“The Bone Temple” A Bizarre and Surprisingly Emotional Follow Up To Last Year’s “28 Years Later”

Last summer, the long-awaited follow up to “28 Days Later” and “28 Weeks Later” came in the form of “28 Years Later.” I thoroughly enjoyed this long-awaited return of the franchise, except for the very end where it got a bit weird. After seeing that ending, I was almost afraid to see how this sequel would eventually turn out.

My worries began to ease a bit once I started seeing the really great trailers for the film. And, now that I finally saw this sequel, all I can say is this is most definitely better than last year’s installment for sure!

Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in “28 Years Later” - but turning that world on its head - Nia DaCosta brings us “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”

In a continuation of the story, Dr. Kelson makes a discovery that could change the world as they know it - and Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of “The Bone Temple,” the infected are no longer the only threat to survival - the unhumanity of the survivors can be stronger and more terrifying.

While I did enjoy “28 Years Later,” this sequel really kicks things up quite a few notches and fans of the franchise shouldn’t leave disappointed. “The Bone Temple” delivers a good amount of really intense moments (a few of which can be brutal), some deeper themes and stand out performances from Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell.

Fiennes and O’Connell honestly gave amazing performances, which really makes their characters truly stand out. Jack O’Connell, who also gave another great performance in last year’s “Sinners”), delivers a terrifying and really unhinged portrayal of the sadistic cult leader Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal. Fiennes’ character, Kelson, really gave this film its emotional depth and Fiennes really nailed it for sure!

The story arc of Samson (the Alpha infected from last year’s film) and Kelson really is

the heart of the film. The relationship between the lonely, somewhat eccentric Kelson and the towering, rage-filled Samson is unexpectedly tender. The scenes these two characters have together are some of the many highlights of the film, including a moment where they dance to Duran Duran.

When I first saw the trailers and saw a little bit of the scenes that showed Kelson trying to befriend Samson, I thought it was really weird at first. Once I saw the film, it really works since Kelson has possibly found a way to reverse the Rage Virus. 

A lot of the intense moments come into play whenever the Jimmy Cult (or named The Fingers) appear on-screen. After their very strange introduction at the end of the last movie, I had no idea how unhinged this entire cult would be. I don’t want to go into too much of their unhinged moments. So, let’s just say fans of gore won’t be disappointed.

While this sequel has plenty of stand out moments (including the return of a fan favorite character), the final act of the film is definitely unexpected. While this sequence will likely be the most talked about scene of this film, it would really have you feeling a bit shocked and confused. Yet, this entire surreal moment really works! I’m not going to get into what actually goes down, but it involves lots of pyrotechnics, Kelson and Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast.”

“The Bone Temple” has received overwhelmingly positive critical and audience reception, praised as a thoughtful, gory, and emotionally resonant sequel that deepens the franchise’s themes of humanity and fanaticism. Fans of the franchise should definitely be satisfied with this installment and I’m fully onboard with the planned third film that has just recently been green-lit not too long ago.

Cast: Ralph Fiennes (Dr. Ian Kelson); Jack O’Connell (Jimmy Crystal); Alfie Williams (Spike); Erin Kellyman (Jimmy Ink); Emma Laird (Jimmima); Sam Locke (Jimmy Fox); Chi Lewis-Perry (Samson).

Writer/director: Alex Garland (writer) (28 Years Later; Warfare; Civil War); Nia DaCosta (director) (2021s Candyman)

MPA: Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, graphic nudity, language throughout and brief drug use   (runtime 109 minutes)

Make sure to check out my Wyoming County Press Examiner Reviews page on Facebook for some fun little trivia bits about this movie and others that I review! Also I will be slowly revealing my upcoming line up (including what I will be checking out during the upcoming Winter Film Festival)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwTdTZA8D8

• The bone temple set was constructed from around 5500 skulls and 150,000 bones, each of which was individually cast, attached to 1000 'uprights' or columns.

• The voice over in the trailer is the writer and futurist Arthur C. Clarke, taken from his appearance on the BBC 'Horizon' program on September 21, 1964.

• Reusing a technique from 28 Days Later (2002), shots of the infected are filmed using adjusted camera shutter angles to give them erratic motion.

• Shot back-to-back with its predecessor.

• The film was announced as part of a planned trilogy, with Alex Garland serving as screenwriter for all three. In January 2025, Danny Boyle confirmed that he would direct the final film in the trilogy.