#4: 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE

 

STARRING: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Willims, Wrin Kellyman, Chi Lewis-Parry. Written by Alex Garland. Directed by Nia DaCosta. Budget $63 million. Running time 109 minutes.

Four films in and not only a sequel to 28 Years Later, the most recent film in this 25 year-old franchise, but also the second part to a planned trilogy, which makes this the Empire Strikes Back of the 28 Years Later saga.

This follows on exactly from where the last one left off, with young Spike (Alfie Williams) the runaway from a island community finding himself an unwilling member of The Jimmies, a truly diabolical satanic cult lead by the even more truly demented Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell). In the last film, Spike had taken his terminally ill mother off to the mainland in search of a cure for her brain cancer. There he'd met Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) a former GP who had dedicated his life to building a huge bone shrine, or 'temple' if you will to the dead. But now Spike is press-ganged into service to the terrifying Jimmys and forced to bear witness to their unbelievable savagery and believe me it's truly savage. Conditioned to accept that their leader is the actual son of Satan, the Jimmies are forced to question their faith when they come across the red-skinned Dr. Kelson and assmue he is actually 'Old Nick'. Meanwhile Dr. Kelson has been developing a relationship with a rage-infected Alpha male he's named Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Oh boy I bet this isn't going to end well.

Blimey, that was gruelling. Superbly directed by Nia DaCosta who carries the torch on from Danny Boyle and before handing the reigns over to Alex Garland for the concluding chapter next year. Shot on location, the film has a quality that revels in its rural setting and with most of it taking part in broad daylight this still manages to be profoundly unsettling and at times downright horrific, particularly when the Jimmies are doing their thing. But it's also the Jimmies and their deadly leader who drags the film down a notch, while the burgeoning relationship between Ian Kelson and Samson gives the film it's heart and soul, seriously there's a moment, reminiscent of Luc Besson's The Last Battle, that actually made the hairs on my arms stand up. Truly this whole aspect of the film is a joy to behold. 

Unfortunately because this is a sequel to last year's 28 Years Later it suffers as a result, it's just not quite as good, it doesn't have the same shock factor or the same sense of sheer panic. For me last year's offering was one of the top five films of the year and a worthy of the 9/10 I gave it, but this while still being a deeply engrossing and intense offering, just wasn't quite as enjoyable, or as satisfying. The story has more threads and the focus is diffused across several characters. Plus each time it leaves that of Kelson and Samson, you kinda feel sad and long for their return. 

Be warned this is a savage and nasty film the violence of the Jimmies is deeply disturbing and makes for uncomfortable viewing.  

Overall this builds to an astounding final confrontation and an extremely exciting coda that makes the wait for the third and final chapter a torture equivalent to that of waiting for Return of the Jedi, let's hope this one's conclusion won't be as diversive.

8/10