• Ralph Fiennes delivers a standout, scene-stealing turn as Dr Ian Kelson.
  • The film shifts focus from zombies to violent human antagonists led by Jack O’Connell.
  • Director Nia DaCosta injects fresh energy into the 28 franchise with grisly, theatrical set pieces.
  • ‘Bone Temple’ is being called the strongest entry yet — dark, gruesome and surprisingly human.

Ralph Fiennes shines in a blood-soaked new chapter

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple reboots the franchise’s energy by turning its gaze back to human conflict. Ralph Fiennes plays Dr Ian Kelson, a gentle, almost Christlike figure who has built an ossuary — the bone temple — to honor fallen humanity. Fiennes’s performance, particularly an electrifying moment set to Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast,” draws sustained applause and has critics calling this his most extraordinary work in the series.

Humans over horror: a surprising change of focus

Unlike typical zombie fare, Bone Temple downplays the undead. The film centers on a murderous gang of non-infected marauders — described in the review as a “Clockwork-Orangey” troupe — led by Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, played by Jack O’Connell. These antagonists are violent, theatrical and terrifyingly charismatic, and their presence shifts the story from survival horror to a clash of ideologies and personalities.

New director, renewed momentum

Nia DaCosta takes the director’s chair for this fourquel and brings a brisk, energised style. The film follows directly from the events of the previous instalment, 28 Years Later, and expands the world with memorable set pieces and brutal confrontations. The zombies remain a looming presence, but it’s the interactions among the living — the leader and his followers, and Kelson’s quiet resistance — that deliver the film’s dramatic power.

Key characters

  • Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) — a stockpiling, compassionate doctor who preserves memory through his bone temple.
  • Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) — a psychopathic cult leader who mesmerises his followers.
  • Spike (Alfie Williams) — a young survivor whose story ties the films together.
  • Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) — an alpha zombie whose arc blurs the line between monster and person.

Watch: The Number of the Beast (embedded)

The film features a standout sequence choreographed to Iron Maiden’s classic. Watch the official video here:

Verdict and release

Peter Bradshaw calls 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple the finest entry in the franchise to date, praising its theatrical brutality and focus on human jeopardy. The film is vivid, gruesome and emotionally charged — a fourquel that outdoes its predecessors by turning its horror inward.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is released on 15 January in Australia and 16 January in the UK and US.

Image Referance: 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