Tag: 28-years-later

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

  • Director: Nia DaCosta
  • Screenplay: Alex Garland
  • Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry
  • Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt
  • Editing: Jake Roberts
  • Score: Hildur Guðnadóttir
  • Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror
  • Runtime: 109 minutes

Americans must be scratching their heads over the cliffhanger in ‘28 Years Later‘. Why have these hooligans got blonde wigs on and why are they dressed in colourful tracksuits?

Here’s an explanation: they’ve modelled themselves on the British television presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile, hence they call one another ‘Jimmy’. He’s not someone to be idolised; he’s a sex offender of the worst order; scum that preyed upon the vulnerable and weak – similar to what the Jimmy gang do, headed up by their delusional leader Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell, credible Scottish accent).

The ‘28 Days Later‘ series has a very British feel to it; not only the references to Savile and the ‘Teletubbies‘, it’s the bucolic backdrop. I wondered how this entry’s director, U.S.-born Nia DaCosta would approach things. With her shots of forestry, an ivy-covered train and fields of wheat, nature is the great leveller.

As for human nature, there could not be a starker difference between Jimmy Crystal and the returning Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). At one end of the spectrum, you’ve got Crystal’s warped Satanic preaching and brutal behaviour, a regression of humankind. At the other end, Kelson’s ardent belief in science offers a glimmer of hope that the hordes of the undead can be redeemed. He drugs the ‘alpha’, Samson, with morphine and with the latter stupefied by the substance, the pair groove out to Duran Duran. It’s a bizarre, comical sequence amidst the torturous exploits of the Jimmys.

Zombie enthusiasts baying for blood will be disappointed. This middle film in the ‘28 Years‘ trilogy is slower of pace and allows for character exploration. Spike (Alfie Williams), the protagonist of the first movie, takes a backseat while we delve into the contrasting psyches of Crystal and Kelson, played to perfection by O’Connell and Fiennes, respectively. There is one particularly gnarly kill, courtesy of Samson. Expect full frontal nudity – and not just from him, too.

If ‘The Bone Temple‘ does well financially (which it should, despite being released in January), we can wrap this zombie saga up once and for all in the yet-untitled Part 3.

My rating: 7 / 10

28 Years Later (2025)

  • Director: Danny Boyle
  • Screenplay: Alex Garland
  • Cast: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell
  • Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle
  • Score: Young Fathers
  • Editing: Jon Harris
  • Genre: Post-apocalyptic coming-of-age horror
  • Runtime: 115 minutes

It’s surely the most anticipated movie in yonks. The Rage virus swept across mainland Britain in ‘28 Days Later‘ and we saw the militarised state London became in the aftermath in ‘28 Weeks Later‘. Skipping the nixed ‘28 Months Later‘, and we’re now 28 years into the pandemic.

A community of survivors have established a town on Lindisfarne, known as Holy Island, off the coast of the north east of England. In a world devoid of modern trappings, the residents live a medieval-style existence. Fletchers craft arrows, which are used by the youngsters as part of target practice. As they shoot, footage of Laurence Olivier’s ‘Henry V‘ (1944) is intercut showing a bundle of arrows soaring into the sky, driving home the medieval theme. This disease has changed the way people operate; it’s a rustic way of life for folks. There is still order; they’ve not been reduced to savages the way the zombies have. I felt echoes of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced 5 years ago – we united, letting the earth heal.

Tonally, ‘28 Years‘ is more in line with the original film; an emotional, character-driven affair, with great performances from Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Alfie Williams. But be warned: this is the first in a new trilogy from the duo behind ‘28 Days‘, director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland, so don’t expect a quick resolution in this installment. Instead, rather disappointingly, it feels drawn out like the endless stretches of English countryside. Boyle’s sharp direction and an adequate amount of zombie killing kept me satisfied but I couldn’t help feel a tighter story, told in only a single picture, would’ve worked better. I’m relying on Garland to have the brains to realise his ambition.

While Danny Boyle has a breather (he helms part 3), Nia DaCosta takes over directing duties for the following chapter of the triad, ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple‘, slated for release next January.

My rating: 6 / 10