The horror generated by the infected takes a backseat to the evil that men do in Nia DaCosta\u2019s \u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.\u201d The \u201cCandyman\u201d director leaves her mark on the franchise by intensifying the violence, adding brilliant needle drops, and bringing her frequent collaborator, cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (a Corpus Christi native), on board, moving away from the lo-fi aesthetic for a more traditional look. Picking up where last year\u2019s \u201c28 Years Later\u201d left off, the story\u2019s focus shifts to 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams), who has fallen into the hands of Satanists led by the charismatic Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues researching the rage virus, making progress while treating infected Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). As anticipation builds, the zenith arrives, leaving the perfect setup for the final installment.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll spare you the backstory of the previous chapter, which ended with 12-year-old Spike surrounded by a horde of the infected, only to be rescued by tracksuit-wearing Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal and his blonde-wig-wearing cronies, the \u201cJimmies.\u201d The devil-worshiping gang, who refer to Satan as \u201cOld Nick,\u201d except for Jimmy Crystal, who uses the term \u201cFather,\u201d are also called \u201cFingers,\u201d with each member representing an appendage of Satan and the seven deadly sins. They don\u2019t drink \u201cmilk-plus\u201d like the droogs in \u201cA Clockwork Orange,\u201d but they do commit acts of \u201cultra-violence,\u201d referring to killing someone as an act of \u201ccharity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spike is reluctantly initiated into the gang as gallons of blood are spilled, hinting that DaCosta is determined to make the fourth film of the franchise the most brutal. Despite watching the \u201cking of the infected\u201d eat brains from a skull, nothing compares to the nauseating sound of someone being skinned alive while flesh hits the ground. As Jimmy Crystal would say, \u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d It\u2019s a Clive Barker moment where Pinhead\u2019s appearance would have felt at home.<\/p>\n
The practical effects by Sam Conway and his team are gruesome, and Flora Moody’s makeup effects, working closely with DaCosta, transform the film\u2019s scariest villain, Alpha male Samson (played by 6-foot-8 actor Chi Lewis-Parry), into a more human version of the rage-filled infected baddie while maintaining his menacing presence.<\/p>\n
Alex Garland\u2019s story features a major turning point as the relationship between Kelson and Samson develops into a friendship. The good doctor becomes the Alpha\u2019s pusherman, as Samson becomes addicted to Kelson\u2019s morphine and xylazine-laced blowdarts. While under sedation, a mixture of antipsychotics is given to Samson, in the hope of reaching the human who once was, before infection. The poignant moment is underscored by Duran Duran\u2019s \u201cOrdinary World,\u201d as DaCosta manages to turn what could have been fodder for MST3K into a deeply felt scene that brings hope to the table.<\/p>\n
Duran Duran plays a prominent role in the film as Kelson reveals his love for the English pop band\u2014\u201cGirls on Film\u201d and \u201cRio\u201d are featured\u2014and we hear needle drops of Radiohead\u2019s \u201cEverything in Its Right Place\u201d and the familiar \u201c\u2018In The House, In A Heartbeat\u2019 by John Murphy, first heard in \u201c28 Days Later,\u201d which has become the unofficial franchise theme. The film\u2019s most memorable moment incorporates Iron Maiden\u2019s \u201cThe Number of the Beast,\u201d transforming the menacing Jimmies into Schulz Satanists\u2014devil worshipers who dance like the Peanuts gang.<\/p>\n
Eventually, Jimmy Crystal and Dr Kelson cross paths, setting up a showdown between O’Connell and Fiennes, which is just as good as Michael B. Jordan\u2019s confrontation with the English actor as the charismatic and menacing vampire Remmick in \u201cSinners.\u201d Except here it\u2019s mind over muscle in a battle of wits between good and evil.<\/p>\n
Another standout performance comes from Erin Kellyman as Jimmy Ink, the smartest Finger, who begins to see through Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal\u2019s BS. She takes Spike under her wing, protecting him from the self-proclaimed son of Old Nick. I would love to see a Jimmy Ink origin story, but I\u2019ll settle for her return in the final chapter.<\/p>\n
Hildur Gu\u00f0nad\u00f3ttir ties the film together with a suspenseful score that sounds like a ticking time bomb, blended with a tiger\u2019s roar, as it builds to a crescendo. At other times, the somber chords evoke a sense of melancholy.<\/p>\n
The bar for horror films this year has been set incredibly high by Nia DaCosta. She has revitalized Danny Boyle\u2019s franchise, and in my opinion, this fourth installment is the best of the series. \u201c28 Years Later: The Bone Temple\u201d is this year\u2019s \u201cSinners.\u201d Can we have Jack O’Connell in at least one horror film each year?<\/p>\n
(3 \u00bd stars)<\/p>\n
Now showing in theaters<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org\/2026\/01\/19\/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-nia-dacosta-revitalizes-the-franchise-with-the-best-of-the-series\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fortworthreport.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&quality=80&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n
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