Welcome back to post-apocalyptic Britain. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple delivers another slice of grisly Rage-virus-induced terror as young Spike (Alfie Williams) discovers that there are worse things lurking in the broken world than the hordes of infected.
When news surfaced online that Candyman director Nia DaCosta would film the second part of the new trilogy from Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, there were some concerns that the sequel would feel separate from the previous film, especially given its title.
But not only does 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple seamlessly pick up from the end of the previous chapter, DaCosta delivers both savagery and tenderness in a way that stays true to the grimy world of post-apocalyptic Britain while pushing in fresh directions to pull audiences further into this strange landscape.
It’s also allowed the time to be just as weird and gnarly as it likes, as Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) starts a bizarre new experiment with the infected Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). But it never loses pace, or focus, from Spike’s journey into hell.
What is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple about?
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks up moments after the first film when Spike is rescued by Sir Jimmy Crystal and his acrobatic cult. He’s forced into joining them on their rampage through the country, as they slaughter survivors and infected alike. It’s a pilgrimage of pain in service of the devil himself, and Spike is forced to realize that humanity can be just as brutal and twisted as the infected.
At the same time, Dr. Kelson starts experimenting with the effects of morphine on Samson, the brutish Alpha who is capable of ripping people’s heads clean off their shoulders. As Kelson digs into the Rage virus, he embarks on a new journey of discovery.
Essentially, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple goes down a road that most stereotypical zombie movies would be too afraid to touch, and the result is nothing short of stunning.
Ralph Fiennes is the standout star opposite Jack O’Connell’s volatile villain
Jack O’Connell’s Sir Jimmy Crystal is like a coiled spring, you never know when he’s going to go off. He wields a power over both his followers and the audience alike, commanding their attention and devotion in equal measure.
While the film never explicitly ties Crystal to Jimmy Savile, an infamous British pedophile, there’s plenty of subtext about a person who uses their power and influence to abuse vulnerable people. But as terrifying as Crystal is (and one torture scene will be carved into your brain forever) it’s Ralph Fiennes who becomes the standout star of The Bone Temple.
As a sole survivor building a memorial to the dead in the first film, he’s seen as lonely and odd. Here, it’s obvious that the weight of his isolation has troubled him over the years, which is what pushes him to try something new with Samson. It’s rare for a horror movie as wild and unhinged as this to show moments of real tenderness. Yet here Fiennes is dancing to Duran Duran in a freeing moment of exploration with one of the infected.
The Conclave and Harry Potter star balances this softness with one of the most exhilaratingly metal sequences ever put to the big screen. DaCosta somehow manages to capture the feeling of a rock concert with Fiennes at the forefront of the craziness, and it makes 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple a euphoric and riotous horror experience.
Calling the sequel a rollercoaster ride might sound derivative, but it’s the easiest way of explaining DaCosta’s approach to The Bone Temple. She cranks up the tension through the intense threat of the infected and the Jimmy cult, before plunging the audience into heartstopping chase scenes and a level of extreme violence that has to be seen to be believed. While it’s an ambitious swing for the fences, there isn’t a single misstep here.
Chi Lewis Parry also deserves his flowers as Samson, as his performance adds fascinating new dimensions to the feral Alpha, and he continues to deliver a brutally commanding presence as the infected king of the post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Of course, newcomer Alfie Williams is one to keep an eye on in the future, as teenage survivor Spike desperately attempts to be a good person in world that is anything but.
Is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple good?
In case it wasn’t clear: yes, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is very, very good. With some disgustingly grisly sequences, electrifying jump scares, and a crowd pleasing cliffhanger, Nia DaCosta has delivered one of the best horror movies of the decade.
Thankfully, Sony has already given Boyle and Garland the go-ahead to make the third film in this trilogy — which is a relief following a tantalizing cliffhanger. If the next film sticks the landing, the entire team will have delivered an epic trilogy that balances the tightrope between British folk horror and revamped zombie chaos.
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