Set after the events of 28 Years Later, Spike (played again by Alfie Williams) finds himself stuck with a psychotic group of murderous teens run by Jimmy Crystal (played by Jack O’Connell), a deranged youth who commands his subordinates (who he all named Jimmys) to carry out the will of Satan as they bring gruesome fates to all who have survived this apocalypse. As this is going on, Dr. Ian Kelson (played again by Ralph Fiennes) is attempting to find a cure for the infected by continually experimenting on a raging Alpha he has nicknamed Samson (played by Chi Lewis-Parry), which may bear some results as the neanderthal-like being starts to exhibit traces of his old life when pacified with medication. This healing may need to come quickly however, as the Jimmys take interest in Kelson (believing him to be the devil) and plan to contact him in order to cement their unholy mission, placing Spike in even more jeopardy as they determine whether to make him ‘’one of them’’ or turn him into their next sacrifice.
28 YEARS LATER : THE BONE TEMPLE operates on a similar wavelength as its predecessor but is elevated thanks to seemingly minor but nevertheless crucial improvements across the board, resulting in a flick that might not stagger or quake in the way this film’s extremely high critical results may infer, but keeps you engaged with its strong performances, captivating aesthetic and visuals, and really good direction.
Being shot back-to-back with the previous film, the director position was passed to Nia DaCosta, who previously rose to fame in the horror space for directing the 2021 remake of Candyman, where she received significant praise for her visuals, viscerally energetic attitude, and blend of social commentary and scares, which logically made her a pretty smart choice for this series and this particular movie, which would dive deeper into a facet of this new world that required some level of intricacy and introspection.
With Danny Boyle now acting as a producer and with him and Alex Garland (who returned to write the screenplay) allowing her creative freedom, DaCosta had the chance to make this film her own, and she certainly did so to tremendous results. While still feeling like it occupies the same universe and atmosphere, the direction is much tighter and flowing, dripping with juicy performances and clean imagery, and elevates a story that from a plot perspective could feel pretty small and even boring, into a pretty compelling tale about human nature and how much internal and external aspects contribute to how a person becomes who they are.
The script sadly isn’t detailed enough to really bring the best out of these topics, which is bizarre considering Garland is usually known for writing material that stands out for its unflinching and even divisive takes on subject matters, and yet it feels like DaCosta is the one keeping this project afloat, as without her, it could’ve been aimless and even a little dull.
With a short running time of just under 110 mins, 28 YEARS LATER : THE BONE TEMPLE might not provide something totally distinct from other zombie films, but is easily the best constructed, paced and executed film of this series, with strong performances that really bring the audience into the mental states of these characters, imagery that isn’t hindered by shaky camerawork, and can produce some great memorable visuals, and a third act that is easily the best part of the movie, with the most striking shots, rapid editing that isn’t hard to make out, and captivatingly manic performances that completely draw you in. It’s hard to say that this will draw in people who weren’t invested in the series prior, but it will no doubt impress those who were and is a great showcase for Nia DaCosta as a filmmaker.
With a pretty small roster than no longer has names like Jodie Comer and Aaron-Taylor Johnson attached, you’d think the cast might seem a little unimpressive now, but luckily the remaining characters plus the new faces introduced are pretty memorable thanks to DaCosta’s more intimate directing style that favours characters with more of an unhinged side, therefore coming across as more than just generic archetypes of the genre.
This upgrade is felt the most with Sampson, who previously existed as just a physically-intimidating threat, but how the film explores him is very interesting, as watching this very barbaric and inhuman creature get the closest to returning to his old self is wonderfully captured through Chi Lewis-Parry’s mannerisms, expressions and vocalisations, and great scene work by DaCosta which offers a first-person perspective into the minds of these creatures and very naturally shows the progression of their state of mind through subtle visual and audio cues, it’s incredibly well done.
The Jimmys are also a very well realised group, being presented as your traditional psychotic apocalypse group who have turned more monstrous than the zombies around them but contain just enough flair and character to come across as a zanily disturbed mob without ever fully falling into total parody. This is thanks to the actors portraying them, who do a good job playing these truly sick people in a way that offers a lot of personality but also feels very believable, and while Erin Kellyman brings a lot of humanity to the one good one in the group and Emma Laird uses her brief time fantastically during a pretty intense sequence of tormenting a hostage, Jack O’Connell as Jimmy Crystal is truly the shining star of this group and is probably the best part of the entire movie.
After previously showing his ability to portray a captivating yet intimidating villain in Sinners, he is just as creepy as this character and has a lot of great moments where he chews the scenery fantastically, especially when paired alongside Ralph Fiennes. He is also great as this returning character and has a great moment during the climax where he has to play along with this cult’s façade in order to avoid execution, both him and O’Connell are definitely the highlights of this film. Alfie Williams is sadly not allowed to do much in this film besides act as the hopeless innocent, he does still do a good job, and by the end, works as a leading character for this new trilogy.
While 28 Years Later had the benefit of having more organised camerawork than the two previous films, this series has kind of become synonymous with its frantic camerawork and editing, and it isn’t present in this follow-up. With Sean Bobbitt taking on the role of cinematographer and now being filmed with a proper camera rather than just a phone. 28 YEARS LATER : THE BONE TEMPLE not only looks more natural and can provide more conventionally pretty shots and angles but offers a clarity that hasn’t really been felt with this series, which might be a turn-off for some.
While the last film was able to retain its identity while still looking better composed, this film doesn’t really have that unique voice behind its imagery, which goes more for scale and elegant reveals rather than a hectic frenzy that doesn’t allow for much quiet time. It has great angles and establishing shots, the editing by Jake Roberts is far more stable, and the music by Hildur Guðnadóttir really knows how to make an intense moment even more so, but die-hard fans may be caught off guard with this better presentation and ironically feel something is missing because of it. While the film has even less of the infected than the previous film did, the movie still has plenty of uncomfortable and gruesome moments thanks to the Jimmys, and they don’t hold back when it comes to showcasing the graphic intensity of said moments.
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE is being wonderfully reviewed and is considered the best film of this new trilogy as well as the franchise overall, but the weak box office out of the gate may be a sign that it doesn’t have the steam to survive within the mainstream blockbuster space, which is a shame. This isn’t saying a lot considering the past entries were at best unique takes on a cliched genre, but even if the money doesn’t come in, the talent of the actors and Nia DaCosta deserve to be acknowledged, because they are why this film is as strong as it is. The story may feel pretty secondary and nothing truly screams fantastic from a general view, but the quality of the actors, the prettiness of the imagery, the effectiveness of the direction, and the impressiveness of the third act, all combine into a very sturdy skeleton.
