28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review – A supremely satisfying horror thrill ride with unexpected depth

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.

The first film in the 2025 ’28 Years Later’ trilogy, marking Danny Boyle’s return to the horror series, surprised audiences with a sudden change in mood. After a serious story about a family surviving in a world destroyed by disease, the film ended with a darkly humorous and terrifying sequence involving a strange, unsettling gang – visually reminiscent of a bizarre mix between the Teletubbies and a controversial television personality.

The latest installment in the series, which started with 28 Days Later in 2002, took an interesting turn. It suggests the fourth film will be quite different from the last one—not a straight-up comedy, but definitely lighter in tone than the relentlessly bleak previous movie.

The story really picks up now, as the film dives deeper into its characters and the stakes become much higher. We also see more creative and intense action, balanced with some unexpected humor, marking a strong turning point in the narrative.

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The heart of The Bone Temple is a conflict between opposing forces. Ralph Fiennes returns as Dr. Ian Kelson, a doctor searching for a cure to the virus that devastated the country, while Jack O’Connell plays ‘Sir’ Jimmy Crystal, who preaches violence as the foundation of his dangerous cult.

Nia DaCosta, who directed this film after Danny Boyle, delays the main fight. The characters played by Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hardy don’t actually confront each other until well into the movie, giving the audience time to understand what drives them both.

The story begins with Spike Williams, a brave but troubled young boy introduced in the previous chapter. Now, he’s unwillingly part of a group called the ‘Jimmies.’ To prove himself, he’s forced into a dangerous fight against another follower of Jimmy Crystal. As Spike learns more about Crystal’s disturbing beliefs – including Crystal’s claim to be the son of Satan, whom he calls “Old Nick” – he probably wishes he’d made different choices.

Fiennes is taking a different approach, trying to tame one of the largest and most powerful infected, nicknamed Samson (played by Chi Lewis-Parry). Instead of traditional therapy, he uses tranquilizer darts and plays 80s music by Duran Duran – a charming twist on the story of Professor Henry Higgins teaching Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

Sometimes, the film’s depiction of a dystopian future feels a bit like watching an ’80s music video—particularly during a key scene set to Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast.” However, this stylistic choice adds to the visual experience without overshadowing the performances of Ralph Fiennes or John Boyega.

I really loved Robin Williams in the first movie – he was the emotional center of everything. In this sequel, he doesn’t get quite as much screen time, but whenever he is on screen, reacting to the chaos the guys are causing, it’s fantastic. He still feels like the one character who’s really grounding the whole thing, and reminding us what’s right and wrong.

It’s hard to say who is more captivating: Ralph Fiennes, playing a doctor who can be both brutal and charmingly witty, or Tom Hardy as a cunning manipulator who leads others to commit terrible acts.

The actors truly bring the story to life, adding layers of emotion and detail that haven’t been seen in this type of horror film since ’28 Days Later.’ This creates a genuinely thrilling and surprisingly thoughtful horror experience.

The story leaves some questions unanswered, and we don’t know what happens to certain characters, but a third movie featuring Garland’s script is planned with Boyle returning as director, so we shouldn’t worry about the story being unfinished just yet.

The ending of The Bone Temple hints at what will happen in the third movie, and includes a surprising twist. It suggests a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the series.

Authors

Terry Staunton

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2026-01-14 14:39