28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE (2026)
While the previous instalment of 28 Years Later was very experimental in a technical sense (and subsequently had some swings and misses) there was always a feeling that a sequel might fill some of the narrative gaps. This sort of expectation can be a mistake of course, and often in the horror genre it's a case of diminishing returns. Fortunately in this case, even if the title is rubbish, there are less plot conveniences and child in peril elements. In fact almost all of the story about a boy and his father is absent. Instead things go in another direction while keeping to the family dynamics in a different way.
The world building here is oddly lacking but it's not necessarily a problem. Last time around there were glimpses of post-apocalyptic culture, along with a sense of what was going on outside of Britain. Here it's more introspective and the narrative sticks to a smaller group of survivors. On the side of slightly peculiar and maybe mad is Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) who is still hanging around constructing his eponymous memorial. On the side of maybe hearing voices but definitely psychopathic is Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) who spends his days causing misery and pain.
Some of the more grotesque scenes involve other people in the local area, but for the most part this is a small scale affair. As before it's not clear how these opposing sides have survived for so many years, so it helps that the focus is characters rather than details. Jimmy leads a band he calls his 'fingers' on a quest to commit acts of brutality, and claims he's the son of Satan. His real father was of course seen in the prologue of chapter one, so it's not clear what is belief and what is an act. At any rate his followers must gain some sort of security, or sense of purpose, from it all, though their faith is sometimes tested.
This need for a goal is also clearly part of Kelson's life as he builds his ossuary one skull at a time. His bunker doesn't seem that secure but again the story is more about what drives him. This time around his local spine ripping 'alpha' Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) has become a new part of his daily routine. It might be impossible cure the rage virus after so long but his need to understand its function by testing opiates on Samson is fascinating. It's also strangely charming as the ghoul and the scientist become addict and dealer; spending time listening to pop music and staring into the sky.
This change in tone could be too absurd but as a contrast against so much extreme misery it works as a release. There's no apparent way for Kelson to publish his work and there's no way to tell if his latest chemical cocktail will have any lasting effects. But this bizarre relationship does something new with the series which is very welcome. Rather than having new stylistic choices, in terms of editing and music, here the look and sound is more typical. But the material, and how the characters are drawn, makes it fresh in a different way. Even jukebox needle-drops, which have become stale in recent years, are nicely done here.
However, this is all part of a broader story about authority figures and control. There are still pieces of commentary about artefacts from a long dead United Kingdom, but there's also a lot of thematic meat about family; whether it's genuine and benevolent or phoney and abusive. Kelson and Jimmy inevitably clash but in the meantime there's a lot of interesting scenes involving trust, faith, and friendship. There are moments of incredible violence but also scenes of patience and sadness. All while still maintaining the old George Romero staple; in a zombie film the people are always the real villains.
The result is a great blend of grim tension, sickening horror, and moments of warmth and respite. It's a confident and heady mixture likely to turn stomachs and raise smiles. Does it dovetail into the first film and complete the story? Not really, as Spike (Alfie Williams) never talks about his home and that thread is abandoned. But it does feel like a continuation of the earlier chapter and a necessary expansion (as it was by design). The film-makers say part three has been green-lit and to fill in all the blanks it's got to happen, though as a double feature it's got enough going for it. Whether this goes the way of Alex Garland's Dredd sequel remains to be seen.
4/5
