“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple”
Genre: Horror
Rated: (R)
Released: January 16, 2026
Running Time: 1 hr 50 minutes
Trigger Warning: strong bloody violence, drug use, gore, full nudity, some sexual content
Rating: 9/10
Stories of undead masses causing an apocalypse have been around for millennia. Though the classic cannibalistic zombie we know and love on screen has only existed since the late 1960s. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” is the fourth installment in a series that took vastly new approaches to other zombie movies. The original film, “28 Days Later (2003),” replaced the slow, mindless ghouls with fast, aggressive, infected people. Instead of being the undead, the monsters were alive, driven by a need to spread the virus, and capable of dying.
“The Bone Temple,” directed by Nia DaCosta, features familiar names like Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell and Cillian Murphy. Unlike the previous movies, we follow the same characters in “28 Years Later (2025),” rather than a completely different group of people. Those being Spike (Alfie Williams), Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Each actor, big and not, did a fantastic job at portraying the most primitive human emotions and instinctual reactions to the harsh conditions of an apocalypse.
The film was amazing from the get-go.
The soundtrack was phenomenal, with popular songs like “Ordinary World” (Duran Duran), “Everything in Its Right Place” (Radiohead) and “The Number of the Beast” (Iron Maiden).
The cinematography was reminiscent of past films while still being unique in its own right; especially when it gets somewhat “crusty,” follows specific characters, or becomes cloudy and dreamlike. Intense moments are enhanced and exaggerated by the shaky, jolting camera movements as they follow characters. In addition with the outright nudity and unabashed gore, it makes for a coldly horrifying experience. Unlike the other movies, it’s not all doom and gloom either. It shows both evil and monstrosity in the form of Jimmy’s cult and the opposite. That being the goodness and humanity.
The gore was everything it needed to be and more. Heads being ripped out of the body with the spine still attached, monuments of femurs and skulls, intestines strewn around and skin being peeled off living muscle are done flawlessly.
“The Bone Temple” differs from other movies in that respect, as sometimes the gore can be overdone and tacky. The infected look disgusting, covered in blood, vomit and other bodily fluids. Combined with hemorrhaged eyes, vicious attitudes and a relentless search for new blood, it forces fear into the audience.
The entire movie was tense, living is never a guarantee, and as shown before, it can change in an instant.
At about the halfway point, a pregnant woman, Cathy, and her husband, Tom, lose a man to the infected while coming home from the woods. They get back to their fenced-in “compound” they share with another couple and an old man, only to find Jimmy and his cult have forced their way in. The cult forces the survivors to feed them, before Cathy insists they leave, and the Jimmys attack. They are then skinned alive, called “charity” by Jimmy Crystal, before the whole barn is set aflame by Tom in an effort to kill the Jimmys.
A driving point in each of the “28 Days Later” movies is that nothing is constant, everything changes and everything dies. Horror series that have been going on for a while can lose the plot and the later installments are left a shell of what they could’ve been. The theme of “memento mori” is clear and carried throughout “The Bone Temple” without being overbearing or too focused on the past films.
There wasn’t one scene that fell short or ruined any scenes. The entire thing was wonderful, top to bottom, though it’s always a disappointment when a beloved character dies unnecessarily. Some of the best moments include those between Dr. Kelson and Samson, Spike with the Jimmys, and when Jim, the protagonist in the original film, is featured.
“28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” was a great start to the beginning of 2026. Not having worn out the series at all, it’s impossible not to believe the fifth movie isn’t eagerly anticipated. The camera work is an art in and of itself, the acting is fantastic, the soundtrack captivating and the list goes on. Singing praises of the film is not enough; one needs to watch it to understand how great a flick it is. Going into it, I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did, but for a zombie movie, it is truly one of a kind, more than worth its nearly two-hour run.
