift from the first film it still moves at a fine pace keeping you engaged throughout. The string driven score from Hildur Guðnadóttir works well in tandem with this pacing as it maintains a sense of tension throughout highlighting the dangers that lurk at every turn. 

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At the end of '28 Years Later' we are given a brief glimpse of Jimmy Crystal with Jack O'Connell conveying a cheeky schoolboy charm whilst at the same time carrying a sinister aura. This impression as well as the horrific connotations behind his name and outfit raised alarm bells over the intentions of the character. Those concerns are realised in this film as O'Connell crafts a figure of gleeful evil who uses his Fingers (the name he gives to his gang of Jimmy's) to carry out his cruel bidding. He believes he has to brutally murder people to feed their souls to Satan (who he calls Saint Nick). You can tell O'Connell is having fun sinking his rotted teeth into the role as he swaggers with a roguish confidence from scene to scene in the name of maintaining a sense of power and control at all costs. 

The previous film was very much Spike's film as he came of age in this broken world but he gets somewhat sidelined for this entry with the softly spoken Dr. Kelson coming into the limelight more. Fiennes expands upon his incredible performance from '28 Years Later' conveying so much pathos through his character's sense of loneliness in his dedication to honouring the dead. His developing relationship with Samson is also a joy to watch as there is almost a renewal in his spirit which Fiennes portrays wonderfully. Another highlight in the cast is Chi Lewis-Parry's performance as Samson. He draws a lot of humanity from his hulking figure to whilst he is at odds with his violent nature. This dichotomy is beautifully realised in the film. 

'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is the first great horror film of 2026. Led by two incredible performances from Jack O'Connell and Ralph Fiennes (amidst an impressive cast) it is a terrific exploration of the paths chosen in a world where morality has been torn apart. DaCosta guides us through this chaos deftly weaving together contrasting tones to deliver a brutal yet crowd pleasing film that manages to pack an emotional punch when it takes things up to 11 ending on a note that will have you eager for Part 3. 

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Joseph McElroy

'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is released in Irish/UK cinemas Wednesday 14th January