28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Movie Review

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Movie Review: Doubled Down Delights

After the tonal shift introduced in last year’s 28 Years Later, some fans may have walked away disappointed. For us, however, that film’s deeper world-building and more human-centric, thought-provoking approach felt like a natural and necessary evolution of the franchise. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple doubles down on that shift, fully embracing a bizarre yet distinctive take on the horror genre.

Following the events of the previous film, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship, one that could potentially change the world as they know it. Meanwhile, Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with the enigmatic Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) pulls him into a group of terrifying killers, quickly becoming a nightmare he can’t escape. Decades after the rage virus outbreak, it becomes increasingly clear that the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival and the inhumanity of the survivors proves far more disturbing than the monsters that roam the world.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a trip. The film leans heavily into its core idea of redefining who the real monsters are in this post-apocalyptic reality. It doesn’t hold back on shock value, easily earning its local R-16 rating. And honestly, we were surprised it passed with that classification, as several scenes push uncomfortably close to an R-18 rating if we're completely being honest about what we experience and saw first hand.

For us, the film’s strongest asset were the performances. While Alfie Williams was the standout in the previous installment, this time the spotlight shifts to Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, both of whom deliver compelling performances in very different ways. O’Connell is pitch-perfect as the tyrannical Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, a character who is disturbingly charismatic and oddly entertaining for a maniacal killer. Fiennes, on the other hand, offers a nuanced performance that builds steadily toward a final scene we won’t soon forget for the sheer awesomeness displayed on-screen. More nuanced, more complete, and ultimately more mature than its predecessor, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a well-rounded entry that made us even more excited about where this franchise is heading next.

Rating: 4 reels