Film Review - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Britain is spiritually reborn in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s ongoing 28 Years trilogy, a bold evolution of the violent, post-apocalyptic franchise which kicked off with Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later two and a half decades ago. The latest instalment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, sees Nia DaCosta take over the director’s chair, but picks up right where Boyle left off. Spike (Alfie Williams) is taken in by the sadistic, cult-like ‘Jimmy’s’, led by ‘Sir Lord’ Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), and crosses paths again with the eccentric Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who is continuing work on his ossuary. DaCosta dials the madness and gore up to 11, but tones down the kineticism of Boyle’s aesthetic style, resulting in a uniquely character-driven and thought-provoking zombie blockbuster.

The Bone Temple succeeds at moving the series foward in exciting ways without overstuffing the plot in an effort to expand.

The narrative plays out in the same locations as the previous entry, opting for an un-sequel-like fashion to make the story smaller in scope and focus more on the inner workings of these characters instead of branching out to a new environment. Despite this, there is a continued development of the ambitious worldbuilding we’ve seen before, as Kelson’s understanding of the ‘alpha’ zombie Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) develops. The Bone Temple succeeds at moving the series foward in exciting ways without overstuffing the plot in an effort to expand.

Characters from the previous film, such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Jamie, are notably absent, with Jack O’Connell, who has only moments of screen time in 28 Years Later, stealing the show as Jimmy Crystal here. The not-so-subtle allusion to TV personality and sex offender Jimmy Savile in the costuming and naming of the ‘Jimmy’s’ only scratches the surface of the character’s barbarism, and O’Connell is so appropriately cruel it’s difficult to take your eyes off him.

The referencing of British media through this franchise does not end with the Savile inspiration, as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple also includes characters reliving the pre-apocalypse days they can now hardly remember. Whether that’s the ‘Jimmy’s’ idolising The Teletubbies or Kelson listening to iconic English rock bands like Duran Duran and Radiohead on vinyl (giving the film a great soundtrack in the process).

Kelson’s relationship with 80s and 90s music comes to a head in a frenzied, demonic, unhinged dance set to The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden, a moment which exemplifies the big swings The Bone Temple takes that set it apart in the world of franchise filmmaking. Acting as both the fourth film in the series, and the second with this specific set of characters, DaCosta has a lot of established lore to play with and so wastes no runtime before hitting the ground running and remaining thrilling and original throughout. Trying to predict where this film is headed is a losing game; it is best to enjoy the fiery and bloody spectacle she constructs amidst Spike’s hellish journey and Kelson’s curious routines.

By forgoing Boyle’s signature rapid-paced editing choices and unusual camera angles, DaCosta hones in on the intensity and inhumanity of this world.

At the end of last year’s 28 Years Later, Kelson tells Spike, ‘Memento Mori’ or ‘Remember we must die’, and ‘Memento Amoris’ or ‘Remember we must love’. The often ethereal nature of Boyle’s visuals make for quite a tender emotional climax in that film, whilst in The Bone Temple, it is the more nihilist concept of Memento Mori that seems to bear the most weight. By forgoing Boyle’s signature rapid-paced editing choices and unusual camera angles, DaCosta hones in on the intensity and inhumanity of this world. At the endpoint, however, she leaves these characters in a perfect position for Boyle to take back up the reins for the conclusion of the trilogy, where I imagine he will be reminding audiences to ‘Remember to love’ again. Although, based on these last two films, I am also prepared for Boyle and Garland to deliver anything but what is expected.