Fans had to wait 18 years between 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. But they only had to wait less than a year for the sequel to that sequel. Because 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is already here.
Picking up right where 28 Years Later left off, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sees little Spike (Alfie Williams reprising his role from 28 Years Later) hooking up with a ragtag tribe led by Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell from Sinners). The gang, which has its members give up their individuality to all become “Jimmies,” is a necessary evil for Spike, as safety in numbers seems to be his only means of survival in the wild with the infected running amok.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes, also back from 28 Years Later but also from Conclave and The Menu) continues his work with the infected and seems to have made a breakthrough with an “Alpha” infected that he calls Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry from Gladiator II). Kelson believes that he can save the world, but he’s on a collision course with Sir Jimmy and his band of Jimmies.
Although the screenplay for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was written by franchise creator Alex Garland (Civil War, Annihilation), the reins for this installment have been turned over to director Nia DaCosta (Hedda, The Candyman reboot). Despite this shift in directors, it is clearly a 28 Days Later movie. DaCosta and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (The Rhythm Section, The Marvels) use the same shaky-cam, fisheye approach as the other movies in the series, and Garland’s script is as brutal and unflinching as ever. The fact that this and 28 Years Later were practically shot back-to-back (they had to keep little Alfie Williams looking like his young character, after all) makes it a very continuous sequel.
Unfortunately, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple isn’t quite as laser-focused as its predecessors. There’s not much of a plot; it’s more mythology creation and world-building. And in its attempt to expand the mythology and world, it meanders a bit and finds itself a little disjointed. While all of the characters are interesting enough, there are bit parts that seem like they could become bigger players and bigger players that feel like bit parts. There are deeds that the Jimmies perform that should lead somewhere but don’t really serve any purpose, other than to express how violent and rage-filled the gang really is. Certain scenes feel like padding. Well-made and engaging padding, but padding nonetheless.
Despite this meandering, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple still has all the things that audiences have come to expect from a 28 Days Later movie, so fans will be satisfied. There’s plenty of that The Walking Dead-type of wandering around and getting attacked, and plenty of fighting off those attacks. The Jimmies do enough raiding and pillaging to establish themselves as the bad guys, and Dr. Kelson expresses enough mercy for the infected to show that he is the hero. There’s even some Romero-style character development for Samson, the most charismatic of the infected. It’s all there.
And then, the movie gets to its third act. And this is where 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple goes completely bonkers. Not bad bonkers, not good bonkers, just…interesting bonkers. Ralph Fiennes both earns his paycheck and has the time of his life with the movie’s climax. To avoid spoilers, let’s just say it’s always great to hear an Iron Maiden song in a movie and leave it at that. But no matter what’s going on in that fever dream, Ralph Fiennes completely commits to the bonkers-ness. He single-handedly sells the third act.
And the epilogue – again, let’s avoid spoilers, but it really makes one look forward to the next 28 Years Later movie in the trilogy.
In short, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple kind of feels like a transition movie from the last to the next. It’s got a coherent story and has nice closure at the end, but it feels like it’s part of something bigger. It’s like The Empire Strikes Back segueing from Star Wars to Return of the Jedi, if you will. That’s not to say 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is anywhere near as good as The Empire Strikes Back, only that big things are coming for the 28 Days Later franchise.
GRADE: B
Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Rating: R for graphic nudity, gore, brief drug use, language throughout, and strong bloody violence
Release Date: January 16, 2026
Studio: Columbia Pictures
