Everyone Said the Last 20 Minutes of ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Were Insane… They Weren’t Wrong
It was back in October of 2024, that Severed Cinema’s Clint wrote an article saying how 28 Years Later had the potential to be the biggest horror movie ever (see article here). Wow, that got old quick. But let’s be honest, after all of the hype and the wait I think we were all expecting it to be huge. The original was a legit genuine game changer in the genre, whilst the second chapter was a fun, balls-to-the-wall action lunatic fringe flick that took no prisoners. So, after many, many years the announcement and build kind of crippled a lot of enjoyment as you watched it.
Last years release made it into my top 5 article of 2025 as the biggest disappointment (see Jay Creepy’s Top 5 Horror Films of 2025). I didn’t mind the set up. The sets and locations were amazing, and the Jimmy gang didn’t bother me for three reasons. Firstly, this is far in the future of an absolute apocalypse filled with infected running at you so a whole mass of cults and religions would have sprung up, it’s the wild west, anything goes (see The Walking Dead series). Secondly, in the timeline, the infection started before Jimmy Saville was exposed as a real-life monster so this whole innocence turning dark would likely be explored in the second flick. Thirdly, I was totally bored by then.
Wasted characters, pointless directionless scripting, it was a tumbling mess to many people but saved by the child actor Alfie Williams who played Spike, and Ralph Fiennes. Personally, I didn’t like Spike nor the good Dr. Ian Kelson because neither character had meat on the skeleton.
Roll on the next instalment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and let’s see how Spike and Kelson build up this time ‘round. The hype train was out of control across social media. I scrolled to discover post after post stating how exciting, horrifying, etcetera this was. One thing many agreed on was apparently the final twenty minutes which raised the bar. I was totally dragged into this and decided it had to be seen at the cinema with my Partner in Gore plus my two sons and was inspired to write another flash review the next day (18/1).
Sitting waiting for the trailers to go by (nothing of note this time), I roughly counted over one hundred and twenty or so folks joining us that evening. Wow, now it’s been many decades — in fact it would have been the early 2000s, I think The Hills Have Eyes remake — that I witnessed close to that many people. A far cry from packed out cinemas I was crushed in for Return of the Jedi and Back to the Future (I was too young then to get into the horrors), but it made me smile. Cinema survives in little pockets here and there.
The Bone Temple is owned by Ralph Fiennes. This is Dr. Kelson’s film. He is the central character and was served in a small dose prior to deliver this goliath of a performance. Ian Kelson continues his daily life of gathering bodies to build his giant monument of the dead. He hides at night underground playing Duran Duran LPs. Into his life arrives the Alpha we saw last time out, big rubber shlong swinging around. After hitting him with a couple of darts dipped in morphine, Kelson realises the monster is coming back to hang out and take drugs. They spend many days just chilling out, Kelson talking, discussing everything and nothing to the doped up subdued leviathan.
Meanwhile, Spike has the thankless role of being a blubbering bitch throughout. You think he was getting tough in the last film? Naah, he cries, he vomits, he cries again. Oh, he does kill one of the Jimmy gang near the beginning but that’s because their leader, Sir Jimmy Crystal forces him into a deathmatch.
Basically, the Jimmy’s are all savage killers, out to gather souls for Ol’ Nick, whom Sir Jimmy says is his father and he is Nick’s only son. He has his twisted biblical tales to tell his followers constantly; he is merciless in his mission of destruction. Spike meanwhile cries a lot.
We know that sooner or later, the gang will cross paths with Kelson and perhaps the Alpha, who has been named Samson by our doctor and the much spoken about twenty minutes will explode into our retinas.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is definitely three times the film its predecessor was, which is no hard task, let’s be honest. There is a feast of gore for those who came for the crimson stuff, including some brilliantly designed post human skinning scenes. The story of Kelson and the Alpha is the highpoint which it’s supposed to be, and director Nia (Candyman ’21, The Marvels) DaCosta milks the scenery and the oncoming darkness to its height. She has made this film a lot more than its story is by being very good at her job.
The Jimmy gang though, is still quite empty. They could have been so much more. Jack O’ Connell, of Sinners, Private Peaceful, and Tower Block kind of phones it in a bit as a villain which is a shame due to his towering performance in Sinners. Plus, the before mentioned Tower Block all those years ago. His minions are all one dimensional apart from upcoming actress Emma Laird as Jimmima who turns in a glorious turn fooling you into thinking she’s docile and not all there before unleashing the beast within. It turns out there’s a fair few hiding pockets of survivors around the vast forests, and we are left to figure the gang have been doing this for years, which is cool.
I noticed an interesting article someone had written on Facebook as I doom scrolled all The Bone Temple shit, I see now that the algorithms have got me that there’s a bit of a comparison to Jimmy’s gang plus Alex and his Droogs. It’s certain scenes / moments which a pose, or whatever is identical. Coincidence? Or a nice little tribute?
It all comes down to religion and science after an apocalypse scenario.
As for the infamously spoke about last twenty minutes of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. There are stunning visuals and a musical piece which must be seen in the cinema for the pure spectacle. It’s a huge WTF sequence that didn’t need to be there, but you’re glad it is. Again, Nia makes sure the cameras collect so many jaw dropping moments and before you go, “Aw, come on, enough!” calms things to increase the pressure for the big finale.
And yes, a certain person does return… plus Spike cries some more.
This is not a perfect movie. For all it’s visual treats plus acting, the script just isn’t tight and is a clusterfuck sometimes. The film does finally showcase that these are not zombies — they are infected. Wait ‘til Sampson’s flashback sequence to understand.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple comes recommended but I encourage you to catch it on the big screen as I figure that a shrunken down viewing will take away so many sounds and sights. I’m honestly glad the hype train caught me on the tracks. The film is fun, it made me laugh a few times, but there wasn’t any tension felt like the first two unfortunately. However, the nearly two-hour running time does speed by.
The sounds of Spike blubbering and vomiting will remain long after you’ve left your seat.
Directed by: Nia DaCosta
Written by: Alex Garland
Produced by: Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Andrew Madcdonald, Peter Rice
Edited by: Jake Roberts
Music by: Hildur Gudnadottir
Special Effects by: John Nolan Studio
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’ Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Emma Laird, Chi Lewis Parry, Mirren Mack, Connor Newall, Maura Bird, Ghazi Al Ruffai, Robert Rhodes
Year: 2026
Country: UK
Language: English
Colour: Colour
Runtime: 1h 49min
Studio: TSG Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, DNA Films, Decibel Films
Distributor: Sony Pictures
