Ralph Fiennes may not have been the primary focus of last year’s 28 Years Later, but the introduction of his character Dr. Ian Kelson left an impression on moviegoers, including myself, who did a pretty terrible job of hiding my sobs through his big scene. Now the sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is set to premiere with more Kelson, more of the Jimmy cult and tons of violence, and critics are giving their takes.
The sequel hits the 2026 movie release schedule on January 16, picking up where its predecessor left off, with Spike (Alfie Williams) being taken in by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). In CinemaBlend’s review of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Nick Venable says he was entranced by the way Nia DaCosta takes an already-unpredictable franchise even further into unexpected territory. He ranks the film 4.5 stars out of 5, writing:
Had all 108 minutes of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple been set just around Kelson's giant skull pile, my rating might not have even changed. Thankfully, though, Nia DaCosta wasn't inclined to be so limited, and instead delivers a tense, emotional and darkly hilarious movie that also happens to feature a swinging bloody dong and people being skinned alive. I'd stand up and cheer if I wasn't scared to draw out any nearby infected.
Robert Daniels of RogerEbert gives the upcoming horror flick 3.5 out of 4 stars, noting its bleakness, bloodiness and brutality. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is “a gnarly, mind-bending trek through inhumanity,” Daniels says, writing:
By virtue of his unhurried timing and dry wit, whose punchlines arrive with the assuredness of a sloth, Fiennes is among his generation’s best comedic actors. If he weren’t here providing unconventional emotion in equal doses, I’m not wholly sure if The Bone Temple would hold together. With him, the film rises close to the level of its predecessors.
Jesse Hassenger of AV Club grades The Bone Temple a B+, saying it doesn’t quite live up to 28 Years Later but is still more than worthwhile. In Hassenger’s words:
Fiennes, as before, is spectacular in the role, assuring that some bits of wry humor land perfectly and also selling Kelson’s new role as the film’s in-world music supervisor. Luckily, he’s amassed a modest but well-curated record collection for the end of the world. … One particular Kelson musical sequence is a showstopper for the ages. O’Connell, too, has some funny, recognizably human business in the midst of his gruesome quest for power, reminiscent of many real-world charlatans. It’s a neat surprise that DaCosta extracts more dark humor from the series than Boyle himself.
Jas Keimig of the Seattle Times rates the movie 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing that the director takes the focus off of the zombies, turning the spotlight on the people living in virus-ravaged England and how they often pose an even greater risk to each other. Keimig continues:
DaCosta takes some big stylistic swings — particularly with the soundtrack — that sometimes makes you feel as if you’re watching a comedy rather than a horror film. It’s a welcome, offbeat balm to the more intense moments sprinkled throughout and reflects the movie’s more pondering approach to a story that questions who the real monsters are.
Clint Gage of IGN gives 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple a “Great” 8 out of 10, calling it “easily” the most gruesome installment of the franchise, which is saying quite a lot. The sequel is “surprisingly funny, exceptionally brutal,” Gage says, writing:
Director Nia DaCosta crafts a great follow-up to last year’s 28 Years Later that’s gory and thoughtful in equal measure. There’s a wit and humor at play in The Bone Temple that elevates, in all the right ways, the dramatic stakes of a zombie apocalypse working on its third decade, especially in Ralph Fiennes’ record collection (I’d give the film a 666 if IGN would let me). While it might not be the best place to start watching the 28 Later franchise for the uninitiated, the creative force driving the series’ future have two solid movies as the foundation for whatever comes next.
The critics all seem to agree that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a worthy — though unequivocally violent — sequel, thanks in large part to Ralph Fiennes’ performance as Dr. Ian Kelson. The movie has been Certified Fresh with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, so if you have interest in this next chapter of the franchise, be sure to grab a ticket, because the film is in theaters as of Friday, January 16.
If you want a refresher of what came before the current movie, 28 Years Later can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.
