28 Years Later: The Bone Temple(2026)(Review)

Last summer, Danny Boyle & Alex Garland gave us the long-anticipated sequel to their film ’28 Days Later’ with ’28 Years Later’. While I put it in my top 10, it was a very divisive film amongst audiences. Many were disappointed in the lack of horror, while others were thrilled with the emotional core and beautiful scenery we were given. Shot back-to-back with it, director Nia DaCosta was given the reigns to direct Garland’s script for the middle chapter of the trilogy, ‘The Bone Temple’. And since we already set up the back story of the world in the prior film, this one jumps right into the action.

‘The Bone Temple’ picks up shortly after where the first one left off. Spike (played by Alfie Williams) has left his home on Holy Island and is now fending for himself out in the wild for the very first time. But as we saw in the bonkers finale, Spike has encountered a group of survivors known as The Jimmies. They are led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (played by Jack O’Connell) and are a gang who relish in masochism. When the film literally begins, we see Spike in a 1-on-1 fight to the death as part of the gang’s initiation. This sets the stage for the violence and depravity that lies in wait for us. After Spike joins the gang, they go out on a journey of pillaging and torturing other survivors.

Meanwhile, a second story is unfolding. We go back to Doctor Kelson (played by Ralph Fiennes) who is out in the fields performing experiments on the main baddie of the trilogy, Samson – the naked, hulking infected Alpha.

These two stories run parallel until they intersect with each other. One provides us with the gritty, dark reality of this world, while the other is a calmer, more beautiful viewpoint. The contrast here really elevates the stories by taking us into familiar zombie-laden territory before bringing us to a place that this series has never touched on before.

This film is really something special. In comparison to the first entry of this trilogy, this film really ramps up the horror, the violence, and the philosophies at work. While it still very much is more in tuned with the vibes of ‘Years’ as juxtaposed to ‘Days’, it has its own story to tell. It doesnt suffer from the “middle of the trilogy” syndrome – where it feels and serves merely as a bridge – and it completely works as a standalone film. The Jimmies are monsters who make us witness some of the most horrific violence in the entire series, while the Alpha monster goes on a journey that really leaves us in a position at the edge of our seats anxiously waiting to see what will happen if the third film is successfully completed.

To put it bluntly: I found this film much stronger than the previous was. I do believe that if you didn’t like ‘Years’ last summer, then this one may just convince you to re-invest into this series. However, I do have a friend who loved the previous one after he had time to sit with it, but walked out of this one feeling disappointed. So while the critic and audiences score after it’s first week in theaters is overwhelmingly positive, I do fear that this is a trilogy that may not be truly embraced or beloved until later in time. But undeniably, this is the most Romero-feeling zombie film we’ve gotten in atleast a decade. It has something to say, it has a clear vision, and the fact that a director took this on that didn’t have a direct connection to the writing gives it a different, but familiar vibe.

I can’t wait to re-watch this one, and I’m really crossing my fingers tightly that we get that third entry in this series. Especially with how big and bold of an ending this one leaves us with.

4.5/5

“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is now playing in theaters everywhere.

‘Til Next Time,
Mike Cleopatra