28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) - That's more like it

After loving '28 Days/Weeks Later' (yes, I even loved the second one), I was left a little disappointed by '28 Years Later' as it felt a bit all over the place.  Yet, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' is definitely a step up, largely because it finally feels like it knows what it wants to be. Where '28 Years Later' wobbled under the weight of its ideas, 'The Bone Temple' is far more focused for better and for worse. The tighter script is an improvement, but also means some narrative threads fans may have expected to continue are quietly abandoned. Most notably, this doesn’t really feel like a continuation of Spike’s story at all, which may frustrate viewers hoping for a more direct follow-up.

What truly elevates the film are the performances. Jack O’Connell and Ralph Fiennes absolutely carry 'The Bone Temple' through sheer force of charisma. Both actors bring an intensity to the script, grounding the narrative even when it veers into stranger territory.  Their presence makes the world feel real and dangerous and without them, the film would be nothing.

There’s no shortage of gore and the film deserves credit for being unpredictable as you really won't know where it’s heading from scene to scene. Oddly, for a franchise built on the infected, there aren’t actually that many zombies here, which may come as a surprise.  Instead, the horror leans more toward atmosphere, violence and unease than outright undead mayhem.  The much-talked-about click-bait ending is undeniably awesome, delivering a jolt of excitement that lingers after the credits roll, but it also makes 'The Bone Temple' feel more like a very expensive trailer for what we really want to see in 'Part 3.'

Ultimately, this is definitely better than '28 Years Later,' but it may arrive too late to fully reignite the fanbase.  Strong performances, bold choices and a killer ending can’t entirely shake the feeling that this chapter exists mainly to set the table for something bigger.  Still, it’s an entertaining, bloody and confident entry, even if it’s not quite the payoff fans have been waiting for.

7/10