28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Considering where the 28 Days Later series was after 28 Weeks Later arrived in 2007, it seemed completely unlikely that we'd ever return to post-apocalyptic Britain to see an expansion of the horror franchise. But the prayers of fans were answered last summer when director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland reunited to deliver the strong 28 Years Later, a film that was soon to be followed by another chapter known as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. This is a direct sequel to the 2025 flick, picking up basically right after the events of that movie, albeit while shifting the focus a tad away from the survivors on the island of Lindisfarne to chronicle the ballad of the cruel Jimmy Crystal and the kind-hearted Dr. Kelson.

The Bone Temple is very similar to 28 Years Later in that the themes of fear, horror, and complete and utter despair reign supreme while gore and violence is frequently used to make the viewer even more uncomfortable. At the end of the day, Garland is the writer of this film too, so you'd expect that parity between the various instalments in the series to feel present, as the Civil War and Warfare creator has over two decades of experience working on this franchise. However, Boyle doesn't find himself in the director's chair this time, as rather The Marvels' Nia DaCosta steps up. I know what you're thinking, but there's no reason to be concerned whatsoever, as DaCosta thrives in this film and delivers an epic that feels like it belongs in the franchise on all levels.

The premise of The Bone Temple is quite a simple affair. As is the case with all entries into this series, it hones in on just a handful of individuals and sees how they fare in this twisted and defeated country. Again, Ralph Fiennes is a key part as Dr. Kelson, with this film exploring more about his lonely life and how he continues to expand his ossuary and even attempt to treat the infected. Elsewhere, we find Jack O'Connell's Jimmy Crystal, a truly haunting and diabolical Satanist that puts the viewer through uncomfortable scenes as he carves his way through the country leaving blood and death in his wake. If Sinners wasn't enough to prove to you the talent that O'Connell has when it comes to playing villains, his role as Jimmy Crystal in The Bone Temple will more than convince you that he has what it takes to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best.

Between these two arcs that eventually intersect, The Bone Temple serves up a story of misery and pain. It's cruel and dark, brutal and violent, and if it wasn't for a few blissful moments of hope dotted in between, this could be one of the most hopeless tales in recent memory. It's a truly twisted affair at times, but in an authentic 28 Days Later style, it somehow manages to leave you with hope, delivering a feature-length story which has all the ups and downs and trials and tribulations that constitute the best narratives.

Perhaps the greatest strength of The Bone Temple however is how effectively it uses the viewer's time. It's sub-two-hours in duration and the narrative is structured in such a way that the pacing is incredibly balanced. There's no drawn out second act that makes you check your watch frequently, or a final chapter that comes and goes without leaving much of an impression. It's simply strong at all points, with memorable scenes and moments throughout the entire duration that will surprise, haunt, cause you to smirk and grin, and even make you feel queasy at times. It's a firm example that movies do not need to be 150+ minutes long for a viewer to feel satisfied as 110 minutes is more than long enough.

Otherwise, The Bone Temple treats viewers to a film with exceptional and beautiful location choices, some remarkable set pieces and visual spectacles, and performances that make the characters stand out and feel memorable. And while I won't get into what happens in intricate detail, especially during the final act, what I will say is that like 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple sets the direction for the next chapter without stretching the wider narrative to such an extent that it feels like the beginning of a new cinematic universe. This series knows what it wants to be, delivers on the elements and premises that its fans expect, and does so in the form of tight and interesting stories that hold your attention all throughout.

Now, hopefully Sony gets to work on the next chapter in the series soon because I truly, truly cannot wait for what will be coming up.