28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
8.2 / 10
I’d like to thank Nia DaCosta and Sean Bobbitt for not shooting this movie on iPhones. All hail the ARRI Alexa 35.
When I first launched Two Minute Reviews last summer, 28 Years Later was queued up to be my second episode. 28 Days Later is one of my all-time favorite horror films — a high point of the zombie subgenre. But I hated 28 Years Later so much that I skipped reviewing it altogether. I didn’t want this series to start on that note. Thankfully, no such problem exists with the far more entertaining sequel, The Bone Temple.
The story picks up shortly after 28 Years Later, with Alfie Williams’ character Spike now unhappily ensconced in the post-apocalyptic cult of Sir Jimmy Crystal, played with unsettling creepiness by Jack O’Connell. While the Cult of Jimmy is far more interesting than I feared after 28 Years Later, the real standouts in this movie are Ralph Fiennes and Chai Lewis-Parry as the massive Alpha zombie, Samson.
Ralph Fiennes is truly one of our great actors, and Alex Garland’s decision to center the film around his character, Dr. Ian Kelson, is an inspired one. The Bone Temple delivers genuine scares and moments of tension, but what I appreciated most is its tonal shift away from the grim heaviness of the previous film. We’ve all seen countless zombie movies — dozens, if not hundreds, speaking for myself. This one, while serious, doesn’t take itself seriously all the time. I laughed almost as often as I tensed up, and Ralph Fiennes is a huge reason why. His charisma, and his relationship with Samson, carries the film.
Without giving too much away, the Samson subplot is genuinely innovative. Finally, something new in the zombie space. It adds real depth and complexity without undermining the tone. Special shout-out to Chai Lewis-Parry for a standout performance.
I was also impressed by DaCosta’s direction and Bobbitt’s cinematography. It’s a beautifully shot film that fully exploits its locations and absolutely rewards the big screen.
Overall, The Bone Temple is a fun, scary horror film with a little something for everyone. My rating: 8.2 out of 10. Go see it in theaters. We had a full house on a Wednesday night and you could sense the crowd’s satisfaction when the credits rolled.
When I first launched Two Minute Reviews last summer, 28 Years Later was queued up to be my second episode. 28 Days Later is one of my all-time favorite horror films — a high point of the zombie subgenre. But I hated 28 Years Later so much that I skipped reviewing it altogether. I didn’t want this series to start on that note. Thankfully, no such problem exists with the far more entertaining sequel, The Bone Temple.
The story picks up shortly after 28 Years Later, with Alfie Williams’ character Spike now unhappily ensconced in the post-apocalyptic cult of Sir Jimmy Crystal, played with unsettling creepiness by Jack O’Connell. While the Cult of Jimmy is far more interesting than I feared after 28 Years Later, the real standouts in this movie are Ralph Fiennes and Chai Lewis-Parry as the massive Alpha zombie, Samson.
Ralph Fiennes is truly one of our great actors, and Alex Garland’s decision to center the film around his character, Dr. Ian Kelson, is an inspired one. The Bone Temple delivers genuine scares and moments of tension, but what I appreciated most is its tonal shift away from the grim heaviness of the previous film. We’ve all seen countless zombie movies — dozens, if not hundreds, speaking for myself. This one, while serious, doesn’t take itself seriously all the time. I laughed almost as often as I tensed up, and Ralph Fiennes is a huge reason why. His charisma, and his relationship with Samson, carries the film.
Without giving too much away, the Samson subplot is genuinely innovative. Finally, something new in the zombie space. It adds real depth and complexity without undermining the tone. Special shout-out to Chai Lewis-Parry for a standout performance.
I was also impressed by DaCosta’s direction and Bobbitt’s cinematography. It’s a beautifully shot film that fully exploits its locations and absolutely rewards the big screen.
Overall, The Bone Temple is a fun, scary horror film with a little something for everyone. My rating: 8.2 out of 10. Go see it in theaters. We had a full house on a Wednesday night and you could sense the crowd’s satisfaction when the credits rolled.