Well, that was a turnaround. If ever there was a case of not jumping to conclusions and judging a book by its cover, then “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is a prime example of keeping an open mind. As good as it was, excellent in fact, and one of the best films of 2025 (at least IMHO), “28 Years Later” did not have the rapturous reception that some were anticipating. Danny Boyle’s update on the franchise was an incredibly nuanced exploration of grief and national insularity, set against a central coming-of-age storyline. Yes, there was gore and frantic chase scenes (that moonlit run across the causeway! *chef’s kiss*) and an evolution of the “rage virus” sub-plot, but maybe not to the extent that many were expecting. And whilst it was successful in a mostly critical and financial sense, there were some divergent opinions about it. Not least of which was caused by the wild splat-stick ending. It culminated (and this surely can’t be considered as spoiler material now) with members of a Jimmy Savile-inspired cult performing “Power Ranger” martial arts moves on the infected to save young Spike (Alfie Williams). Given the grim tone and serious nature of the themes beforehand, if that wasn’t a WTAF? move by Boyle and Alex Garland (writer), then we don’t know what would constitute one! That crazy sequence was designed to provide a segue into the middle part of this (now-confirmed) franchise trilogy. So, you could argue that not the best hand was dealt to director Nia DaCosta (who also helmed the 2021 “Candyman” reboot) in progressing this story arc. And yet, several days after its UK and US release, it remains solid with an impressive 94% on RT, boasting an overwhelming number of positive reviews and plaudits. “Howzat”?! (That’ll make sense later…)

 

The story picks up straight after THAT closing scene from “28 Years Later”. (So, tough luck if you haven’t seen that or any of the other “28 – Later” entries. No explanations here.) Unlucky Spike (Alfie Williams) is being forcefully indoctrinated into the post-apocalyptic cult established by “Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal” (played by a brilliantly unhinged Jack O’Connell). This psychopath has created a religion based on the (pre-scumbag revelations) celebrity status of Savile in his charity-worker guise. Bizarrely, Crystal has married this iconography with that of Satanism and leads a band of bewigged outlaws (“fingers”) to pillage and torture uninfected settlers just for the pure hell of it, and to underline his status as diabolical figurehead. With Spike re-christened as (another) “Jimmy”, he soon experiences the inhumanity of his gang at close range. Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (a jaw-dropping turn by Ralph Fiennes) is continuing his lonely existence tending the Bone Temple, his attempt to create an ossuary to remember infected and uninfected alike. His uneasy relationship with the infected Alpha (Chi Lewis-Parry), whom he has named “Samson”, takes an interesting turn when the volatile hulk willingly dials down his barbarous rage to get morphine fixes from the good Doctor. This leads Kelson to surmise that human personas are not totally eradicated by the rage virus, with potentially world-changing repercussions. So, it’s a pity that this is the moment that Jimmy Crystal picks to encounter Kelson and potentially uproot his gentle lifestyle for nefarious purposes.

 

Who had Ralph Fiennes dancing and lip-synching to Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” on their 2026 wish-list? And yet here it is. Not only that, but his character is also partial to a bit of Duran Duran (leading to a superb montage framed by “Ordinary World”). Please note that the soundtrack to this film is awesome for Gen-Xers! You really have to hand it to Fiennes with the commitment and gusto that he gives to this role. It just drips with personality and exemplifies the good/empathetic qualities of rationality in the midst of chaos. The fact that he’s a little nuts and his best friend is a huge cannibal is forgivable in the circumstances. But Fiennes is a class act here and deserves the figurative applause that he’s getting for his efforts here. His dry dialogue and self-narration provide some much-needed moments of humour (“Let’s dial this up to 11”) and kindness, which juxtapose with the real big bad in the story… and it’s not Samson.

 

O’Connell’s psychopathic cult leader is very much the yang to Fiennes’s (mostly) calm yin. If this “chapter” has a theme, it’s that conscious human cruelty is far more disturbing than the animalistic brutality when it’s visited upon innocent victims. Kelson’s innate goodness (he even physically heals an injured member of the infected, quipping that he’s NHS and no fee is needed) is an immediate contrast to Crystal’s mean brutality. We might see Samson graphically rip a head off an unfortunate hunter and chow down on cerebral sweetmeats, but that pales in comparison with seeing the Jimmies flay and torture harmless farmers. It's a strong comment on how “religion” and evil nature can feed on each other. It’s worth noting here, that no matter how weird and comical you found the Jimmies in the earlier film, this is most definitely not the case here. There are no backflips or humorous quips, just an unsettling sense of cruelness that is comparable to “A Clockwork Orange”, only far worse. What makes it even more disturbing is that it almost feels like current social commentary in some respects, with the state of geopolitics as it is. Again, credit must be given to O’Connell for embellishing the role and adding some subtle affectations to the part. The hand gestures, rattling jewellery, and use of “Howzat” instead of “Amen” will induce some wry and uncomfortable smiles in those old enough to remember. As sickening as the character is, O’Connell gives him a kind of awful charm that many cult leaders seem to possess.

 

Despite having playfully absurd names like “Jimmima”, “Jimmy Shite”, and… err… “Jimmy Jimmy”, there is nothing remotely funny about the clan set-up. All credit to Da Costa for carrying Garland's story forward with such oddball themes and making it resonate so well. Unlike the previous entries, the whole thing is very condensed and focused and flows forward relentlessly over a matter of days, rather than spilling out into multiple locations and scenarios. Despite this, there are some important expansions given to the whole “28” lore. We are given brief flashes of what the infected actually see when attacking victims, adding a form of “psychosis” to what has previously been shown as “just a zombie virus”. This makes for an intriguing extra layer to be added to Samson, with the dong-swinging character now becoming something more than just a threat. (Note the train carriage sequence and its potential implications for the Alpha). There’s also the matter of the badly kept secret of a returning “28” character, which is nicely folded into the story in a non-showy manner. The last line of dialogue spoken by this character is a surprisingly hopeful moment, and it would be nice to think that this slant towards humanity and redemption will be a key part of the next entry. Especially after all the uninfected-on-uninfected violence here.

 

It's worth mentioning some of the other cast members here. Alfie Williams continues to impress as Spike; although his presence is still the emotional core and thrust of the trilogy as a whole, he’s not in the foreground as much as you might think this time. As much as Fiennes and O’Connell dominate their scenes, you do have to give some due to the work done by Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson, Erin Kellyman as the conflicted “Jimmy Ink”, and a wonderfully crazy turn by Emma Laird as “Jimmima”, who goes from coyly dancing like a Teletubby to becoming an absolute nightmare during a one-on-one fight. As you might guess from all this, it doesn’t feel like a “normal” studio sequel or zombie film. The infected are mostly kept at a distance (apart from a couple of yucky kills). Instead, it comes across like a “mature horror” with interesting things to say about the nature of human evil and the downsides of celebrity and religious worship. Kelson summarises it perfectly with the blunt statement: “So, I’m an atheist, and you’re a satanist?” It might not be what you were expecting from this entry, but under De Costa’s assured direction, it has heft and a movement that feels satisfying. And if that’s not enough to be excited about, the return of a classic piece of music from the first two films during the end credits will have you thirsting for more.

 

Putting all this into perspective, if you were expecting some of the zaniness and irreverence of the final scene of “28 Years Later” to be carried across, that’s not happening. If you just wanted another zombie chase movie, then look elsewhere.

This is dark and weird shit to be honest, and probably not what most people were predicting. This might be why the initial box-office takings are somewhat underwhelming. Hopefully, it will grow legs on its word of mouth… if that sentence makes sense. Because this is a brave and uncompromising extension of the franchise, which manages to incorporate some killer performances with a grim tone, pure nastiness, and a little dash of hope. As long as you’re open to that, you’ll experience a strong genre movie that sets a high benchmark for the rest of the year and promises much for its concluding chapter.