28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

​"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" stars Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Chi Lewis-Parry.  Released on January 16, 2026, the film has Spike confronting a cult in a post-apocalyptic England, while Ian Kelson makes a shocking discovery.

The film was directed by Nia DaCosta, who also directed "Little Woods", "Candyman", "The Marvels", and "Hedda".  It is a follow-up to "28 Years Later" and the fourth installment in the 28 Days Later film series.  It felt only yesterday when Danny Boyle and Alex Garland joined forces to bring audiences back to the zombie-infested world that revolutionized zombie horror cinema.  That came to be known as "28 Years Later", which delivered not only the kinetic and gory style the horror franchise is known for, but also the most surprisingly emotional story of the "28 Days" saga in my eyes.  This innovative approach to the zombie formula may not have impressed everyone when it first came out, but it did reward most fans with a welcome and poignant return to form for the horror franchise.  However, its ending demonstrated that our long-awaited return to the Rage Virus-infected Earth was only a taste of what's to come, as the film was part of a planned trilogy composed of a single narrative.  Fortunately for us, "28 Years Later" was successful enough to see how the rest of the story unfolds, but with Nia DaCosta leading the charge as director instead of Boyle.  With that in mind, let's dive back into the chaotic, zombie-filled land and see if this next chapter is worth biting into.

The story is set immediately after the events of "28 Years Later".  Spike (Williams) was recently rescued by the Fingers, a satanic cult led by its psychopathic leader Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (O'Connell).  As Spike remained in quarantined Britain with them, he started to question Jimmy Crystal's true intent amidst the post-apocalyptic landscape.  Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes) continues his maintenance of the Bone Temple, where those killed during the Rage Virus outbreak were laid to rest.  His studies were then interrupted by the sudden appearance of a local Alpha, which he named Samson (Lewis-Parry).  Their confrontation leads to a shocking discovery involving Samson's drug-induced state, prompting Kelson to form an unexpected bond with him while experimenting in hopes of finding a cure for the Alpha's condition.

If you can't tell at this point, I included "28 Years Later" on my top ten 2025 films list because I was honestly surprised at how great the film was.  Granted, I understand why some didn't love the movie as much as others, but in my eyes, it's a bold and surprisingly poignant horror sequel that effectively blends traditional zombie horror with character-driven drama.  I would even say it's one of the very few horror movies that actually made me cry, though not as much as "The Long Walk" and "Hamnet" did.  It's one of the reasons I was looking forward to seeing its continuation, though I remained cautious given the change in directors and the hit-or-miss quality of horror sequels.  Though Nia DaCosta seemed to be a respectable choice to continue the saga, as she did a pretty good job with the recent "Candyman" installment.  However, the limitations imposed on her for "The Marvels" spoke volumes about how modern studios often lack trust in a director's unique vision.

That alone led me to worry that "The Bone Temple" would follow suit by not giving DaCosta free rein to helm something as kinetic as this.  However, those concerns quickly flew out the window upon hearing its early praise, with some clamoring that it was superior to its predecessor or even one of the best films of 2026.  Given the franchise's underlying themes, frenetic presentation, and gory aesthetics, it's no surprise that this installment would earn such praise, but is it really as great as the early reviews suggest?  Yes, but calling it one of the best films of the year does feel like a bit of a stretch.  In my eyes, it may not be as exciting or emotionally satisfying as "28 Years Later", but "The Bone Temple" continues the franchise's attempt to reinvent the zombie horror genre with rewarding results.  However, this reinvention may not impress everyone, depending on their taste in zombie films.

"28 Years Later" delivered pretty much what its predecessors did: a frenetic, intense, and fiendishly violent horror experience.  However, what made it stand out from the first two installments was that it injected a human soul amid the zombies ripping people's heads off, reflecting its depiction of family and coming-of-age.  It was a zombie movie with teeth, but it also possessed a beating heart that transcended the genre's traditional jump scares and R-rated violence.  "The Bone Temple", which was shot back-to-back with "28 Years Later", offers plenty of zombie flair we'd typically expect from a "28 Days Later" film.  However, it also continues to highlight its predecessor's grounded, character-driven essence, surprisingly more so than the previous film.  While "28 Years Later" is equal parts zombie horror and family drama, "The Bone Temple" is what I'd describe as a character-driven horror drama that happens to feature zombies.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly a couple of moments involving people confronting the infected in the film.  Besides that, the film focuses only on the one element that's more terrifying than the zombies themselves: a Satanic cult inspired by the Teletubbies.  On the one hand, this continued reinvention further demonstrates why the "28 Days Later" franchise is one of the boldest and most fascinating accomplishments in the horror genre.  It provides not just another well-written, expertly crafted sequel, but also one that's mostly rewarding in its dialogue-driven scenes and its thematic dread.  Unfortunately, its reliance on character-driven sequences over zombie confrontations may not bode well for those seeking relentless gore and zombie thrills.  This tiny bit of information is less of a flaw and more of a caution for people expecting it to be another traditional horror film with zombies.  Some of the zombie scenes in the movie were engaging, but compared to those in "28 Years Later", they're not something that would get etched into my brain for the rest of the year.

Now, the scenes involving the Fingers, on the other hand… Those are what made "The Bone Temple" an unnerving watch from start to finish.  As I mentioned earlier, the film focuses mainly on the cult that's more dangerous and deranged than those affected by the Rage Virus.  Regarding its approach that blends dark humor with grisly images, "The Bone Temple" is another example of showcasing the dangers and terror of a cult whose demonic beliefs made them more monstrous than fictional ones.  With this and the "Candyman" sequel, Nia DaCosta is undoubtedly another director who understands the nature of the horror genre.  Rather than relying on the usual horror tropes as shortcuts, DaCosta utilizes them to blend unnerving terror rooted in humanity with thematic resonance.  It's been a while since I've watched the recent "Candyman" film, but after watching "The Bone Temple", I would say the latter handled this direction better, offering greater discomfort in character-driven horror.

It's also easy to tell that "The Bone Temple" is a different beast from its predecessors, thanks to its style.  Boyle's directorial style provides a kinetic, livelier presentation that matches the energy and danger of the aggressive infected, as evidenced by "28 Days Later" and "28 Years Later".  "The Bone Temple" emphasizes DaCosta's vision as a calmer, dreary approach that takes its time with its character-based drama.  It does feature a bit of franticness in its zombie action and heavy metal aura, notably Kelson's satanic-laden show in the third act.  Besides that, the remaining film is more subdued in its presentation and drama.  It's equivalent to comparing a child dosed on sugar with a mild-mannered adult, or in this case, comparing a crazed zombie with a sane person who's not infected.  The difference is very noticeable, and I don't mind it one bit.  DaCosta's vision complements flawlessly with its hauntingly gorgeous scope brought vividly to life by Sean Bobbitt's cinematography.  It's enough for me to say that this might be the best-looking installment of the franchise so far.

Alex Garland has also continued to prove his worth as an innovative screenwriter and a crucial piece of the zombie-filled puzzle.  While the script for "The Bone Temple" doesn't have the same emotional hook as "28 Years Later", Garland still knew how to expand on the lore he created while retaining the grounded nature of its underlying themes.  In this case, "The Bone Temple" not only explores the characters' continued journeys that began in its predecessor but also sheds light on people's faith in the face of the Rage Virus outbreak, particularly satanic beliefs.  Dr. Ian Kelson's beliefs fell mainly on scientific reasons, while Jimmy Crystal possesses a deranged faith in Satan, claiming himself to be the devil's son.  It does feature zombies, along with a special cameo at the film's end, but Alex Garland demonstrated that the true terror lies in the monsters hidden within people's religious faiths.  Its themes were discomforting without being overly complicated, and they're suitably defined with his reinvention of the zombie genre.

The cast also shone through their performances, with some returning actors shining more in their expanded screen time compared to their roles in its predecessor.  Alfie Williams made a superb first impression in his film debut as Spike in "28 Years Later", and he's still great in "The Bone Temple", faultlessly conveying the boy's frightened expressions as Jimmy's sadistic actions unfold before him.  However, the film's real focus is Ralph Fiennes's Ian Kelson, who confronts an astonishing discovery regarding the virus.  This expanded screen time gave Fiennes much to do with this character, and he pulled that feat off easily.  His performance was subtle yet engaging enough to underscore Kelson as another interesting character the franchise has to offer, and his scenes with Chi Lewis-Parry's Samson were nothing shy of compelling.  In case you're wondering, yes, I did enjoy Kelson's satanic sequence during the third act.  But the real highlight for me was Jack O'Connell's unhinged and satisfyingly sadistic portrayal of Jimmy Crystal.  He absolutely nailed the character's blend of creepiness and dark humor, which is enough to make his unnerving sequences watchable.  With "Sinners" and now "The Bone Temple", I can safely say that O'Connell knows how to make these types of villains work.  They're crazy, yet oh-so-satisfying to watch.  Erin Kellyman also did very well with her performance as Jimmy Ink, one of the Fingers who befriends Spike, and Lewis-Parry made stellar work with his almost dialogue-free performance as Samson.

Overall, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is a bold and unnervingly satisfying continuation of the "28 Years Later" saga that highlights the dread and terror of humanity beyond the raging zombies.  Audiences who enjoyed the franchise's reinvention will be treated to another rewarding change in direction, with its story and beautifully haunting scope both elevated by Alex Garland's screenplay and Nia DaCosta's remarkable vision.  Unfortunately, others eager to see more zombie violence and relentless gore would likely find this one challenging to bite into, especially when it's more focused on the grounded character drama than the infected.  Regardless, this is a horror sequel that isn't afraid to take some risky swings with its genre formula.  While not all of them hit their mark, they still equate to a well-crafted and frightening exploration of faith amid a post-apocalyptic landscape.  It doesn't impress me as much as "28 Years Later" due to its lack of an emotional hook and minimal zombie violence.  Nonetheless, it further proves the franchise's worth as the Alpha of the zombie horror genre.  Regarding its superb cast, Nia DaCosta's direction, Garland's well-written script, and gorgeous cinematography, "The Bone Temple" is another January horror film I would gladly give my seal of approval to.  It sucks that I didn't love it as much as everyone else did, but I liked it well enough to get me interested in the upcoming final chapter of the "28 Years Later" trilogy. 

B+