Film Review: ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ is the Best Installment of the Franchise Yet

When 28 Years Later (reviewed here) hit theaters about seven months ago, it was not what a lot of audiences expected. The first effort in a purported new sequel trilogy to 28 Days Later (and it’s own sequel 28 Weeks Later), it felt very much like its own thing, full of original ideas and truly building on what’s come before. Now, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple continues that trend, while also exploring even bolder aspects of the story. In doing so, instead of being an unnecessary new edition, it’s the best of the franchise to date, and yes, that’s including the original.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is not just the quietest installment yet, it also manages to be, when it gets violent, the most brutal in the series so far. At one point it might be ruminating on agnosticism vs faith, while in the next, savage gore abruptly happens. What might have been tonal whiplash in lesser hands instead is the sort of heady horror that we now know to expect from this property.

Picking up more or less right after 28 Years Later ended, Spike (Alfie Williams) is introduced to the violent gang led by Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Inspired by the look of Jimmy Savile, the group, aside from its leader and one kinder member (Erin Kellyman), has no use for Spike and would love to kill him. His ingenuity, however, allows him to stay alive, more or less recruited into their ranks. At the same time, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) is continuing his work. Of course, they’ll eventually come together, but for most of the film, their stories run parallel to each other.

As Spike witness the horrors that Jimmy Crystal and his disciples inflict on survivors throughout the mainland, Dr. Kelson makes a discovery involving the Alpha zombie Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) that has the potential to change the world. When Jimmy comes across the Bone Temple that Kelson has erected, a memorable meeting takes place. To say any more would spoil a lot of the back end of this movie, but it’s truly unlike anything the franchise has done before.

Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell deliver the sort of committed turns that good horror thrives on. Fiennes builds on his kindly doctor, especially as he works through the new information he’s discovered this time around. O’Connell gets to be big and loud, an intimidating villain who also feels just as lost in this world as anyone else. Alfie Williams has less to do this time around, but comes up big when needed. Erin Kellyman delivers nice work when called upon as well, while Chi Lewis-Parry does way more with Samson than you’d expect. Supporting players include Maura Bird, Emma Laird, Robert Rhodes, and more. As for the long known about Cillian Murphy cameo? Well, you’ll just have to see the film in order to find out how he factors in.

Director Nia DaCosta steps in for Danny Boyle here (who produces and will return for the next one) and does not miss a beat. Brutal at times but full of ideas, DaCosta leans in to the themes of Alex Garland‘s screenplay, never letting up, whether it’s a torture sequence that goes so much harder than expected, or, believe it or not, a dance scene that’s wildly memorable. Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt put forth strong work for DaCosta, which mixes with the ambitious Garland script to create something very memorable.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple kind of blew me away. Not only does it prove that 28 Years Later wasn’t a fluke, it improves on it in nearly every way. A rewatch will be needed, but at the moment, this is the best one yet, even better than 28 Days Later. Bring on the next flick, as I legitimately can’t wait to see what Boyle, Garland, and company do next.

SCORE: ★★★1/2