28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
January 13th, 2026
MOVIE: 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
STARRING: RALPH FIENNES, JACK O’CONNELL, ALFIE WILLIAMS, ERIN KELLYMAN
DIRECTED BY: NIA DACOSTA
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 109 MINUTES
When Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later ended, it left audiences brimming with anticipation, firmly expanding the universe of 28 Days/Weeks/Years Later. One year later, Nia DaCosta and the writing of Alex Garland reward our patience with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, plunging us into the darkest depths of zombie survival yet. Returning to the London countryside, still ravaged by a viral outbreak, the film picks up with the few characters left clinging to survival. The Bone Temple drops viewers straight into chaos with expert precision, presenting a bleak reality for the uninfected as a mad gang of misfits known as the Jimmy’s wreak havoc, while the innocent struggle to comprehend the madness around them. It’s superb filmmaking, exposing the harsh, unforgiving truth of humanity when the world falls apart.
This time, the central figure is Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), a presumed mad scientist who lives among trees draped in bones, with a pile of skulls arranged like a satanic Christmas tree. A man of science, Kelson spends his days listening to Duran Duran on vinyl and searching for a way to cure the world. His closest companion is an Alpha zombie he has named Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), whom he can subdue in a drug-induced state as he studies whether the virus has completely overtaken his brain—or if a cure might still be possible.
On the outskirts of Dr. Kelson’s temple resides Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and his band of “merry” Jimmy’s. Each member dons a long, absurd blonde wig and a brightly colored jumpsuit. The newest member—whom we remember from 28 Years Later– is Spike (Alfie Williams), whose initiation requires fighting another Jimmy to the death to claim their place. Within this feral group, we witness humanity at its worst: the uninfected are harmed, tortured, and treated as playthings. Sir Jimmy refers to each member as part of a fist, yet Spike and Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) clearly retain a conscience, quietly hoping to put an end to Sir Jimmy’s maniacal reign.
For some viewers, the film may not feature enough zombies, but DaCosta has crafted a unique and deeply thought-provoking installment. This is a startlingly bleak story, where Dr. Kelson’s isolated existence is punctuated by unexpected bursts of dark comedy, while Sir Jimmy stands as the pure embodiment of evil. As far as modern villains go, between The Bone Temple and Sinners, Jack O’Connell is carving out his own terrifying brand of nightmare fuel.
The film’s only minor misstep is that it clearly functions as the middle chapter of a trilogy, but it still leaves audiences eager to see where the story goes next. What’s certain is that Nia DaCosta absolutely crushed this installment—much like a zombie crushing someone’s skull. The Bone Temple feels painfully current, like a dance between believer and non-believer, filtered through nihilistic expression that captures the pulse of our world. Rarely does a sequel feel darker, more disturbing, or as gnarly as this one. More movies should dare to be just like it.
3 ½ STARS
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE IS PLAYING IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
