4K Ultra HD Review – 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

      **28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, 2026.**

      **Directed by Nia DaCosta.**

      **Starring Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Connor Newall, Ralph Fiennes, Erin Kellyman, Robert Rhodes, Chi Lewis-Parry.**

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      As Spike is brought into Jimmy Crystal’s gang on the mainland, Dr. Kelson uncovers a discovery that could change the world.

      We’ve certainly come a long way since Danny Boyle’s original 28 Days Later, haven’t we? Transitioning from being a unique concept during the difficult years leading up to the 2000s horror boom characterized by torture porn, grindhouse tributes, and remakes, to a full-fledged franchise featuring American actors, prominent names, and a more conventional action movie vibe with 2007’s 28 Weeks Later. The intellectual property resurfaces with the puzzling 28 Years Later in 2025, and now we have a direct sequel to that film, Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, promising the answers we sought after the strange conclusion of the last film, right?

      Don’t get your hopes too high. This film picks up right where the last one ended, with young Spike (Alfie Williams) being initiated into the Fingers gang, which is inspired by Jimmy Savile’s satanic motifs, led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), who saved him from the infected by forcing him to fight another ‘Jimmy’ to the death. Simultaneously, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) regularly administers drugs to the infected Alpha beast Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) to teach him how to regain his humanity. In truth, Samson is addicted to the morphine in Kelson's darts and permits himself to be shot, but Kelson's methods appear effective as Samson slowly regains his human traits, refraining from attacking Kelson and even starting to learn to speak again.

      Thus, we have our two principal groups, knowing their paths must eventually cross. They do, as the Fingers pursue a group of survivors before committing atrocious acts and discovering Dr. Ian living among his ossuary constructed from skulls. The minions of the Fingers mistake him for ‘Old Nick’—the voice of Satan that Jimmy Crystal uses to manipulate his followers—but Crystal, fearing he may be losing control over the gang, convinces Kelson to pose as Satan to calm the other members, with death as a consequence if he declines. Kelson complies with the orders until he recognizes Spike and realizes the infected might not be the true villains.

      To start with the positives—28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is undoubtedly the most visually appealing entry in the franchise, which isn't too hard to achieve, to be honest. The lush greens of the English countryside, the ominous reds of skulls being torn apart, and the noticeable orange iodine on Dr. Ian’s skin create a vibrant color palette absent in the earlier films. Perhaps this is due to the filmmaking styles present in the time periods of their releases—let’s not forget that the original helped normalize washed-out digital visuals in mainstream cinema, sparking a trend throughout that decade. However, this film truly looks remarkable, with stunning detail that pops in 4K UHD.

      Ralph Fiennes also serves as a compelling reason to watch this film, as his invested performance is the film's backbone. One particular scene reveals the actor engaging in an act that just a few years ago he might not have imagined himself doing, but the film’s playful take on 1980s and 90s pop culture influences many of the creative choices here. If you’ve ever wanted to experience an alternative music video for Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast,” you need look no further, as Fiennes taps into his inner Bruce Dickinson (or more accurately, Eddie, Maiden’s zombie-like mascot). When Dr. Ian is educating Samson about music, he sings Duran Duran lyrics, which sounds slightly absurd coming from Fiennes, but the survivors are desperately clinging to the last vestiges of their past lives. The motif of Dr. Ian using music—whether heavy metal or new romantic pop—as a vehicle for teaching and manipulation becomes a potent element that Fiennes presents exceptionally well.

      However, this playful nod to late 20th-century pop culture also introduces the Fingers, with Danny Boyle having stated that their Jimmy Savile-inspired appearance represents a grasping at memories—or fragments of memories—and that is what keeps them human, albeit as twisted psychopaths. Despite this notion of remembering a shared past, the film fails to explore it, aside from Jimmy Crystal's nostalgic ramblings about The Teletubbies, leaving one to question the internal logic of the Fingers and their bizarre presentation, which is never elaborated. The awkward twist at the conclusion of the previous film is rendered