'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Review: Ralph Fiennes brings levity to experimental zombie saga

Avid fearfulness fans are astir apt rather acquainted with 2001's "28 Days Later," 1 of Oscar-winning manager Danny Boyle's earlier films that starred then-unknown histrion Cillian Murphy, present an Oscar victor himself. There's not overmuch to the plot: a microorganism breaks retired successful the U.K. turning those infected into rage-filled zombies. Six years aboriginal came "28 Weeks Later," telling a wholly antithetic communicative but based connected the aforesaid pandemic and notably featuring a formed of much then-unknowns similar Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne and Idris Elba (Boyle didn't direct, but served arsenic enforcement producer).

The franchise laid dormant for 18 years until past summer's "28 Years Later," bringing Boyle backmost into the director's seat with Murphy serving arsenic an enforcement producer. It was rather a departure from the archetypal 2 films arsenic it veered much towards artsy than scary.

Which brings america to "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple."

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Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) successful Columbia Pictures' "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple."  (© 2026 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

While it wouldn't wounded for viewers to spot its 3 predecessors, it would beryllium beauteous adjuvant to astatine slightest spot "28 Years Later" since the events of "The Bone Temple" instrumentality spot instantly aft and impact immoderate of the aforesaid characters.

"The Bone Temple" tells 2 stories that yet collide successful the 3rd act. The archetypal follows the teen Spike (Alfie Williams), who near his harmless and isolated land colony down to embark connected his ain connected the mainland — that is until helium meets Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), a satanist cult person who offers him extortion successful speech for loyalty. The movie opens with Spike's initiation to go 1 of his "Seven Fingers," his followers who don blonde wigs and tracksuits and besides instrumentality connected the sanction Jimmy.

The test: termination different Jimmy, thing the good-hearted Spike powerfully hesitates to do.

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Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) with the Jimmies successful Columbia Pictures' "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." (© 2026 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved)

The 2nd follows mild-mannered Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who we besides conscionable successful the erstwhile installment. Prior to the outbreak, helium was a doc successful mean society. Now, he's secluded from quality enactment and has taken connected a hobby of gathering a fortress wholly built connected skeletal remains (hence the title). When he's not listening to Duran Duran oregon Iron Maiden connected his grounds subordinate successful an underground bunker, he's attempting to make a cure for the virus.

His trial taxable is rather unexpected: a Hulk-like zombie dubbed successful the erstwhile installment arsenic an "alpha" (played by 6'9 Chi Lewis-Parry), who Ian fondly begins calling Samson. One would deliberation that Ian is brainsick to clasp an alpha zombie for his experiment, particularly since Samson tin rip a caput from a assemblage similar much easy than I tin unfastened a solid jar (that's due to the fact that Ian is kinda crazy. But lo and behold, helium begins to marque advancement with the monstrous figure.

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"The Bone Temple" feels similar watching 2 antithetic movies. The archetypal resembles 2008's "The Strangers" arsenic we travel the battalion of Jimmys torment and brutally torture a radical of guiltless non-zombies astatine their workplace with Spike feeling similar a hostage himself. The 2nd resembles "Young Frankenstein" arsenic Ian and Samson signifier a buddy drama dynamic arsenic the alpha zombie dilatory recalls what being quality is like. And similar the precocious greats Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle, the 2 of them marque large creation partners!

Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) successful Columbia Pictures' "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple."

Perhaps the astir astonishing happening astir "The Bone Temple" is the deficiency of fearfulness contempt it being a fearfulness film, which "28 Years Later" besides experienced. While there's a fewer leap scares and plentifulness of gore, we arsenic the assemblage don't needfully consciousness frightened passim the movie similar galore of america did successful "28 Days" and "28 Weeks Later." That's not to accidental that "The Bone Temple" is simply a bore — acold from it.

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Fiennes, who has a delayed instauration successful the past film, gets plentifulness of surface clip present playing the delightful, kooky doctor, offering levity to "The Bone Temple." O'Connell gives a lively show arsenic the twisted religiously-tinged homicidal maniac whose assurance and acheronian consciousness of wit entrances his impressionable young followers. Williams gives a sympathetic performance, though helium shines overmuch much successful the anterior movie arsenic Spike goes done a coming-of-age arc. Erin Kellyman besides deserves a outcry arsenic 1 of Jimmy's "Jimmys," playing caput games with Spike (and the audience) arsenic to whether she should beryllium trusted.

Nia DaCosta takes implicit for Boyle successful the director's chair. The up-and-coming filmmaker has dabbled successful fearfulness earlier with her commendable "Candyman" remake, but the absorption present feels similar a blander mentation of Boyle's imaginativeness successful the erstwhile film. Alex Garland, who wrote "28 Days" and "28 Years Later," returned to pen "The Bone Temple" screenplay.

Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) successful Columbia Pictures' "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." 

The Verdict:

While 7 months whitethorn look excessively soon to merchandise a sequel, "The Bone Temple" is capable to differentiate itself from its nonstop predecessor capable to warrant the speedy turnaround. Faithfuls of the "28" franchise volition invited the 4th chapter, but it mightiness beryllium hard for this movie to cater to anyone else. Nonetheless, "The Bone Temple" is an absorbing section successful this zombieverse.

★★★ — STREAM IT LATER

"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" is rated R for beardown bloody violence, gore, graphic nudity, connection throughout, and little cause use. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes. In theaters now.

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