28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is something of a miracle. Picking up immediately where 2025’s 28 Years Later left off, it first answers many of the questions you had from that, then expands the world, challenges expectations, and provides plenty of scares and laughs along the way. Plus, it does all of that and more while being smaller and more focused than its predecessor. It’s an excellent sequel that enhances its franchise, stands on its own, and excites us for what’s to come.
Director Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels) takes the reins from Danny Boyle here, working from a script by franchise co-creator Alex Garland. And, as we said, things pick up where we left them back in 28 Years Later. Spike (Alfie Williams) had left his cushy island home to be on his own but ran into a brash, evil group of people led by Jimmy (Jack O’Connell). The pop culture-obsessed, Satan-worshipping crew then occupies one half of The Bone Temple as we learn about their code, survival tactics, and the unique brand of ultra-violence that has kept them thriving. All of which is in complete opposition to Spike’s persona, but he does what he has to do to survive.
Then there’s Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). In the last film, we saw him not only provide solace and comfort to Spike and his family but also become fascinated by an alpha zombie he’s nicknamed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). That relationship continues in The Bone Temple as Kelson explores what, exactly, this virus is and if there is any way to change it. Which, yes, means there is a lot more zombie dong in this movie. Like, a lot more.
On their own, each story goes to some very unexpected places. For Jimmy, Spike, and his crew, those places are often filled with tension and disgusting body horror. For Kelson and Samson, their story goes from intense fear to unexpected joy, with a few sequences you will delight in discovering for yourself. And, eventually, the two stories merge, leading to a third act that not only tugs at your heartstrings and keeps you on the edge of your seat but also made my theater break out in spontaneous applause at its hilarious audacity. You’ll know it when you see it, and it will surely go down as one of the best scenes of the year.
And while that narrative duality is a big part of why The Bone Temple works so well, it gets taken to another level by what those characters say about this world. With Jimmy and Spike’s side of the story, we see the lengths people will go to cope with such an impossible tragedy. Who is to blame for the fact that, 28 years ago, the world went to complete shit? People need someone to blame. Need some way to get even. And it’s a mindset that provides scary results.
On the flip side, that Dr. Kelson has not only survived but thrived in this time is a miracle. He’s found new purpose and, in the hulking zombie Samson, a chance at salvation. He believes the zombie outbreak was the result of science, so science should, hypothetically, be able to solve it. Then, as you might imagine, those two viewpoints come to a head. It’s science vs. religion. Faith vs. the faithless. Whatever you want to call it. But wrapped up in a pulse-pounding, intense, visceral story that never feels preachy, instead letting the themes simmer below the surface.
All of which is possible in large part due to Garland’s script, which is tight, focused, and constantly going places we don’t expect, as well as the performances of its actors. Fiennes, as expected, is wonderful in the film, somehow combining every good or evil role you’ve ever seen him in into this one, wild, lovable man. O’Connell is also completely captivating as Jimmy, especially when we see his evil exterior crack a bit, revealing its sad origin. The other standout is Lewis-Parry as Sampson, who has a much bigger (ahem) role this time around, balancing his imposing physical presence with a complex emotionality told almost wholly through the eyes.
Then there’s Erin Kellyman. The Star Wars, Marvel, and Willow star is one of Jimmy’s disciples in the film, and she, as usual, is a revelation. She’s the most skeptical of the group but also the most confident and capable. Her ability to walk the line between murderous villain in the name of Jimmy and sympathetic friend to Spike is a delight to watch. Anytime she’s in anything, she proves she’s a star, and maybe this will finally be the role that solidifies that.
The one thing you’d assume to be a downside in The Bone Temple is that it is clearly the second film in the 28 Years Later trilogy. So, when things come to their conclusion, there is a coda that will have people talking and sets up the final piece of the puzzle. However, the final, and best, surprise in The Bone Temple is that it’s not a downside. The film does such a good job at standing alone and expanding the world of 28 Years Later, while also terrifying and entertaining, it would be totally fine if that sequel never happened. It is happening, though, and we’ll be first in line for it, but this movie delivers on multiple levels that make it a satisfying experience both on its own and as a sequel.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens on January 16.
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