28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: A Confident Step Forward for the 28 Franchise

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple proves this franchise still has plenty of life left in it—and then some. Just as strong as the previous installment, the film feels more confident and more focused, tightening its narrative while doubling down on the themes that have always made this series compelling.

The symbolism is some of the best the franchise has offered so far, layered without being heavy-handed, and supported by a haunting score and soundtrack that do a lot of the emotional heavy lifting. The pacing is sharp, rarely dragging, and when the film decides to go hard, it really goes hard—this is easily one of the goriest and bloodiest entries yet, which longtime fans will absolutely appreciate.

Performances across the board are strong, grounding the chaos and brutality in something that actually feels human. Not everything lands, though. The Jimmys aren’t particularly compelling, and for a movie in this universe, I found myself wanting more infected chaos—there’s never a shortage of tension, but a bit more zombie presence would’ve pushed it even further.

That said, the ending delivers a genuinely nice surprise with a cameo that will have fans buzzing, and once again, this series proves it’s excellent at setting up what comes next without feeling like a pure tease. The Bone Temple may not reinvent the franchise, but it doesn’t need to—it’s a solid, brutal, well-crafted watch that keeps the momentum alive and leaves you eager for the next chapter.