The Stream: Unnecessarily gruesome even for a zombie movie.

The Big Screen: Ralph Fiennes.

The Final Bill: This sequel is more of a diversion rather than an enhancement of the overall franchise.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Nia DaCosta
Writers: Alex Garland
Stars: Alex Garland, Jack O’Connell, Chi Lewis-Parry, Ralph Fiennes
Genre: Horror
Rating: Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore, graphic nudity, language throughout, and brief drug use
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
Production Companies: TSG Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, DNA Films, Decibel Films
Platform: In theaters January 16, 2026
Notable Trailers: Crime 101, The Bride!, Obsession, Disclosure Day, Cilka, Send Help

Hey, Streamers! Remember a couple months ago when we were raving about 28 Years Later and how it ended on a bonkers cliffhanger? Well, we didn’t have to wait that long to get the next chapter in the British zombie saga for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was released in theaters this month. In this sequel, after Spike (Alfie Williams) has been “rescued” by the Jimmys, he has to participate in a death match as an initiation ritual to become a member of the Fingers who follow Sir Jimmy (Jack O’Connell). Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues to build up his Bone Temple while stumbling on a surprising development in treating the Alpha infected, Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Rage-filled, bloody encounters and 80’s music hijinks ensue.

While 28 Years Later introduced a lot of new ideas, characters and creatures in its plot, which made it very exciting, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple attempts to add depth to some of those characters without bringing the same excitement. Unfortunately, Sir Jimmy and his cohorts are not very compelling and seem to take up a bulk of this movie, and Dr. Kelson is pretty siloed off from the rest of the story, which limits Ralph Fiennes’ screentime. If you’re not into the Jimmys, then your mileage may vary. Moreover, the Jimmys are so grotesque and hateful that it is difficult to enjoy any of the time they are on screen. Sir Jimmy is an intriguing villain, but everything he does is so gruesome and arrogant. It was very off-putting and tiresome to me. On the other hand, Ralph Fiennes is a master. Every time he’s on screen something interesting is happening. He has a good rapport with Samson, which brings some real humor and interest in what’s happening. Fiennes has one completely bonkers sequence that will have people talking for the rest of the year. This movie needed more of Dr. Kelson’s story and less of the Jimmys.

Aside from those things, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple still looks good like the previous movie. The soundtrack is very fun and unexpected. There are still fun sequences with the infected, but the gory and evil kills perpetrated by the Jimmys are difficult to enjoy. Maybe that’s the point?

Ultimately, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a decent follow-up to last year’s 28 Years Later. The movie’s narrow focus on some side characters diverts the story from the fast-moving infected into more gruesome territory, which may not be enjoyable to some. Despite a fun performance by Ralph Fiennes, this movie is a bit of a slog, which is unfortunate for this middle film in a planned trilogy. Fans of this franchise should still find this entertaining enough for a bowl of popcorn.