--- title: "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/28-years-later-the-bone-temple/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/28-years-later-the-bone-temple" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 15 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly favourable and the spread is narrow: nobody dislikes it, and the argument is only over how much of it works. Praise clusters almost entirely on Ralph Fiennes as Dr Kelson, whom most critics call the film’s centre, with several singling out a scene in which he dances to a 1980s record among the bones. Jack O’Connell’s cult leader draws admiration too, and Nia DaCosta is credited with a darker, bloodier and funnier film than its predecessor, one that turns its attention from the infected to human cruelty. The reservations, where they appear, gather around the Jimmies subplot. Sight and Sound finds it misjudged and the film too conventional to stand on its own, and Den of Geek thinks the sadism familiar and some sequences needlessly unpleasant beside the quieter Kelson material. A few miss the wider world of the last film. Nobody argues that Fiennes is anything other than the reason to watch. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. The critic calls this the finest entry in the 28 franchise by a wide margin, praising its energy, drama and the phenomenal performances of Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell in a gruesome, human-focused fourquel. Fiennes’s extraordinary dance scene to Iron Maiden stands out as a career highlight. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/13/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-ralph-fiennes-is-phenomenal-in-best-chapter-yet-of-zombie-horror) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The review deems the film glorious for its psychologically acute exploration of characters mentally frozen in the past and a coherent vision of human cruelty. It praises the subtle ideas amid flamboyant elements like dance parties and a climactic heavy-metal sequence. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-28-years-later-the-bone-temple-is-glorious.html) ## Empire — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. DaCosta delivers a satisfyingly complete and often superior sequel that is simpler but bolder and bloodier than its predecessor. The film excels in tension-building horror and features strong performances, particularly from Jack O’Connell and Ralph Fiennes in eccentric roles. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/28-years-later-the-bone-temple/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. Nia DaCosta nimbly directs a darker, more disturbing entry focused on Ralph Fiennes' deranged doctor and Jack O'Connell's Satanist cult leader. It delivers bold, mind-bending work with shocking violence and philosophical depth for a zombie movie with brains. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-ralph-fiennes-1236630014/) ## Los Angeles Times — Amy Nicholson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. DaCosta delivers a smart splatter horror film blending low and highbrow elements with absurdist humor and graphic gore. Ralph Fiennes gives a bravura comic-manic performance as the intellectual Dr. Kelson who forms an unlikely bond with an alpha zombie. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-01-15/28-years-later-bone-temple-review-ralph-fiennes-jack-o-connell-alfie-williams-nia-da-costa) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. The critic respects the film's grandiose insanity and highlights Ralph Fiennes' magnificent, erudite yet feral performance as Dr. Ian Kelson. Despite some unevenness, it delivers enough carnage, ritual sacrifice, and a satisfying coda to appeal to horror fans. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-ralph-fiennes-1236472050/) ## The Observer — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2026. Nia DaCosta’s absurdist extension surprises by going in its own direction with fresh, cockeyed humour while remaining grisly fun. The unhurried collision between O’Connell’s and Fiennes’s characters, plus the talky contemplative tone, make it rewarding and a welcome reminder that the best sequels try something new. [Read the review](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/how-to-make-a-successful-sequel) ## The Telegraph — Robbie Collin Rating 4/5. 13 January 2026. The film is an elegy for a once-great nation fallen into ruin, with Fiennes providing its moral centre as the bone-temple builder and O’Connell delivering fiendish allure as the Savile-styled cult leader. DaCosta stages disturbing violence effectively behind the gore and songs. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/13/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review/) ## Total Film — Will Salmon Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. The film is positioned as the wildest and weirdest entry in the franchise yet, offering a visceral and exciting continuation of the revived series. It builds on the established world with bold, demented energy while maintaining strong horror elements. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/horror-movies/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review/) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2026. The sequel shifts focus from zombies to human evil, particularly the sadistic Jimmys cult. Ralph Fiennes delivers a witty and poignant performance amid visceral horror and meditative moments. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-current-cinema/nia-dacosta-injects-new-blood-into-28-years-later-the-bone-temple) ## The Times — Tom Shone Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 January 2026. The sequel is weird and bizarre, highlighted by Fiennes dancing with a zombie to Duran Duran amid morphine and bones, plus the odious Jimmy Savile cult. The slender plot centres on the theological clash between the Jimmies and the doctor, delivered with stomach-churning violence. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/a-cast-so-odious-you-want-them-to-get-eaten-by-zombies-6vrjzzn25) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★★☆. 15 January 2026. Directed by Nia DaCosta, the film is the saga’s most enjoyable entry yet, richly singular and bittersweet with enquiring depth, topped by glossy 1980s pop and Fiennes adding meat to the bone-crazed doctor role. A strangely lovely scene of unlikely pals under a full moon exemplifies its tone. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/2cb5aaa1-9813-4727-9b9e-0cec0f48d616) ## Sight and Sound 15 January 2026. This is a conventional franchise instalment that continues the story without being entirely satisfactory on its own. The Jimmies arc is misjudged, but the embrace of Duran Duran as Dr Kelson's favourite band and Fiennes' performance are highlights. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/28-years-later-bone-temple-zombie-franchise-rolls-fuelled-blood-guts-duran-duran) ## The New York Times — Alissa Wilkinson Rating Critic’s Pick. 15 January 2026. The film explores themes of good and evil through biblical and pagan allusions in a post-apocalyptic zombie setting. Nia DaCosta directs ably, emphasizing the unsubtle yet fitting high-concept metaphors from Alex Garland's script. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/movies/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review.html) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 5/5. 13 January 2026. The film deepens and darkens the franchise while standing powerfully on its own as a bleak, gripping, and surprisingly emotional horror entry. It is a real triumph for director Nia DaCosta. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-2/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 8/10. 13 January 2026. DaCosta has created a violent, energetic, impressive sequel that advances the story in unexpected places and reminds viewers that humans are the real monsters. It is gory and pulpier than its predecessor but fresh and invigorating. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2074962/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review/) ## Polygon — Jake Kleinman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 January 2026. Nia DaCosta succeeds in delivering a strong middle entry that elevates the franchise with a capable follow-up widening the post-apocalyptic world through comedy and grotesque horror. It focuses on the clash between Dr. Ian Kelson and the violent Satanist Jimmy in a good-vs-evil showdown, though some may miss broader worldbuilding from the prior film. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/28-year-later-bone-temple-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 3.5/5. 13 January 2026. The critic finds the meditative storyline centered on Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Kelson far more compelling than the familiar cruel sadism of the Jimmy subplot. Fiennes' performance and the film's exploration of anti-intellectualism earn praise, though some sequences are overly nihilistic and unpleasant. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-see-ralph-fiennes-rage/) ## Deadline — Damon Wise 13 January 2026. The critic calls it the nastiest and possibly best entry in the series, with grisly kills and a return-to-roots feel under Nia DaCosta's direction. Ralph Fiennes delivers a tour-de-force performance as Dr. Kelson, and the film explores the loss of civilization through horror without heavy-handed subtext. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/01/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-nia-dacosta-ralph-fiennes-1236680553/) ## The Wrap 13 January 2026. The critic deems it an excellent sequel that narrows focus to intimate character stories while exploring a biblical battle between science/reason (represented by Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Kelson) and heartless religion/fanaticism (Jack O'Connell's Jimmy cult). It finds connective tissue between the two without feeling preachy and delivers dramatic fascination and horror. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/28-years-later-the-bone-temple-review-ralph-fiennes-nia-dacosta/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/28-years-later-the-bone-temple.md