“28 Years Later: Bone Temple” released on Jan. 16, 2026. It is a direct sequel to 28 Years later, and the fourth installment of the 28 Days Later series. The film is a zombie thriller that takes place in an apocalyptic future. 

The story is great. You can watch the film without seeing the two other films and still have a good time like I did. However, to understand some of the characters, it’s wise to at least watch 28 Years Later, the film’s most immediate predecessor. 

“Bone Temple” is an apocalyptic film depicting a virus that can take control of the human mind. Unlike traditional zombie films, the virus doesn’t make its victims decaying corpses that you could easily run away from. The zombies aren’t actually zombies, they’re just people who suffer from an advanced psychosis. It’s an interesting take that the zombies are still technically people rather than walking corpses.

The contents of the movie itself are disturbing, so viewers should definitely be aware of what they are getting into. There is a lot of blood and gore, even though it’s not gory all the time. When gore is shown, however, it’s very disturbing. What I loved was that the fights were highly realistic. Instead of showy displays where two characters have unrealistic levels of skill, the movie depicts the truth of a fight. It takes literally one correct jab to win, so stakes in the movie feel high and leaves you at the edge of your seat like a good thriller should. 

The acting is phenomenal.Two actors stand out in particular: the great Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Ian and Jack O’Connell as Jimmy Crystal. Fiennes does a great job setting the tone and giving Dr. Ian a bit of a psychotic vibe. It left me feeling uneasy, which is a good thing for this type of movie. 

My favorite performance was Jack O’Connell playing Jimmy Crystal. O’Connell gives Jimmy both humor and fear, as he is a huge psychopath commanding people to murder in the name of the devil. But on top of all that, O’Connell gave nuance and actual depth to a character this wrong. It doesn’t make you feel sorry for him, but it gives you a proper explanation that wraps up his motives that has you understanding the character. 

The movie is a great watch, making you think through all the grit and blood. I recommend giving this a watch if you enjoy thriller movies.