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

Leaving Odeon last night after a double bill showing of 28 Years Later & 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, I’ll happily say I was pleased with DaCosta’s sequel. Bold, fresh and exciting, this instalment is unlike anything the 28 Days Later franchise has attempted before. Haunting, and eerily beautiful, The Bone Temple moves the story into territory that’s rich, unpredictable, and unforgettable - and it does so on its own terms.

Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship with consequences that could change the world as he knows it, while Spike's encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can't escape.

From its startling opening moments - picking up immediately where 28 Years Later left us - Nia DaCosta’s direction pulls you deeper into a world gone mad, not just from virus and infection, but from the disturbed minds of those still alive and left to fend for themselves. Gone are the simple horrors of ‘the infected versus human’; in their place is a morally tangled landscape that challenges what we once held as the “real” monsters.

Visually, the film is a triumph. Sean Bobbitt’s cinematography gives everything a stark, visceral clarity that feels both brutal and strangely poetic. The sprawling wastelands, lonely long shots, decayed remains, and bizarre bone shrines to the dead are images that linger long after the credits roll. Kelson’s Bone Temple is eerily peaceful and beautifully shot, particularly in the later parts of the film all lit up in the darkness. The world feels lived-in - scarred by time, grief, and a desperation that has warped human belief into something almost unrecognisable.

What truly elevates The Bone Temple, though, are its performances.

Ralph Fiennes walks into this story with a presence that commands every frame he’s in, building on what I already thought was an incredible character from the previous film. His Dr. Ian Kelson is a man haunted by loss but paradoxically invigorated by the quest to find meaning amidst so much death. As always, Fiennes delivers with precision and depth, giving Kelson a weirdly moving center that grounds even the film’s most surreal moments.

Opposite him, Jack O’Connell as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal is a revelation: charismatic, terrifying, and disturbing on so many levels. The way he embodies chaos with a twisted sort of conviction and whimsical (at times childish) demeaner is nothing short of phenomenal. I was itching to see more of him following the messages we saw him leave in the first film, as well as that ending of course- go, go Jimmy-Rangers! He didn’t disappoint; delusional and delightfully f*cked up. Him and his fingers serve as an unnerving reminder that the infected aren’t always the true monsters within this post-apocalyptic world.

Young Alfie Williams as Spike holds his own in some harrowing sequences, bringing a quiet vulnerability and grit to a role that could easily have been one-note in lesser hands. What Sir Jimmy saw as weakness anchored more extreme moments in the film with a very human sense of fear, curiosity, and resilience. Williams has a natural screen presence that makes it easy to invest in his journey, and he carries the weight of the story with an impressive maturity well beyond his years.

Was great to see Chi Lewis-Parry have the chance to expand on his Alpha character ‘Samson’. I can’t say a lot here without ruining the film, but he made for some incredibly interesting and, at times, bizarre scenes of the film. There’s a sort of primal energy to his performance that taps into the raw brutality of this world Garland & Boyle have created.

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

The narrative itself is daring - at times strange - but always interesting. Whilst the first film leant more into the horror aspect of the story, I felt DaCosta made this more about the characters trying to survive in this world. It explores belief, madness, morality, and humanity with a rawness that feels scary and sincere all at once. There’s a boldness to this film that whispers, “The real monsters aren’t always the ones screaming in the shadows.” 

Yes, there are moments where the film’s tone swings wildly between horror, dark comedy, and societal and moral commentary, but that energy is part of what makes The Bone Temple so compelling. It’s a film that pushes the franchise forward while reminding us why we keep coming back to this brutal, beautiful world.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple isn’t just another sequel - it’s a bold statement of intent. Visually striking, emotionally potent, and beautifully performed, it’s a reminder that this series is capable of evolution (much like the infected), depth, and fresh surprises. And following on from seeing a familiar face in those final moments, I’m even more excited to see what’s next.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is out now.