Don Reviews "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple"

With the number of films that have been made over the last couple of decades, it begs the question of how prepared you are for this kind of event and what would you do.  Granted, the possibility of a “zombie apocalypse” happening is slim, but the discussion of how to survive something like it is always fun to do.  That being said, let’s talk 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Nia DaCosta, whose short resume still has a wide spectrum with films from the remake of Candyman to The Marvels to last year’s Hedda directs here with a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Jack O’Connell, Alfie Williams, Emma Laird, Chi Lewis-Parry, and Erin Kellyman.  Taking place right after last year’s 28 Years Later and almost three decades since the rage virus took over the planet, Spike (Williams) is added to the gang of Jimmy Crystal’s (O’Connell) and the havoc they are causing.  While this is going on, Ian (Fiennes) is trying to understand the virus as he is building a relationship with Samson (Lewis-Parry).  As these two stories go on their collision course, the consequences of both become real.

Just like the prior film, this one looks great.  The cast here is also solid, as it has been before, with Finnes doing the job he has become known for doing.  Ian and Sampson have great chemistry, and that kept me interested on that front.

The downside to that is the fact that theirs is not the only part of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.  Things get so convoluted that I was at first wondering what the plot of this film had to do with the movie series in a whole. Even though the basic plot is Ian building a relationship and meeting up with the cult group lead by Jimmy, most of it has nothing to do with the chaos of the virus and the “zombies”.  The story of Jimmy’s cult could have just as easily put in a real world setting of cult causing chaos and the second story of a solitary man living by himself in nature and probably should have.  It just devolves in certain places into what is known as “torture porn”.  I understand that this happens in a time of pure anarchy, but it is not an excuse to show the level of gore things get to.  Sure, you should be aware of what type of file you are going to see, but just because you are making a film basically dealing with zombies, it does not give the filmmakers the right to make it into an artistic snuff film.  There is no way I will ever watch this film again and in good conscious recommend it.  In fact, I know it is January, but I am making the “Un-Coveted Maze Runner Promise” that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will make my year end list of worst films of the year.