28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is an excellent sequel that lives up to the first movie

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Okay, so as a big fan of 28 Days Later, we had a seriously long wait for 28 Weeks Later – like, 18 years! But things are crazy now, because just seven months after that, we’re getting 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple! It’s almost too much of a good thing, honestly. The cool part is they filmed both 28 Years Later and the previous movie at the same time, but with a change behind the camera – Nia DaCosta took over as director from Danny Boyle.

Both films were written by Alex Garland, and Danny Boyle remained involved as an executive producer. While director Naomi DaCosta adds her own creative touch, the sequel feels like a natural extension of the original. It continues the story, starting right after the chaotic conclusion of 28 Years Later, which introduced the character of Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (played by Jack O’Connell), who bears a striking resemblance to Jimmy Savile.

Though you might wish the story delved deeper into a certain surprising plot point, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple certainly doesn’t hold back on the intense violence and imaginative filmmaking. It’s a fantastic follow-up that successfully builds on the original, and its ending will have fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.

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The first film centered on Spike, played by newcomer Alfie Williams, but 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple shares the focus between Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and Jimmy, who has recently brought Spike onto his team. While Dr. Kelson’s story develops into a surprisingly heartwarming friendship with the infected Alpha Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), Jimmy’s storyline takes a much darker turn.

It’s no surprise that Jimmy isn’t looking out for other survivors, and his actions quickly turn Spike’s life into a living nightmare. Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson, who is about to make a revolutionary discovery, finds himself in danger as well.

The beginning of ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ immediately prepares you for the terrifying events surrounding Jimmy Crystal. As expected, he has a brutal way of recruiting new members of his crew – his ‘fingers’ – and Spike is thrown into a fight to the death against one of them. While this opening is shocking, it’s actually quite mild compared to the horrors that unfold later.

Okay, so the new movie definitely doesn’t have quite as many crazy zombie attacks as the first one, but the director, Nia DaCosta, still isn’t afraid to get really dark. There’s one scene in particular that’s seriously messed up – probably the most disturbing in the whole series. The new villain, Jimmy, is super charming, but in a really creepy way – exactly how a cult leader would be. And he’s absolutely brutal, twisting the idea of doing good deeds into something totally messed up. It’s a theme we’ve seen before – people are the real monsters, right? – but it still works really well here.

The Dr. Kelson storyline provides a welcome change of pace with its hopeful tone, humor, and surprisingly great Duran Duran soundtrack. Ralph Fiennes, who was a standout in 28 Years Later, gets more screen time here as Dr. Kelson, and his attempts to connect with Samson are particularly enjoyable. The story culminates in a major reveal that will likely spark a lot of discussion among fans long after the episode ends.

Dr. Kelson’s conversations with Samson are eventually broken up by Jimmy and his group, but director Nia DaCosta skillfully balances the different moods of the film without it feeling disjointed. This actually makes the movie more interesting and surprising, leading to a particularly memorable scene featuring Iron Maiden that’s likely to be one of the highlights of 2026.

Wow, the ending of this film really blew me away! Ralph Fiennes delivers a performance like I’ve never seen from him before – it’s the perfect finish to what’s already been incredible. Jack O’Connell is amazing too; I thought his character could have been simple, but he brought so much depth to it, kind of like in Sinners. And Chi Lewis-Parry… playing a character who can’t speak is tough, but she absolutely nailed some of the most emotional moments in the whole thing.

One minor issue is that Spike, a standout character in the first movie, doesn’t get enough to do in this sequel. We also don’t learn much about Jimmy’s different associates beyond Erin Kellyman’s portrayal of Jimmy Ink. Hopefully, the ending hints at this being a focus for the third movie, but it prevents this sequel from being truly perfect.

The sequel definitely isn’t cautious. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple successfully builds on what came before, working as both a great story in itself and a promising setup for the last movie in the series.

The new film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, will be shown in UK cinemas starting January 14th, and in US cinemas starting January 16th.

The latest issue of Living Legends is now available, and it’s dedicated to the incredible Dolly Parton! You can purchase ‘Dolly at 80’ at newsstands or online for only £8.99.

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2026-01-13 23:50