Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

28 Years Later : The Bone Temple 

This film is a tremendous follow up to previous film! Nia DaCosta brings a different flare and approach to the franchise that is very much brutal in the execution and incredibly human in her approach to the wonderful screenplay written by Alex Garland. The film is not as stylistic as Danny Boyle’s direction that is absent from this entry but what it lacks in specific style it makes up for in sheer emotional drive which is the big thing that DaCosta Taps into more then ever with this film. The film is about a brutal world that these people have to live in it and how it has affected everyone in different ways to this new way of living and how that mentally would take a toll on people. Now that was explored in the first film and has been a ongoing theme but it explores it to great depth this time around and their are parts of this film that had my jaw on the floor 28 Years Later The Bone Temple is the first great film of 2026 that I will not be surprised if it ends up on many peoples best of the year lists including my own. 

Firstly, The way Nia DaCosta goes about exploring the arc of Samson and Ian the doctor we were introduced to in the first film is a integral focus point to the film and it is a paring you never expected would work but ended up being one of the strongest emotional aspects of the story. Now just like the last film this one is slow In the way the film unfolds it is not at all trying to be a fast paced and slick horror film by any means but instead is a meditative piece on the Human condition. That  is  an element that Nia taps into far more this time around that Danny Boyle didn’t in the previous film which is how far the brutality goes. If the first film was bleak this one cranks it to an 11 with the descent into hell of how people’s minds can turn into a very warped sense of reality and that is shown In brutal detail from what we Get to know as the Jimmy’s and the film has a huge delve into cultism and Satanic worshipping and the way Alex Garland pushes the insanity of this franchise is staggering because we see what happens in the first film when their is a sense of community to protect themselves from harm but then their is another flip side to that coin of what if their was a sense of unity and community built off the backs of evil and delivering a message that is derived off inflecting violence on others. That being said the film does not hold back it shows it all in its ugliness and how terrifying it can go if a person or group of people are pushed far enough. The ways’s it is explored on a psychological level is so interesting and Alex Garland and Nia DaCosta do a tremendous job at Bringing the great writing to the screen and I actually would go as far as saying it is as strong if not more so then what we got in the last film from a storytelling point of view. As having Samson and Dr Ian becoming unlikely friends and generating a great emotional bond was so moving to see the evolution of that and in the final act of the film the story of the Jimmy’s and the Dr Ian plot line intertwine in such a fantastic way that works so well. The film explores places of the characters in a deeper way we had not seen in the first film and Also show the darker and human sides of peoples hearts and both sides of that are greatly executed in a very emotionally affective way. Overall the way the writing has not only strengthened which I thought was impossible as it is already so good Garland still finds new ways to expand this franchise and keep it fresh and brining on Nia was great as she gives such a different look to the franchise but one that is a amazing addition. 

Secondly, The performances from everyone is great but the two actors everyone will be talking about is Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’ Connell who in their own ways give such powerful onscreen performances. Ralph Fiennes once again delivers another top notch performance that proves why he is the amazing actor we all know him for. We see him tap more into the depths of who Dr Ian is and he shows both his deep knowledge on medicine and how strict he is about his ways of living but we see how much he is in dire need of a human connection and Finnes is able to tap into that sensitive heart in a very captivating way that makes you unable to take your eyes off of him the entire time. Then you have Jack O’ Connell who delivers a performance that somehow tops what he did in Sinners with his turn as the head of the Jimmy’s. He plays this unpredictable personality that believes in a higher calling but uses it for all the wrong reasons he lures you in with his charismatic energy and once he has your attention he is able to change the temperature in the room from how he can change his emotional tone within seconds and command the screen with an iron fist of intimidation Jack O Connell is truly magnetic in this film. Everyone else all give great performances but it is the work from both Jack and Ralph that really walk away with the film in terms of performance. 

Lastly, 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple is the first truly great film of 2026 and if films are going to be on this caliber of good it is going to be a great year of films I cannot wait. Alex Garland and Nia DaCosta work together to create the bridge between the first last film with exploring the dark intentions people can have when they manipulate someone far enough in dire situations but also to show how beautiful it is to create a connection with someone and watching that evolution of a bond blossom overtime it is able to go back and forth and explore both ends of that in great detail. 28 Years : The Bone Temple is at the core of it about humans and why we do what we do in a new world that is plagued with nothing but unpredictability around every corner and how we would go about living in such a world Garland and DaCosta do a great job at giving a great follow up to the first film that pushes the world even further and deepening the depths of the characters we were introduced with in the first film with great twist and turns and a gut punch of emotion this film is truly phenomenal! I recommend everyone who likes this franchise to see it on the big screen with an audience it really will make that experience that more special. 

This film picks up where 28 Years left off with now Spike having no choice but to have joined the group known as the Jimmy’s but what they want him to do is darker then he can imagine 

Rated R : Graphic Nudity|Gore|Brief Drug Use|Language Throughout|Strong Bloody Violence

Ralph Fiennes : Ralph gives one of the most memorable performances of his career with his turn in this film as Dr Ian! Now this man is one of the most underrated actors that has had a crazy run of films this decade from The Dig, The Menu, Conclave to now two 28 years films the guy has had exceptional work this decade and it unfortunately is not getting the recognition he deserves. Whatever he is in he gives his absolute best and this performance is no different we saw his introduction in the first film as this eccentric doctor and yes he did get about 20ish minutes of screen time where we found out a little about him but not much. Here we really see who he is on a deeper level and he bears his heart with his work on this film. As we see his day to day ways of living and how he has survived so long by living on his own and how he has maintained a distance between him and the infected people taking his life. Their is a man that goes by the name Samson and he has found himself intrigued by him as he has sedatives that help him from getting harmed he uses on the infected but once he uses it on this one man he is interested to see if their is any way to reverse the virus and see if he can become human again. The sheer will and want for him to help him is so admirable but also you can see that both of them benefit from the situation as he is in essential need of human connection and Samson the man he is studying can be saved so it is a win win on both ways of looking at it. There is something emotion wise he taps into with this character that almost feels Shakespearian in his approach to the role that just makes you so intrigued into his arc of the character. You can see that he does not scare easily due to of seen so much violence and carnage but behind the walls of being confident in his safety their is a longing he has for wanting to have a friend or a basic connection with someone once again and it reads all over his eyes and he presents that through all the raw emotion that is right on his face and Ralph says so much without feeling the need to have to communicate that to the audience with words. Once he starts working on his relationship with Samson you can see that he feels alive again as their is something that gives him a reason to wake up in the morning and have something to look forward too instead of the same old routine day in and day out. When he expresses he is scared it comes from such a real place in his heart as it seems that nothing can shake this man but he is vulnerable like the next person but due to him getting so emotionally attached into Samson it now gives him something to loose which is not something he has had to think about in a very long time. Ralph Fiennes plays this character in a very emotionally reserved way that starts showing more of his emotional depth as the film progresses in very subtle ways and in the final act he gives some of the best acting of his career he surrenders himself to the material and gives his entire body and being to the work and you can see the sheer commitment but also fun he is having at exploring Dr Ian. Ralph Fiennes is magnificent in this film giving what I think is one of his most fascinating and emotionally captivating roles he has put to screen. 

Jack O’ Connell : O’ Connell gives his most terrifying performance yet with his work in 28 Years Later : The Bone Temple! Now Jack O’ Connell is finally getting the recognition he deserves as he has been working for so many years I remember him from way back when he did Unbroken directed by Angelina Jolie and being totally blown away by his talents and somehow in the last decade he has flown under the radar until his big villainous turn in Sinners. If you thought he played a antagonist in that film what he does here is unheard of he plays a bone chilling personality named Jimmy Crystal and brings chaos, violence and inflicts pain on anyone in his path he comes across that he wants to just cause he can. His motives we do not even learn about until later on which is terrifying which means he just does it to get a kick out of people crying in pain and he laughs out of sickening excitement and pleasure in their pain. Jack O’ Connell soaks in this role like a sponge and becomes totally immersed into the psyche of the character when you see him despite his evil and unlikeable motives he is so striking to see onscreen he has such a strong screen presence that is felt in every frame. He follows a strict guideline to being in his deranged group of followers and if you can’t stomach the pain and animalistic nature of it not only will he kick you out he will make sure you go down so you cannot get away. Jack O’ Connell’s character is a devil worshipper and follows the word of him to guide him in his day to day decisions even though it seems he uses religion in a way to justify the horrible actions he does and Jack disappears entirely into the character with the track suit and upside down cross he walks differently and has so much hate in his heart but their is a playfulness about him that is always on display he will bring down the hammer of punishment when he has too and makes that fun personality be a front for who he really is. Emotionally Jack O’ Connell gets to explore so much of who this complicated person is and Does a staggering job at that he thinks what he is doing is the right way to live and treat others which is horrifying. Jack O’ Connell gives what I think is the strongest performance he has shown onscreen thus far and he digs deep into the dark parts of himself to bring this terrifying person to the surface but it is always dripping in charisma that you can’t look away he chews up the scenery in each scene he is in and steals the show in terms of performance Jack O’ Connell is truly sensational! 

Nia DaCosta : Nia brings a beautiful addition to the franchise with giving her own interpretation on the franchise without loosing what the core message of these films are! Now Nia has a short resume she’s worked on the Candyman remake, Hedda and now this among a few others but what she brings to the table creatively was so impressive with her take on this film. She of course lets Alex Garland’s script be her guiding star but the way it is presented style wise is very different then how Danny Boyle does these films. Nia is more quiet in her approach to the story and isn’t as fast paced with kinetic energy she lets the frame burn slowly and lingers longer on shots which is fine I love her voice on this film as she also brings a sense of brutality to this film that has not gone to these kinds of heights of violence before. She never lets the brutality of it all be placed in it for the sake of it but letting it be justified in the way we better understand characters motives theirs a reason behind each decision she makes in this film and smartly at that. She and Alex worked together greatly to explore the relationship of Dr Ian and Samson and how their relationship blossoms overtime all the while exploring the sinister side of Jimmy and his whole situation and what she focuses on is what these films have always been build on which is how humans react under urgent circumstances and how psychologically it affects them and in what way they will adapt to their new settings and the way she presents it is both beautiful and terrifying as she shows the beauty and darkness that comes with that. I think Nia understood the exact kind of tone that was needed to further the plot of this trilogy and expand the arcs of these characters we have become intrigued by overall I think Nia DaCosta brings a respectful and singular vision to the franchise that is a fantastic addition that works so well.