Ronit J

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Synopsis:

Fear is the new faith.

Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Review:

Last year, I caught up to all the films in this franchise, 28 Days Later (2002), 28 Weeks Later (2007) and even 28 Years Later (2025). I loved both films that Danny Boyle directed, but I pretty much hated the middle entry. Knowing that Alex Garland was writing The Bone Temple, and Nia DaCosta’s direction was praised by critics, I was eager to see The Bone Temple. Besides, the 2025 entry was an almost return to form for the franchise, making the future seem promising.

However, I will admit that I had managed my expectations. I had read ample criticisms of 28 Years Later to know that most of the folks going into The Bone Temple would be die-hard fans who liked the 2025 film. While I liked it, I wouldn’t hold it above the original, meaning my hopes for The Bone Temple weren’t very high.

The film picks up almost immediately after 28 Years Later, where Spike (Alfie Williams) is brought in front of the legendary Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Jimmy is the head of a Satanic Cult worshiping ‘Old Nick’ and spreading his gospel of violence and hate to those punished by Old Nick’s judgment. Jimmy forces Spike to fight one of his ‘Fingers’ to the death; the survivor would have the ‘honour’ of joining Jimmy’s fingers, while the loser dies. Spike manages to accidentally fatally wound his opponent, becoming a part of the fingers against his will.

The parallel plot features Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), who attempts to domesticate the Alpha, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). He studies Samson’s physiology, heals his wounds, and even attempts to cure his infection, leading to a pretty philosophical and reflective plot.

Interesting Concepts

The Bone Temple is actually two relatively separate stories that converge on an appropriate note. The first film is that of religious indoctrination and absolute submission to a cult’s dogma. Jimmy—the son of a pastor—found safety and comfort in his father’s words. With time, Jimmy has made this part of his identity, his whole personality. His father’s misjudgement of the pandemic as judgment day has now led to Jimmy preaching his own Satanic gospel. However, he is aware of the effect his words have on his followers, his Fingers. He might be schizophrenic, as he reveals to Dr Kelson how he can hear ‘Old Nick’ in his head. Whether it’s all performative, or partly performative and part gaslighting, Jimmy embodies one of the worst kinds of human beings—religious cult leaders.

His fingers, on the other hand (pun intended), are exactly how you’d expect them to be. Hyper-competent individuals who’ve deferred free thinking to their leader. They have lost everything in this world. So now, this one facet of their identity makes them feel like they’re part of something bigger. All this is very reflective of real-world events. In an increasingly dystopian world, the rise of far-right conservatism and religious tyranny is inevitable.

Then there’s the second story following Dr Kelson’s experiments with Samson. If I’m being honest, this was my favourite part of the film. It was meditative and explored the possibility of the infected still being human. Not only did we get some pretty good lore building, but also an interesting tease at what the future might look like.

From a theme perspective, The Bone Temple is a brilliant exploration of a post-apocalyptic world that continues this franchise’s story, taking it to interesting places. However, there was also one major negative in the film.

A Lack of Style

The themes and concepts explored in The Bone Temple are intriguing and thought-provoking. However, the film noticeably lacked the style of the Danny Boyle films, which led to some disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, the film is brilliant in its own way. It also has some interesting stylised sequences. Unfortunately, they aren’t all that innovative, feeling like inspired takes on previous films. Without that style, the film feels a tad generic, which then begs the question: is this the only film that is exploring these themes? The answer is no, which then leads to you wondering if there are better options out there.

All that being said, I do want to point out something that I really loved. In some ways, Samson mirrors Jimmy with his absolute submission to his infection. However, with the right healing tools, Samson is able to break away from his ‘indoctrination’. Jimmy, unfortunately, goes untreated and therefore ends up with an appropriately brutal fate.

The film subtly shows the science vs belief debate, with neither truly solving the post-apocalyptic problem. However, only one of them actually being able to devise a solution. One is a distraction, while the other is an attempt to process and move on. The same is true for all of the real world’s troubles. Both crusades (medical and satanic) end up in death, but only one leaves a positive impact. That impact could lead to a better future if built upon.

The more I look back, the more I realise that The Bone Temple was actually a pretty damn good movie. If only the Danny Boyle films hadn’t raised expectations so high, this could actually have made for an iconic entry.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

As per his agreement with Jimmy, Dr Kelson dresses up as Satan and gives a twisted lip-synch performance to “Number of the Beast” by Iron Maiden. He then spouts some biblical nonsense, pretending to be ‘Old Nick’. He proclaims Jimmy as his only son and orders his fingers to continue doing their work and obeying Jimmy. However, he spots Spike and immediately decides he needs to save the poor kid.

Kelson demands one more thing: to crucify Jimmy akin to how Jesus was crucified. While some of the Jimmys are uncertain, Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) obliges, killing them all and fighting Jimmy himself. He almost overpowers her, but Spike stabs him in the side, incapacitating him. Spike comforts Kelson as he dies. Jimmy Ink crucifies Jimmy on an inverted cross. The two leave together, and Ink reveals her real name as Kellie.

Jimmy screams and cries that he can’t hear Old Nick in his head anymore. He watches the stars and starts hallucinating. Samson arrives and greets Kelson by name. He has almost human sapience now, and he picks up Kelson’s body and takes him away. Jimmy sees this as Satan taking away Kelson, before he’s attacked by an unseen figure.

Later, we see Jim (Cillian Murphy) tutoring his daughter (Maiya Eastmond) before an exam, when she hears a strange noise. They go to a nearby hill to investigate. They spot Kellie and Spike escaping some infected, and decide they must help.

While the film explores its themes well and ends on an interesting note, it mostly teases future instalments with the way things conclude. That, to me, was another major negative, similar to 28 Years Later (2025). Instead of a complete story, the ending focuses too much on teases, which takes away from the film’s thought-provoking ideas and story.

Is 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) worth watching?

Only if you really love this franchise, and loved what they did with 28 Years Later (2025). I’d argue this is a good, albeit a bit mediocre film. It explored interesting themes, but there was a noticeable lack of style that made the Danny Boyle films so special.

In Conclusion:

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) is a fascinating, if not a tad underwhelming, entry into the franchise. Thought-provoking concepts and themes, but the film did make me wonder if this is a world I want to keep visiting.

Also check out:

• The Death of Bunny Munro | TV Review
• The Chair Company Season 1 | TV Review
• February 2026 Film & TV Recap
• February 2026 Reading Wrap-Up
• Sentimental Value (2025) | Film Review
• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms | Season 1 Review
• Island of the Dying Goddess

What did you think of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)? Let me know in the comments below.

Sign up to my newsletter & get a free copy of Abandoned by the Gods. Is there any movie, show, or book you’d like me to review? Drop your recommendations in the comments below.

Until next time!