Director: Nia DaCosta
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell and Alfie Williams
‘A Spectacular Sequel’
Not many actors have made movies that shine as bright as Ralph Fiennes. Ever since his rise to fame in the 1990’s, Fiennes has become an icon. Whether it is preachers, Nazi commanders or bold political leaders, Fiennes has always portrayed many strong characters. Arguably, Fiennes’ greatest strength as an actor has always been his strong commitment to his craft. He is one of those actors that has often had talent for stealing the show in supporting roles with limited screen time. Even when he’s not the central focus of a movie, Fiennes always leaves a lasting impression. An actor with bold commitment, Fiennes has proven a celebrated icon in entertainment. Although he is arguably best known for his iconic role as Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, Fiennes has proven he can make engaging films in every single genre. Throughout a long lasting career, Fiennes has made many memorable movies that definitely are worth talking about.
Now, Fiennes is back on the big-screen and his strengths as an actor are evident in his movies “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple”. Released in 2026, Nia DaCosta’s film offers a strong portrait of zombie survival. Packed with captivating action, engaging story and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best films of the year. At the centre of it all is a brilliant performance by Ralph Fiennes, who plays a survivor of zombie invasions. Although “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” is a riveting zombie thriller, it isn’t a flawless movie. It’s unevenly paced, building toward ambiguous conclusions without a satisfying resolution. Nevertheless, it offers strong entertainment that will satisfy fans of the famous zombie franchise.
“28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” tells the story of survivors in a zombie invasion that is painful. Ralph Fiennes embodies Dr. Ian Kelson, a courageous survivor of terrifying zombie invasion. Dr. Ian has always shown strong devotion towards battling zombies in a world thats been ravaged by destruction. However, Dr. Ian’s life forever changes when he forms a relationship with a zombie which causes disaster. Dr. Ian discovers shades of humanity in zombies that earn his empathy. His positive perceptions of zombies contrast with that of Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Crystal is a vengeful leader of a cult seeking to exterminate zombies. As all the odds are stacked against his favour, Dr. Ian wonders whether it’s possible for him to survive grim zombie disaster.
Nia DaCosta has always been fascinated by the horror genre. A fantastic filmmaker, Nia DaCosta has often made engaging movies about creatures that evoke terror. Her iconic film “Candyman” offered a towering tribute to a horror character. With “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple”, however, DaCosta made her first zombie blockbuster. It marked the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture tension faced by survivors of zombie catastrophes but she succeeded immensely. Using strong cinematography, DaCosta captures a bold survivor embarking on journey to overcome zombie catastrophe. Evoking Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later”, DaCosta captures the lives of individuals seeking to survive zombies by handheld cameras. For instance, handheld camerawork elevates the Samson meetings scene. During the suspenseful scene, Dr. Ian faces tension when he has encounters with a zombie. Using handheld camera, DaCosta crafts a portrait of zombies thats engaging. Handheld camera is a tricky technique. As Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” proved, handheld camera elevates Holocaust films. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this film. Using stunning visuals, DaCosta captures tensions survivors of zombies invasions are facing.
Another powerful aspect of “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” deserving appreciation is production. From a technical perspective, it is one of the best zombie movies ever made. Emulating Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later”, DaCosta effectively uses cross-cutting to create zombie action sequences which are engrossing. For instance, the cross-cutting elevates the zombie fight scene. During this intense scene, Samson has a terrifying fight with zombies in a train that causes tensions. Using cross-cutting, DaCosta crafts action sequences that are engaging. Moreover, the music score is superb. Hildur Guanodottir’s music is key to the success of the movie. It gives the film a tense atmosphere capturing the burden that zombies bear. Using strong production, DaCosta captures zombies that face tension.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” is a film about movies that’s engaging. The movie is beautifully written, and expertly uses silence to capture tension that individuals in zombie catastrophes experience. Inspired with Jphn Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”, DaCosta skilfully uses silence to capture tensions survivors in a quiet place face. For instance, the silence elevates the final farewell scene. During this heartbreaking scene, Spike discovers truth about his identity causing tension. Through silence, DaCosta creates a zombie film that audiences could relate to. Silence is a tricky technique to use in most films. As Anthony Minghella’s “The English Patient” proved, silence elevates movies about doomed love. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this film. Through a spectacular screenplay, DaCosta captures zombies which experience a price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Ralph Fiennes gives one of his best career performances as Dr. Ian Kelson. Fiennes earned appreciation for playing evil Nazi commanders in history dramas. With “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a survivor of a zombie tragedy, but he succeeds tremendously. This is the actor unlike you have ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most memorable role. With breathtaking expressions, he captures the ambitions, intelligence and courage of a survivor in zombie invasions. It’s a bold performance from one of the finest actors working in the world today.
While the film is mainly a strong showcase for Ralph Fiennes, the supporting cast is also great. Jack O’Connell is captivating, capturing the menacing nature of an evil cult leader seeking to survive a frightening zombie disaster. Alfie Williams is amazing, bringing curiosity to a teen that struggles coping with a zombie catastrophe. Lastly, Chi Lewis-Parry merits appreciation. As a compassionate zombie, he is unforgettable.
Although “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” is riveting, it isn’t a flawless film. DaCosta’s decision to integrate subplots about religion into the movie is bold but doesn’t succeed. Due to this technique, scenes focusing on Jimmy Crystal’s religious ideologies aren’t as engrossing as the zombie catastrophes. Moreover, the film lacks compelling ending. It’s an ambiguous conclusion without strong resolution. At worst, it appears intended to solely set up a sequel. Therefore, “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” can’t quite capture zombies that are painful.
Nevertheless, fans of Ralph Fiennes would definitely enjoy “28 Years Later: the Bone Temple” and so would movie-goers which seek exhilarating entertainment. A riveting zombie blockbuster, it honours an iconic actor.
Nearly 28 years following the release of a groundbreaking film about individuals that seek to survive zombie catastrophe, it’s a riveting reminder of an actor that’s built a legendary legacy through abilities to play compelling characters in memorable films audiences love dearly.
4.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 