28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ending explained – how does Cillian Murphy’s Jim return?

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*Warning – contains full spoilers for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, out now in UK cinemas.*

Just under a year after the successful release of 28 Years Later – a continuation of the story that began with the 2002 film 28 Days Later – another installment is already in the works. This will be the second part of a planned three-movie series.

Following directly after the intense ending of the previous movie, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple continues the story with Spike, now known as Alfie Williams, who unexpectedly encounters a dangerous group called the Jimmies.

While that’s happening, Dr. Kelson, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, starts running tests on Samson, who is infected with the Alpha virus and played by Chi Lewis-Parry.

Okay, so after everything Spike goes through and all the stuff Kelson uncovers, I’m really wondering how it all wraps up. More than that, I’m curious how this movie will lead into the third one. And honestly, I’m super excited to see Cillian Murphy back as Jim – Boyle already said he’d be in it, and I’m dying to know what role he’ll play in everything!

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ending explained – what happened to Kelson, Spike and the Jimmies?

In the climax of ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,’ Jack O’Connell’s character, Sir Jimmy Crystal, brought his group of followers, known as the Jimmies, to confront Dr. Kelson.

Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) previously spotted Kelson and, based on what Crystal told him, thought Kelson was the devil – or “Old Nick” as she called him – and his father. The gang carried out their brutal acts of torture, mutilation, and murder while invoking his name.

She’d already told Crystal what was happening, so he went to see Kelson by himself to find out the truth. Once he understood who Kelson really was, he asked him to continue acting as if everything was normal for Ink and the others. The next night, they would all visit Kelson, he’d play the part of the devil, and then they’d continue with their plan to kill people.

They arrived after dark. Kelson then entertained them with a performance, creating a fiery circle inside the bone temple. He danced and lip-synced to Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast,” playing the song on his record player.

Crystal told Kelson to build up his group and keep pursuing their cruel task. But when Kelson discovered that one of the masked figures was actually Spike, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through with it.

Kelson commanded his followers, the Jimmies, to crucify their leader and Crystal, claiming it mirrored the crucifixion of Jesus. However, Crystal argued that Kelson wasn’t Satan, but simply an elderly man, and fatally stabbed him.

Okay, so things really went south when Crystal betrayed everyone. It was the final straw for Jimmy Ink, who was already having doubts about his own abilities – he finally saw himself as a fake. The fallout was brutal; Crystal just wiped out all of Jimmy’s remaining followers, except for Spike, who she left standing. It was a shocking power move, and honestly, a pretty devastating scene.

Spike attacked Crystal with a knife, and Ink decided to hang Jimmy upside down on an inverted cross – a stage prop Kelson had previously used in a performance.

As Spike and Jimmy Ink left together, the latter revealed her real name to be Kelly.

What happened to Samson?

Kelson spent the movie trying different drugs and therapies on Samson, all in an effort to find a cure for his infection.

Understanding that Samson’s illness affected both his body and mind, Kelson developed a combination of antipsychotic medications. He administered these to Samson, who then went back to the derelict train nearby.

Being among others who were infected triggered increasingly clear memories of his childhood. He snapped out of a flashback—being asked for a train ticket—and was finally able to speak coherently. Immediately after, he was attacked by the infected, but he successfully defended himself.

After being stabbed by Jimmy Crystal and then tormented by Jimmy Ink, Kelson was left for dead. Samson returned to the Bone Temple and found Kelson, still breathing but gravely wounded. Kelson was able to feel a sense of accomplishment thanks to Samson’s gratitude before finally passing away.

Samson then approached Crystal, who saw the former Alpha as the devil himself.

How did Cillian Murphy’s Jim return?

The film concludes with a shot of a familiar cottage – the same one where Cillian Murphy’s character, Jim, was last seen in the movie 28 Days Later.

Jim was inside, assisting his daughter with studying for her history exam – an exam he was actually the one creating.

They heard a sound and went to check it out, spotting Spike and Kelly running from an infected horse in the distance.

Holding a gun, Jim assured his daughter they would definitely help the two people they’d been talking about, finally arranging the important meeting between Spike and himself that the story had been building towards.

The scene concluded with its iconic music – a blend of the themes from “28 Days Later” and “In the House – In a Heartbeat” – fading in as the end credits began.

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at the international production company Fremantle. He has a BA in English and Theatre Studies, as well as a journalism diploma.

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2026-01-14 21:08