28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – Movie Review
The final few minutes of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later stunned audiences with the tonally jarring arrival of Jimmy – a bleached blonde, scraggily haired, upside-down crucifix necklace wearing, velvet tracksuit donning enigma played by Jack O’Connell – and his crew of teenage misfits, all dressed the same as their cult leader, who used Power Rangers style gymnastic manoeuvres to save Spike (Alfie Williams) from a horde of approaching zombies.
For many outside of the United Kingdom (the setting of this post-apocalyptic, zombie infested nightmarescape), Jimmy’s physical parallel to real-life predator Jimmy Saville, formerly a beloved television presenter whose heinous crimes were not made present within the timeline of the 28 Years saga, really meant only one thing – this was going to be one evil fucking guy.
Shot back-to-back with Boyle’s film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sees director Nia DaCosta continuing the story of Spike, Jimmy, and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) as they navigate the isolation of their post-apocalyptic situation, and the internal battles of who truly are the monsters.
Spike has reluctantly been taken under the wing of the Jimmy’s, and he begins to experience the full brutality of their ethos in the film’s shocking opening scene. The satanic teachings of Sir Jimmy, who often contradicts himself in his “faith through fear” sermons (often preached while committing horrendous acts of violence), set the danger levels for Spike at an all-time high. However, Spike begins to form a bond with Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), a more senior ranking member of the Jimmy’s – which ultimately means she’s survived long enough in this group to make her way up the hierarchy – who is beginning to detest the violence and contradiction of their forced upon leader.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson continues his studies on the alpha zombie, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) in his long-shot attempts to find a cure for the rage virus. As he ponders about his daily routines of listening to old vinyl records while focusing on the maintenance of his literal and spiritual Bone Temple, his isolation after his touching moments with Spike and Isla in the previous film leads to a feeling of loneliness that may finally be catching up with his emotions in an unexpected way.
The Bone Temple is a story of two very distinct tones. The frenetic evil of the Jimmy’s is heavily juxtaposed by the serene calmness of Dr. Kelson’s temple. However, Alex Garland’s screenplay and DaCosta’s phenomenal direction manage to not just balance the two tones incredibly well and coherently, but also allows the tension to rise throughout as the inevitability of these two different worlds colliding becomes unavoidable in the film’s third act.
DaCosta shoots the Jimmy’s predominantly hand-held, dynamically moving the camera around the insanity and violence in such a visceral way that matches the energy of Sir Jimmy. The brutality of this group is unflinching as DaCosta refuses to shy away from the physical carnage they inflict on those unfortunate enough to cross their paths.
It’s also the wildly engaging and terrifying performance of Jack O’Connell that truly brings evil to the forefront. It’s impossible to not be completely captivated by how relentless O’Connell’s presence is on screen, and through that captivation comes the true hatred of his evil. But, people love a good villain, and Sir Jimmy has placed himself in the echelon of great villains in this film. O’Connell understands the complexity of a character whose life was stunted as a child due to the outbreak of the apocalypse, and Garland’s script does a brilliant job of showing the audience that Jimmy is an evil product of evil, which is often what leads to his contradictions.
Then there is the calmness and beauty that DaCosta’s far more still uses of the camera for Dr. Kelson brings to The Bone Temple, that highlights something that is often featured in Garland’s screenplays, despite whatever horrendous situation is playing out in the world – there is hope. Fiennes was the embodiment of that hope and humanity in 28 Years Later, and the exploration and continuation of that in The Bone Temple is wonderfully beautiful and unexpectedly touching, with many moments that may bring a few tears to the eye.
But, as the film propulsively moves towards its third act, it leads to some truly exciting scenes – namely an extended, riveting conversation between Sir Jimmy and Dr. Kelson about religion and humanity, and a set-piece within the Bone Temple that goes unbelievably hard, leading to an ending that will surprise audiences, and simultaneously create a lot of anticipation for the upcoming closer for the trilogy.
It may only be January, but it’s impossible to deny that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is one of the best films of 2026. Nia DaCosta has brought audiences the boldest and most brutal entry into the saga, and Jack O’Connell has embodied one the best movie villains of the century. It’s at times uncomfortable, and at times beautiful, but it’s altogether a phenomenal cinematic experience.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is in Australian cinemas January 15
