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The 28 Days Later zombie franchise continues with Ralph Fiennes, Alfie Williams, and Jack O’Connell reprising the roles they established in 2025’s 28 Years Later. Williams’ character, Spike, has fallen in with a murderous cult of teenagers led by O’Connell’s self-proclaimed son of Satan, Sir Jimmy Crystal. Their exploits lead them to the ‘bone temple’ ossuary created by Fiennes character, Dr. Kelson, who has made progress reversing the zombie disease in Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), the towering alpha zombie from the previous film. When Kelson and Jimmy Crystal meet, there’s a shift in power that allows Spike an opportunity to escape Jimmy’s warped, religious crusade.
The Bone Temple feels like an episode from a television series more than a feature film — and not a climactic episode, but rather an ‘in-between’ one. It’s not nearly as engrossing as 28 Years Later, or the original 2002 film, 28 Days Later. It sets up for yet another sequel at its own peril. It’s also the furthest removed from the zombie concept that started the whole franchise, with comparatively little zombie action or horror. While the film may test the patience of die-hard horror fans, it’s moderately entertaining as a post-apocalyptic drama. Fiennes gives a strong performance as the lonely doctor who strikes up an unlikely friendship with his ‘patient’, the heavily sedated Samson. He also gets to put on quite a spectacular ‘show’ at the film’s climax, when he attempts to convince certain impressionable characters that he is the Devil (with help from Iron Maiden).
Directed by Nia Dacosta (The Marvels, 2021’s Candyman remake). Written by Alex Garland. With Erin Kellyman, Connor Newall, and Emma Laird.