It’s no secret that Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later franchise has become a beloved example of innovative and provocative British cinema, with all of the installments thus far being rated higher than 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) is the second time that Boyle has stepped out of the director seat in the franchise following Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s 28 Weeks Later (2007). Now, a year removed from Boyle’s critically divisive 28 Years Later that rattled long-term fans of the franchise, is giving director Nia DaCosta the reins the right move for this story?
The Bone Temple picks up straight after the events of its predecessor, with 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams) fresh off dealing with the loss of his mother and abandoning his life to venture out on his own. We join him in uncharted territory with the cut-throat (pun intended) “Jimmys,” devised by twisted ringleader Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). The film simultaneously dives deeper into the mind and soul of Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), with his trepidatious relationship with “alpha” Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) coming to a head.
Although the story begins with Spike, he takes a backseat as we are thrust fully into the brutality of the Jimmy cult and Dr. Kelson’s life on the island, zooming in on the psychological ramifications of people living through what seems like the end times. This focus perfectly leans into DaCosta’s strengths: excellent, contained character-focused directing. As seen in Candyman (2021), we are given just the right amount of time with these characters to understand how they became who they are and how that shapes their choices.
The beautiful character dissections that DaCosta orchestrates are only reinforced by the performances they revolve around. O’Connell’s thunderous portrayal as a Jimmy Savile-inspired cult leader makes his villainous supporting role in Sinners (2025) look tame. He does not hold back the ruthlessness of his character while simultaneously allowing cracks of vulnerability to seep through. There is more to Sir Jimmy than meets the eye. For someone who has been in the game for over 20 years, it is remarkable to see O’Connell break out into the mainstream eye in such a colossal way.
O’Connell’s performance is not the only one that elevates the feature, though. Fiennes and Lewis-Parry poignantly draw out humanity in this post-rage virus world, cutting through O’Connell’s vicious nature. Every new Fiennes role I watch becomes my new favorite. He taps into an unseen side of Dr. Kelson, a man drowning in loneliness and desperately seeking out companionship in Samson.
Lewis-Parry holds his own alongside Fiennes, delivering a highly emotive portrayal as we gradually uncover who Samson is underneath the cloud of the rage virus. Together, their endearing chemistry proves that, going beyond immediate differences, you can find empathy and compassion for each other.
DaCosta exemplifies the key emotions of their performances through her intentional direction. In the train sequence, for example, DaCosta’s direction shines as we see flickers of past and present, watching Samson rediscover himself. You can also see it clearly in the Old Nick sequence, where we watch the culmination of Sir Jimmy’s hatred come to pass. DaCosta’s choices consistently made me jump out of my seat and softly cry; not many directors can say that.
You cannot have a film in this franchise without a killer soundtrack and spine-tingling score. We get exactly that with infectious needle drops like Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place”, Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film,” and Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast”, echoing the idea seen in 28 Years Later that this world is frozen in time. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score only adds to the foundation built by DaCosta and the lead actors. She plays with gentle crescendos that feed the humanity of the narrative and blaring sforzandos that accentuate its evil. Coupled with the unique use of instruments to make it sound like bones are clanking, Guðnadóttir helps us really immerse ourselves in the world.
Out of DaCosta’s five films, this is her fourth directing from an existing IP. It is a real challenge to take on a world that is someone else’s and honor it while adding your own stamp, but, having a belt of experience behind her, DaCosta does this extraordinarily. She sticks to her strong character focus and sprinkles in her signature mirror shots (no, it’s never too many), yet she still unleashes Boyle’s batshit craziness onto the screen. You can tell she has been a fan of these films for a while.
As a writer, Garland takes bold swings that either really work or strike out. Since Men (2022), I have been very dubious about his work and whether he still has it. Luckily, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple works for me. Of the entire franchise, the writing feels the strongest, packed to the brim with British humor and pacing that may feel slow for some, but works in the context of what he is trying to achieve.
DaCosta described the film as an exploration of “the nature of evil,” shifting from the tone of its predecessor, and while it is most definitely gore galore, it is also more woeful than you’d expect. Everyone, in one way or another, suffers from the ramifications of the rage virus. Garland is writing this trilogy as a dissection of hope versus doom. 28 Years Later focuses on clinging to a fractured civilization beyond repair, and, now, The Bone Temple embraces disorder, chaos, and dysfunction.
It is no surprise that this is closely linked to the trajectory of the UK. 28 Years Later explores themes that resonate with the collapse of order Brits faced during Brexit and the pandemic. The Bone Temple delves into themes that echo the political unrest and divide that we are currently facing. However, these are not exclusive to the UK. We are seeing this across the world and especially in North America, which is why DaCosta is able to drive these themes home.
I have no doubt that 28 Years Later: Part III will explore how Garland sees the future of our country. Whether it will be filled with optimism or dread is yet to be determined. Needless to say, I am heavily invested in how this will end.
DaCosta has proven to all of her naysayers that she is a formidable director, and this is only the beginning of her career. With 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, she has delivered a sickly stylish sequel that only builds excitement for the third and final installment. Boyle and Garland made the right decision, entrusting their vision to her hands.
Review Courtesy of Nandita Joshi
Feature Image Credit to Sony Pictures Releasing