28 Years Later: The Bone Temple review

28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE: 

NIA DACOSTA CRAFTS A DAMN GOOD ENTRY IN DANNY BOYLE’S ZOMBIE FRANCHISE! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

 

            Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Harry Potter franchise, Conclave) returns to the fabled Bone Temple in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the latest film from director Nia DaCosta (Candyman (2021), The Marvels, Hedda) and the fourth installment of Danny Boyle (Trainspotting 1 and 2, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours)’s 28 Days Later film series. I already went into my thoughts on the 2002 28 Days Later and its 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later in last year’s review of 28 Years Later so, I won’t be recapping those here. 

            I thought 28 Years Later was a very solid installment in Boyle’s franchise which further expanded upon the world and explored new ideas within the series, most notably the Bone Temple and Fiennes’ Dr. Ian Kelson character. Needless to say, I was definitely intrigued by what they would do with a follow-up given how the last film ended and I have to say as much as I love Boyle as a filmmaker, DaCosta knocked this film out of the park. 

            28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a really damn good movie that not only do I enjoy as much as its predecessor, but I thought it was even better than 28 Years Later and the best in the series since the original over 20 years ago. Yes, a January horror movie with actual effort can happen once in a blue moon and this is one of them. 

            The film is set immediately after the events of 28 Years Later and follows former GP turned Rage virus memorialist Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes) continuing his maintenance on the Bone Temple, an ossuary memorial to those who were killed during the initial outbreak who makes an extraordinary discovery when an infected person begins to speak and regains consciousness. Meanwhile, Spike (Alfie Williams-His Dark Materials; reprising his role from 28 Years Later) has an encounter with the charismatic yet sadistic Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell-300: Rise of an Empire, Ferrari, Sinners) and his gang (who initially rescued him at the end of the last movie) which quickly becomes a nightmare as the infected is no longer the only threat in the world, it’s the survivors too.

            The film also stars Erin Kellyman (The Green Knight, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Willow (2022)) as Jimmy Ink, Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown, A Haunting in Venice, The Brutalist) as Jimmima, Sam Locke (The Way, Itopia) as Jimmy Fox, Louis Ashbourne Serkis (Alice Through the Looking Glass, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, The Kid Who Would Be King) as Tom, Mirren Mack (Sex Education, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Hedda) as Cathy, and David Sterne (The Wolfman (2010), Sister: Boniface Mysteries, EastEnders) as George. 

            Overall, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is an unexpected horror sequel that almost completely outshines its predecessor (And keep in mind, I really liked 28 Years Later) and delivers a consistently entertaining zombie flick that doesn’t let the zombie carnage interfere with its stellar performances. I thought Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson was a huge standout in 28 Years Later and wanted him and the Bone Temple to be explored further in a future movie, this is that film and he is absolutely magnificent here with some of the best acting I’ve ever seen from him which is saying a lot given his credentials. 

            Fiennes commands the screen with easily his biggest scene-stealing moment being in the last act that I dare not ruin here. But he’s great throughout the film with some of my favorite moments being his interactions with an infected person that he’s trying to tame and rehabilitate. 

            Jack O’Connell is an absolute treasure in this because he is hamming it up and enjoying every minute of it as a sadistic gang member and cult leader that Alfie Williams’ Spike gets tangled up with. I was both laughing and fucking terrified of his character at the same time because he is doing these horrific things and having his gang do equally horrific things, but he is having such a ball and relishing in every awful action he does, it’s hard not to laugh at how over-the-top he gets. 

            Alife Williams as Spike is once again great who like Fiennes’ character, I thought left a huge impression in the last movie and I loved seeing his journey continue and how his character grew within the past two films. Though in this film, he’s more of the B-plot, but he is still a crucial part of the story and it was great to have him back. 

            There is also one particular cameo towards the end that made me do the Leonardo DiCaprio point from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the theater as I was watching it and anyone who has a nostalgic connection for the original 28 Days Later will be very happy by this person’s appearance. 

            Like the last film, this movie has incredible cinematography and looks fantastic on the big screen with large shots of forests and landscapes that make it big and epic. Sure, it doesn’t have that independent movie feel the first film had which gets significantly lesser with each sequel, but I don’t care, I was marveling at what was being shown on the screen. 

            One thing that really surprised me was how amazing the soundtrack which often came from Fiennes’ Dr. Kelson playing records on a turntable such as a few Duran Duran songs, Radiohead’s Everything in its Right Place, and a climax involving fucking Iron Maiden songs which was simply awesome. Iron Maiden and zombies killing people go extremely well together! 

            The scares are effective and the zombie violence is nice and gory as early as the opening scene where a zombie does a straight-up Predator or Mortal Kombat kill by ripping someone’s skull and spinal cord out. Unlike those sanitized PG-13 attempts at zombie films like with World War Z and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, leave it to Nia DaCosta, Danny Boyle, and writer Alex Garland (Ex-Machina, Annihilation, Warfare) to remind audiences what a zombie movie should feel like and deliver the R-rated, bloody goodness. 

            28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a follow-up that surpasses its predecessor in just about every way and brings the best installment of the series since the original 28 Days Later. It’s scary, at times funny, and takes the franchise in new and exciting directions that I eagerly await further expansions on in future entries. 

            Also, what is up with these movies and referencing Teletubbies all of a sudden? I swear if the next movie doesn’t involve people fighting infected zombies wearing Teletubby costumes, I’m going to be very upset.