As we first reported on FearHQ.com, the review embargo has lifted for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and it sounds like Candyman director Nia DaCosta has returned to the horror genre with a worthy follow-up to Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later.
The latter only made $151.3 million on a reported $60 million budget, but Boyle intends to helm a threequel starring Cillian Murphy. Regardless of how this follow-up performs—Deadline expects it to dethrone Avatar: Fire and Ash over the MLK holiday weekend with $20 million—chances are Sony Pictures will be moving forward with that.
Helping matters is the fact that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is "Certified Fresh" at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 92 reviews. 28 Years Later has 89%, 28 Days Later sits at 87%, and 28 Weeks Later trails them with 73%.
While DaCosta's previous movies have been well-reviewed, this score may come as a surprise to some after The Marvels (63%) and Candyman (79%) proved a little divisive. Of course, the filmmaker already bounced back from her time in the MCU with Hedda (89%).
"Despite its unevenness, The Bone Temple delivers enough carnage and ritual sacrifice to satiate the horror flock," writes The Hollywood Reporter, before singling out Ralph Fiennes' work. "But most of its richest pleasures come down to Fiennes going balls to the wall with a truly memorable character — half lunatic and half visionary. He elevates the movie whenever he’s onscreen."
Deadline promises horror fans "riotous scenes of flesh-eating carnage whenever things get too quiet," adding that, "Part 3 can’t come soon enough."
The Guardian hails it as the franchise's best instalment yet, noting, "A murderous Clockwork-Orangey gang take on the zombies in this gruesome and energised fourquel. It’s the finest of the 28 franchise by a blood-curdling mile."
Awards Radar shares a similar take, concluding, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple kind of blew me away. Not only does it prove that 28 Years Later wasn’t a fluke, it improves on it in nearly every way. A rewatch will be needed, but at the moment, this is the best one yet, even better than 28 Days Later."
"28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks up the same plot but tells a very different story in a surprisingly funny, exceptionally brutal new chapter for the franchise," states IGN, with Digital Spy chiming in to say, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a strong continuation of the series, one that manages to stand on its own as an excellent whole while satisfyingly setting up the final instalment."
IndieWire hails the movie as "2026's first great horror movie," while Mashable declares that "Nia DaCosta delivers an exhilarating horror epic."
Finally, we hear from Variety. "For genre aficionados, it’s bold, mind-bending work which satisfies that so-often-frustrated craving: for a zombie movie with brains," promises the trade.
Here's the official synopsis for 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. 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.
Directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Alex Garland, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is produced by Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, and Alex Garland. Cillian Murphy serves as executive producer. The movie also stars Erin Kellyman and Chi Lewis-Parry.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple arrives in theaters on January 16, 2026.