Bring your sick bag with you for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is one of the most unpredictable, blood-drenched sequels I’ve seen, following just six months after the long-time-coming 28 Years Later last summer.

While that film set up new characters and plotlines away from Cillian Murphy’s bike courier Jim in 2002’s 28 Days Later, this movie is a direct continuation of the former, picking up just minutes later. But tonally it feels very different, with director Nia DaCosta (Candyman, The Marvels) boldly stamping herself on this very British zombie franchise created by Alex Garland.

This latest movie won’t be for everybody, and certainly not the faint-hearted or weak-stomached, but nobody can deny the stand-out performances from Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, nor the big, grisly swings it takes.

The Bone Temple is not as scary as 28 Years Later, but that in no way means the foot has come off the gas. Rather it is extremely violent and gory – sadistically so – to a degree that some viewers won’t be able to tolerate.

Speaking of, we must address the Jimmy Savile-shaped elephant in the room. When we last saw scrappy survivor Spike (Alfie Williams), he was surrounded by Sir Jimmy Crystal (O’Connell) and his gang (including Erin Kellyman and Emma Laird), who had just violently fended off an attack on him from a group of Infected.

But Spike is about to learn that there are far more dangerous things still roaming this post-apocalyptic British landscape than the former humans who feast on flesh.

For Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (to use his ‘proper’ title) is a full-blown satanist – even if he likes to talk about the Teletubbies – and very fond of fights to the death. And if you thought O’Connell made for a gleefully vicious baddie in Sinners as a cunning vampire, you ain’t seen nothing yet. His Jimmy is a cinematic villain for the ages, but he can also turn on a dime, with O’Connell mining gems of dark comedy with his masterful line delivery.

Spike is adopted by this gang against his will, forced to follow them as Sir Jimmy delights in forcing his cult followers – or ‘fingers’ – to undertake horrendous acts of torture, delightedly skinning people alive in what he calls acts of ‘charity’; never has “time for Tubby night-night” sounded so chilling.

These are the scenes that had me wondering for a moment if I could cope with what I was being subjected to – but the bloody brutality makes sense as The Bone Temple is more interested in exploring the humanity (or lack thereof) left behind by the Rage Virus than its victims.

O’Connell’s Jimmy is so obscenely nasty that you start to forget they’re all dressed as Jimmy Savile, and the narrative moves beyond that while explaining little – this will frustrate some when the character’s look is so deliberately chosen to use the lens of viewers in 2026, and to use the added subtext of knowing about his inexcusable crimes, unlike the characters here for whom time stood has stood still since the mid-2000s. We can expect this to become 2026’s most poor-taste Hallowe’en costume too.

Fiennes is extraordinary again as Dr Ian Kelson, who has learned to adapt in this unforgiving climate. Kelson gets on with things, adding to his titular ossuary and exercising both his medical curiosity with the Alpha Infected Samson, and his remarkable dry sense of humour – not least of all with an almighty NHS quip.

In stark contrast to 28 Years Later, where Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) was a major antagonist, this time the 6ft 8in King of the Alphas is seen forming a bond with Kelson (helped by massive doses of morphine).

He even goes from killing machine to dance partner in one memorable scene, but there’s still some de-spining and brain eating too, don’t you worry. Here the film touches intriguingly on lore in a way that must surely be expanded in the now-greenlit third part of this franchise.

Fiennes also has The Bone Temple’s most audacious needle-drop moment – something so out there and entertaining that it drew spontaneous applause in my screening, cementing this as one of the most impressive performances in his already storied career.

It’s so gleeful it risks overshadowing the long-promised return of Murphy’s Jim, who is teed up to take the reins once more in the final 28 Years Later film.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple releases in UK cinemas from January 14 and US cinemas from January 16.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.