28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
I meant to do this last night before I went to bed, but I was feeling a little tired… so here we are.
Anyway… so I saw 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple yesterday and yeah… I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely a darker, stranger and more disturbing film than its immediate predecessor, but it’s also surprisingly hopeful in its own way. I liked the main storyline involving Ralph Fiennes’ Dr Kelson returning from the previous film and how he forges an unusual relationship with the similarly returning Alpha, which he affectionately names Samson. It’s surprisingly sweet and even kind of funny, which is stark contrast to the other main storyline involving Jack O’Connell’s Satanic cult who were teased in the previous film. Their appearance seemed a bit out-of-place at the time, but they’re a welcome slice of insanity in this unhinged sequel… and I do mean, unhinged. It’s the type of movie where a Satanist sings like Po from the goddamn Teletubbies and it somehow strikes that perfect balance between being amusing and freaky at the same time.
I also can’t sing the praises of this movie’s cast enough. Fiennes and O’Connell, in particular, are absolutely incredible… and the scene where they finally come face-to-face is a major highlight of the movie. It’s kind of heartbreaking because we can see a more vulnerable side to O’Connell’s Sir Jimmy but it’s also quietly unsettling because we’ve also seen just how much of a psychotic monster this character and his gang can be. They’re such compelling antagonists that you don’t mind the relative lack of zombie carnage, although make no mistake, there is still plenty of carnage in this film and it’s not always the fun kind either. Some of the violence in this movie is genuinely disturbing, so if you are particularly squeamish, feel free to sit this one out.
But I would strongly suggest seeing this even if you weren’t a fan of the previous film. It’s a real rollercoaster of a film… equal parts funny, bizarre, moving, scary, disturbing and hopeful. I’d say it’s worth watching solely for that third act set piece, which I won’t spoil but those of you who’ve already seen the movie know exactly what I’m talking about. No exaggeration. I truly had the biggest fucking smile on my face watching that madness unfold, and it’s easily gonna be one of the biggest cinematic showstoppers of 2026. Mark my words.
I hope we do get another film in this series, especially since we get another cliffhanger ending (which I also won’t spoil). Sadly, I don’t know if we’ll ever see what comes of it because the film currently isn’t doing great numbers at the box office. Maybe word-of-mouth might help its chances, but it’s a shame that the movie is struggling to make money because this was a great start to the year… at least, as far as new releases go.
And yes, I know box office isn’t the end-all, be-all with movies, but it’s always a bummer when good movies struggle to find an audience in cinemas… especially in today’s climate where the only alternative is being consigned to the mercy of the streaming algorithms, which very rarely play nice.
