28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Director Nia DaCosta on the Haunting Brutality of That Terrifying Barn Scene

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If you were expecting the group of blonde-wigged teenagers who saved Spike in the final scene of 28 Years Later to be the main heroes in the new movie, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, you’re in for a surprise.

The new film, The Bone Temple, continues the story of the 28 Days Later series, picking up right after the previous movie. Set almost thirty years after the original Rage Virus outbreak, the film follows 12-year-old Spike as he ventures out from his protected community on Holy Island to discover what lies beyond. Now playing in theaters and directed by Nia DaCosta (Hedda, Candyman), the story quickly throws Spike into a terrifying ordeal. He’s captured by Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), the cruel leader of a group called the Jimmies, who forces Spike to fight for his life. The rules are brutal: Spike must kill one of Jimmy’s seven followers to join the crew, or face death. Through luck, Spike manages to survive the initial challenge, but this is just the beginning of the horrors the Jimmies have in store.

While traveling through the English countryside and heading towards a confrontation with Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and his tamed, infected creature Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), the group stumbles upon a farm where survivors are living. What happens next is a shockingly violent example of a common zombie story theme: the true horrors aren’t the zombies themselves, but the actions of other people.

The idea of people creating their own rules and systems after a breakdown of society isn’t new to the 28 Days Later series – it was a central theme established in the original 2002 film. Director Michelle DaCosta draws a connection between the actions of Jimmy and his followers in the new film and Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his soldiers in the first movie, who resorted to enslavement and rape. DaCosta explains that the military’s behavior in 28 Days Later wasn’t about necessity, but about creating a structure and a belief system to cope with the chaos and meaninglessness after the infection. Jimmy does the same thing, building a cult and drawing vulnerable young people into it. DaCosta sees a clear parallel between the two groups and their need to establish order, however destructive.

What happens in The Bone Temple barn scene?

Driven by what Jimmy believes is the voice of Satan, the group, known as the Jimmies, capture four people and tie them up in a barn. They horrifically begin to skin three of the captives alive, calling this brutal act of torture a twisted form of “charity,” or “removal of the shirt.” As the agonizing torture continues through the night, a terrified Spike hides outside with Jimmy Ink, the only member of the group who seems to retain any compassion. Finally, after his companions are left barely alive, the last captive, Tom, is given a cruel choice: fight a Jimmy to the death. If he refuses, he’ll receive “charity.” If he loses the fight, he’ll receive the same.

Tom makes a poor choice in selecting a female Jimmy, nicknamed Jimmima (Emma Laird), as his opponent and is quickly and painfully disarmed. Once Tom is pinned down, the cruel Jimmima suggests a humiliating act to Jimmy, and prepares to carry it out. Luckily, Cathy (Mirren Mack), a pregnant woman who managed to escape the Jimmies and has been watching from the rafters, intervenes. She releases a large hook that strikes and kills Jimmima. A chaotic struggle follows, during which Tom manages to ignite a gas canister, setting fire to several Jimmies, his fellow captives, and the barn before he is killed. Cathy escapes, reducing the number of Jimmies and finally ending the horrific violence.

“The beauty and the bloodshed”

It’s difficult enough to watch the intense violence in the film. However, director DaCosta was surprised the movie received an R rating instead of something more restrictive. She explains that while she isn’t bothered by gore, the rating board found a particular scene exceptionally brutal. DaCosta felt the violence was necessary to balance the film’s beauty, ensuring the bloodshed matched the emotional weight for characters like Kelson and Samson. After receiving the initial rating, she adjusted the scene to maintain its impact while still achieving her desired rating.

DaCosta isn’t concerned about frightening audiences away from her horror film, stating that the goal of the genre is to genuinely horrify people.

She explains that it’s important to show the villains’ cruelty, but not to dwell on it unnecessarily. Understanding how brutal they are helps us understand what’s at risk when they come into conflict with characters we’re invested in.

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2026-01-16 20:06