With the lengthy time intervals between sequels becoming the norm it seems a missed opportunity not to have had a sequel to ‘28 weeks Later’ (2007) appear 28 years later. Instead it was 17 years with director Danny Boyle returning to helm the apocalyptic zombie horror to much acclaim and big office earning $151m. It was just as well because a fourth film was already shot but rather than being 28 Decades Later this fourth film is The Bone Temple that picks up directly after the very end of the previous film that saw Jack O’Connell track suited, blonde bobbed and bedecked with cheap jewellery leading a similarly attired gang and looking like a feral Jimmy Saville fan club. That O’Connell’s character is called Sir Jimmy Crystal only adds to that impression. In fact the whole gang have a Jimmy moniker that includes Jimmima (Emma Laird) Jimmy Jimmy (Robert Rhodes) Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) Jimmy Jones (Maura Bird) Jimmy Dox (Sam Locke) and Jimmy Snake (Ghazi Al Ruiffai) but strangely no Jimmy Riddle. Caught up with the gang is Spike (Alfie Williams) who, having escaped the infected population roaming the countryside, finds himself taken under Sir Jimmy’s wing in a scene that ended the previous film. He’s forced to watch an appalling initiation ceremony and now finds himself between a rock and a hard place because he’ll have to fend for himself against the infected on his own or be safer with the gang but knowing that he will have to partake in some stomach churning bloodletting as part of his own initiation.
But also out in the countryside is Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) who we met in 28 Years Later and lives in The Bone Temple of the title, an area piled high with skulls of the infected from which he has managed to keep himself safe. He’s not the only returning character with Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) the huge but infected and naked leader of those roaming the country side. But Kelson smeared head to toe in iodine has been using his medical knowledge to try and curtail the infected’s ravenous cannibalistic behaviour and with Samson he is having some success and little by little we catch glimpses of the giant’s former humanity. Kelson’s research could be the key to saving the world whereas Sir Jimmy’s behaviour is one that will exacerbate the diminishing human population further.
Written again by Alex Garland the story has been expanded but this latest film is fully deserving of its 18 certificate right from the start with some bloodily brutal scenes that initially comes across as gleeful and uncomfortable sadism in several of the scenes. Helmed by Nia DaCosta whose remake of Candyman showed her at home with horror and she ups the ante with the gore as the story lines with each set of characters will inevitably cross.
O’Connell and Fiennes are both excellent and there’s enough bloodletting here to satisfy horror fans as it comes to a head with a scene that much like last years, ‘Get Away’ plunders Iron Maiden’s back catalogue using The Number of the Beast effectively in a climactic scene and sets up a third (or actually fifth) and final film in the unofficial trilogy.
related feature : Director Danny Boyle introduces, ’28 Years Later’ at the London premiere
related feature : ‘Return of the Living Dead’ – BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION
Director Nia DaCosta introduces the film……
here’s The Bone Temple trailer…….
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