28 Years Later: The Bone Temple- The True Horror is “It’s Just Us”
The follow up to 28 Years Later adds more depth and darkness with a glimmer of hope for the future
First and foremost, a huge shoutout to Nia DaCosta for picking up the ball on this movie and bringing in another win for the team. 28 Years Later:The Bone Temple feels like part of the family, but still a standout amongst the franchise. In all honesty, this is my second favorite out of the series thus far.
This sequel picks up exactly where the last film left off with Spike alone out to experience all of the true horrors that the world has to offer.
Columbia Pictures
How Was the Movie?
The Bone Temple is a slower paced movie that adds more depth and darkness to the overall franchise. There are some gory and brutal moments, but the fast paced cuts that the franchise is known for are not really highlighted here; and it works out very well. There is time to fully take in the story as we process what society has truly become from this horrific virus, almost three decades later.
Through the perspectives of Spike and Dr. Ian predominantly we get a sense of deep fear and hopelessness. Each character appears to be in a situation where they are questioning, “What should be my next move?” and “Should I give up?”
We also get to see more of the villain Jimmy Crystal portrayed by Jack O’Connell (I see you Remmick) who gives us a first hand view of how dark humanity has evolved to. Who knew that a satanic teletubbies cult could be so terrifying?
@Peanuts2Popcorn on Letteboxd
Best Parts About the Movie?
Humans are Always the True Monsters: What I like about the 28 Days Later franchise is that it is one of those zombie stories that tends to show that the true horrors always end up being because of humanity. Just like Dr. Ian says at one point in the film, “It’s Just Us…”
The quote alone carries so many layers on who we are as a species and the roles that we play when the world is in chaos. In other words, true human nature is shown in our darkest times and sadly there are always people who add more to the darkness instead of trying to bring light.
The Villain: Jack O’Connell sure knows how to play a villain doesn’t he? I will say that as Remmick in Sinners he was more likeable, but his character of Jimmy Crystal here did what needed to be done for this film.
We see the origins of his Jimmy, which becomes a huge foundation for the horrific person that he has become. He runs his satanic cult with the charisma and charm of a Christian leader. Part of me even had a bit of sympathy for him because his childhood trauma is a clear indication of why he has become the monster that he is. But this is just an explanation and not a justification for his actions, because Jimmy is downright cruel.
He is a great addition to the series, and he is the first single“big bad” character that we have thus far outside of the Alpha zombie. His character alone brings on many conversations revolving around religion and trauma and how that influences the paths that we take in life.
Columbia Pictures
The Bromance: One of the most unlikely and beautiful bromances in the film occurs and I loved every moment of it. Like a lot of great relationships, it started off rocky in the beginning but ultimately the “I can fix him” move paid off and gave us all a glimmer of hope for the road ahead. More than anything, this made me excited for the third installment of the film.
Columbia Pictures
Is This Movie for You?
If you already enjoy the 28 Days Later franchise then you will likely enjoy this installment. In my opinion, it’s one of the strongest movies since the very first film, and it gives us something that we didn’t really have in the other movies…hope.
Have you checked out The Bone Temple already? If so I would love to know your thoughts.
A. Monique