Picking up immediately after “28 Years Later,” the second entry, “28: Years Later: The Bone Temple” follows Spike who’s abducted by a satanic cult led by Jimmy Crystal. Members of his group wear track suits and blonde wigs after distracted British disc jockey, Jimmy Savile. Meanwhile, Dr. Ian Kelson searches for a way to treat the Rage Virus. He finds a giant male zombie as a guinea pig.
The second film in a trilogy earned critical acclaim and underperformed at the box office grossing only $58,527,279. Not enough to recoup its $63 million budget. As of late 2026, a third and final installment is put on hold due to Alex Garland working on a film adaptation of “Elden Ring” produced by A24. Danny Boyle’s seeking approval from Sony to fund it. All we can do is cross our fingers.
Anyway, it’s Halloween Month. I intend to watch and post horror movies throughout October. Which one should I check out next? Please leave a comment and don’t forget to subscribe for more further articles.
This review contains no SPOILERS.
Alive & Dead Qualities
Alive: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell & Alfie Williams reprise their roles and they all did a superb job for their respective performances.
Cillian Murphy reprises his role as Jim in a small role. He served as an executive producer.
Nia DaCosta did a solid job directing.
Alex Garland wrote the script. Made sure certain plot elements from the last film remain intact. He also served as a co-producer along with Danny Boyle.
Hildur Guðnadóttir (Chernobyl, Joker) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Death Scenes are brutal and not for anybody with a weak stomach.
Practical Effects were heavily involved staging gory deaths.
The titular Bone Temple was constructed as a Set Piece.
Cinematography’s shot in good condition lacking technical issues.
“Teletubbies” are mentioned. A callback to the Opening Scene from the previous film.
Jimmy Crystal’s a fascinating villain. He stole the film. I wanna see Jack O’Connell play as Clown/Violator in a live-action Spawn film. He seems perfect for the role.
Nia stated the core theme is Evil. Makes sense due to Jimmy’s sadistic personality.
Spike wasn’t underutilized. He has some good moments. Especially his interactions with one of Jimmy’s henchwomen, Ink.
Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” is used as a needle drop moment. Arguably the best part. a billion times better than Supergirl’s god awful needle drop moment playing a somber version of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.”
The last few minutes sets up the final installment.
Fun Fact: Somebody refers to Kelson as dark lord. It’s funny because Ralph Fiennes portrayed Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. it’s gonna be difficult for HBO Max to cast an actor to play the dark lord. Mr. Fiennes is irreplaceable.
Random Thought: I saw this film on opening night. I never got a chance to post a review. I delayed it to Halloween Month as the right time to publish it. I’ve been busy on watching anime shows and playing PS5 games.
Dead: Pacing issues in between Kelson’s storyline. It loses some steam. Jimmy’s storyline was much interesting than the former.
The Final Verdict: A-
It may not be a 10/10 like the previous entry, I really enjoyed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Another good horror flick in 2026 other than “Backrooms.” If you’re already caught up watching “28 Days Later,” “28 Weeks Later” & 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple’s worth your spare time. I hope the next one finally comes into fruition. We’re one installment short to complete a trilogy.
