28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE Reactions Call Sequel “Bonkers,” “Surprisingly Funny,” and Brutal Enough to Test Your Stomach
The first reactions to Nia DaCosta’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple have dropped after its Tuesday night press screening, and horror fans might want to brace themselves.
Early viewers are calling the sequel one of the wildest and most creatively unhinged genre films in years, with some insisting it pushes the franchise in a direction that is even more polarizing than its predecessor.
If you thought 28 Years Later sparked debate among general audiences, it sounds like this new chapter might stir up something even fiercer.
Critics are praising the movie’s relentless brutality and the performances from Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, who seem to anchor the chaos with gripping intensity.
Metro’s Tori Brazier said, "This has cranked everything up to 11, and I warn you, you will need a very strong stomach (or a sick bag)." So it sounds like DaCosta has delivered a horror experience designed to leave viewers squirming.
Christopher Mills of Nexus Point News called the film "one of the greatest horror movies of the decade, as it takes the first movie and goes 10 extra miles with the brutality and intensity of the world." It is high praise for a franchise already known for tension and bleak intensity.
While some reactions note that the film’s off-the-wall tone may not land for everyone, none of the early takes lean negative. The previous installment, directed by Danny Boyle, was embraced by fans but left broader audiences divided, especially with its wild and chaotic ending.
With this sequel, some critics say to expect something that could spark even bigger conversations. DaCosta herself seems fully aware of the risks and embraces them with confidence.
She previously explained her approach by saying, “The thing that connects the two [movies] is that they’re both bonkers, idiosyncratic, and very artistically personal works. My big pitch when I was talking to the producers, including Danny and Alex, before I came on was, ‘I’m going to make this my own. I’m not going to try to make a Danny Boyle movie.’ Because that’s impossible to make. He’s so special. And it didn’t really interest me. It’s so hard to describe the tone of the movie that I actually won’t even attempt to. But it keeps the same unique, off-the-wall, surprising energy.”
Fans of the original films also have a fun tease to look forward to. Cillian Murphy’s character Jim from 28 Days Later is set to return in what has been described as a cameo that sets up a larger role in the trilogy’s conclusion.
The film’s synopsis reads: "Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying."
If these early impressions hold, DaCosta has crafted something daring, unrestrained, and creatively awesome. Whether audiences embrace it or recoil from it is still a mystery.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hits theaters January 16, 2026.
Nia DaCosta is a director that more people need to keep their eyes on for the near future.
— Christopher Rates It 🦦 (@LuminousDagger) December 9, 2025
28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE is one of the greatest horror movies of the decade, as it takes the first movie and goes 10 extra miles with the brutality and intensity of the world.
It… pic.twitter.com/Dc5vXqP20M