Tag: ralph-fiennes

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

Conclave (2024)

  • Director: Edward Berger
  • Screenplay: Peter Straughan
  • Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini
  • Cinematography: Stéphane Fontaine
  • Editing: Nick Emerson
  • Score: Volker Bertelmann
  • Genre: Mystery thriller
  • Runtime: 120 minutes

Similar to how a potential president of the United States needs 270 electoral votes to win, a cardinal requires a specific number of votes to become the next Pope. This process is laborious and can take several days if the first round of voting doesn’t yield a clear winner. And like the aforementioned political election, it can get just as tangled; secrets are drawn out, accusations are flung around.

Featuring a top-tier cast – Misters Fiennes, Tucci and Lithgow as cardinals and Isabella Rossellini as a steely-eyed nun, ‘Conclave‘ is an incredibly engrossing watch – you never know who you can quite trust. Every cardinal has their foibles, some hold antiquated opinions – but where do you draw the line on who is honourable enough for the papacy?

It’s a fascinating look at a system so hidden from public view. Behind closed doors, the formalities are treated with the utmost sanctity and the level of secrecy puts me in mind of a holy Fort Knox. This film may be the only way us regular folk could ever bear witness to such events unfolding.

I liked cinematographer Stephane Fontaine’s use of empty space; I felt it heightened the isolation of the clergy from the outside world, as they’re already in seclusion for this conclave. Does the church have relevancy in modern times? It’s remarkable that this ostentatious, theatrical ceremony still occurs in the 21st century – it feels almost out of place in a digital era. There’s one particular shot of a cardinal clutching an iPhone, perhaps representing the church’s feeble attempt to keep up with the times. Fontaine also has an eye for colour; the red cassocks dominating the pale marble halls of the Sistine Chapel.

I would’ve given this my fabled 9/10 rating (I don’t give 10s, perfection is unattainable), but the twist at the end (bound to rile a few Catholics) came out of nowhere and completely threw me, with little resolution.

My rating: 8 / 10