'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Review: DaCosta’s Bonkers, Triumphant Expansion of the Franchise
Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple blends gore, dark humor and human cruelty, showcasing Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell in a franchise entry.
Overview
Nia DaCosta directs the fourth entry, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, continuing Alex Garland’s script and expanding the franchise’s narrative and tone.
Ralph Fiennes’ Dr. Ian Kelson forms an unlikely bond with an alpha infected; Jack O’Connell’s Jimmy Crystal leads a violent cult of youths opposing him.
The film mixes intense gore, dark humor and music—Duran Duran, Radiohead, Iron Maiden—creating surreal, often humorous set pieces that subvert classic zombie conventions.
Fiennes earns strong praise for a committed, unpredictable performance; O’Connell provides chilling menace. DaCosta balances dark and light, emphasizing human conflicts over mindless undead.
Critics call it possibly the best franchise chapter — smaller, gorier, and more focused — setting up a continuing arc and teasing a fifth installment.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the review through sensational, evaluative language and selective emphasis on gore and auteur intent. They foreground grisly set-pieces, performance praise (Fiennes, O’Connell) and cultural touchstones (Savile, Manson, Straw Dogs) while downplaying plot continuity and alternative readings, using vivid verbs and comparisons to shape a dark, serious narrative about DaCosta’s film.
Sources (6)
FAQ
Nia DaCosta directed the film, which is the fourth entry in the franchise, written by Alex Garland, and serves as a direct sequel to 28 Years Later, shot back-to-back as part of a planned trilogy.
Spike (Alfie Williams) is forced to join Jimmy Crystal's (Jack O’Connell) Satanist cult 'The Jimmys' after a knife fight; Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) bonds with an alpha infected named Samson to study the Rage Virus and seek a cure.
The film blends intense gore, dark humor, surreal set pieces subverting zombie conventions, music from Duran Duran, Radiohead, and Iron Maiden, emphasizing human cruelty over infected threats.
The film is scheduled for release in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2026, and in the United States on January 16, 2026.
Ralph Fiennes is praised for a committed performance, Jack O’Connell for chilling menace; critics call it the best franchise entry—brutal, unhinged, gorier, more focused, and a massive improvement.
History
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