Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 49 minutes, Director – Nia DaCosta
Now on the mainland, Spike (Alfie Williams) is brought into the sadistic gang of Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), whilst Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) pieces together a discovery that could cure the Rage Virus.
Despite where we leave him at the end of 28 Years Later, and the fact that this sequel trilogy is linked by his presence, Spike (Alfie Williams) feels like more of an observer than a main character in follow-up The Bone Temple. Screenwriter Alex Garland instead focuses on the light and shade of post-apocalyptic Britain via two other characters introduced in the previous film. The look for hope and peace provided by Ralph Fiennes’ returning Dr Ian Kelson as he tries to look for a cure for the Rage Virus, using Alpha infected Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) as an almost patient, is contrasted with the sadistic cult of self-titled Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and his gang of tracksuit and wig wearing Jimmys.
In this world where culture stopped in 2002, and therefore Jimmy Savile’s spree of sexual abuse was never properly uncovered, the Teletubbies get a handful of mentions, but the inspiration for this dress feels somewhat sidestepped from – especially considering how much Boyle spoke about it whilst promoting the previous entry, and its final stages. Yet, the look still brings an unsettling feeling in itself to the gang and their cult-like behaviour. There’s a sinister air that hangs thick over them and their activities labelled as ‘charity’ – each handing over the film’s 18 rating with ease. These scenes alone make The Bone Temple a much darker sequel to 28 Years Later, with O’Connell’s Crystal providing a much more tense and uneasy sense of fear to the fast-paced attacks of the infected.
Often we cut from this group to Fiennes’ Kelson as he talks to the towering infected he’s formed something of a bond with, whilst also amusingly singing Duran Duran songs. The patches of humour we naturally find with Kelson add to the lightness that his strand largely produces, at least when the characters are kept separate, and the search for peace that he seems to be after. When the two forces meet, leading into a fiery third act, there’s a true clash on-screen that finds fuel in what has come before it in the run-time. This is a simpler and more rounded story than last time, and one that in some ways feels more certain and better off for that fact. Allowing director Nia DaCosta, taking over from Danny Boyle, to bring out that threat at hand as characters meet and feel proper fear for the first time in many years.
It might take some time for things to properly come together and not everything sits comfortably in the confines of the film, some of the moments with Samson feel as if they may be expanded on in the now confirmed third entry in this trilogy but feel somewhat disjointed; or perhaps simply cutdown, in this second outing for Spike who only gets a couple of brief scenes for his own story this time around, it feels. Yet, as things come together there’s a more enjoyable film than in last year’s effort. One with more effect and overall fear factor, perhaps as an effect of having the world building out the way with, something which 28 Years Later was held back by.
The Bone Temple’s contrasts are intentional and they make for a bloodier, more sinister time. One that may not have all elements working alongside each other, and sometimes seems to forget the protagonist who links the two central characters of this sequel, but improves upon itself as it goes on to land an effect spawned from the very different attitudes and efforts of two very well performed, highly contrasting figures who have responded to the Rage Virus, having broken out at different stages of life and against different backgrounds, in very different ways.
A more brutal and intentionally contrasting story, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has a sinister air hanging over it that brings unease and tension to the darkness at hand. Showing the dark and light with great help from Fiennes and O’Connell, this is a bloody, fiery step up from last time.
Just A Little Bit Random 