When 28 Years Later came out last year, it disrupted the traditional flow of zombie films. Contrary to expectations, the third film in an ongoing series did not see the sudden breakdown of an uninfected group of survivors. Rather, it’s a coming-of-age story wrapped a zombie-flavored coating. It’s a revolutionary reimagining of Danny Boyle’s classic zombie series. Now, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple completes the franchise’s transition into something else entirely different.

The Bone Temple starts off almost immediately after the events of the previous film. Spike (Alfie Williams) joins an eccentric group of survivors called “the Jimmys,” who all dress up like Jimmy Saville. It quickly takes a turn for the worse when Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell), the gang’s leader, shows off a sadistic streak towards the gang’s members and other survivors.

In the meantime, Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) continues his peaceful mission to memorialize the dead. However, after taking care of Spike’s mom in the previous film, Kelson decides to embark on a tougher mission: curing Samson, an Alpha zombie who resides near Kelson’s camp.

Zombies, begone

28 Years Later confirmed that the zombie pandemic was successfully isolated to the British Isles. Since it’s literally 28 years after the first outbreak, the Isles aren’t as inundated with zombies anymore. In the previous film, zombies were a present threat, but they didn’t always lead to an entire horde stampeding over survivors.

In The Bone Temple, zombies are even less of a danger, especially when compared to the more brutal Jimmy gang. Except for an occasional attack, none of the human characters were really scared of zombies. In fact, the traditional rules of fighting zombies have seemingly gone out the window. Characters shout and make noise with no regard for zombies, for example.

Strangely, the franchise’s transition away from the chaos of zombies works. After all, how many times can movies rehash the tired trope of a society collapsing because of an infection? The Bone Temple isn’t about zombies anymore; it’s about what happens after, when society devolves into absurd factions and personalities.

A compelling cast of characters

The previous film had some reactions complaining about the shift away from zombies. If you came into The Bone Temple looking for a straight-up zombie story, you will also leave disappointed.

However, if you stick around, The Bone Temple features a superbly interesting suite of characters for a post-apocalyptic setting. Both Jimmy Crystal and Dr. Kelson aren’t run-of-the-mill survivors grumbling about the difficulties of a postapocalyptic world. Both know what to do and know what they must become. It’s compelling to see how they reach their goals or, in some cases, their comeuppance.

Jimmy Crystal sees himself as the son of Old Nick, an old euphemism for Satan. He wants to sow discord and terrorize other survivors. To him, the zombie outbreak is a religious one, a result of Satan bringing forth demons to the world. He treats death as his duty, especially when done through violent means.

In contrast, Dr. Kelson believes in science. He bathes in iodine to stave off infection. In fact, he believes that the zombie virus is curable or, at the very least, manageable. For him, death is a fact of life but one that needs to be respected. His monument, or the titular Bone Temple, is a testimony that everyone who died was a human being, not a mindless zombie.

It’s these drives that make The Bone Temple so engaging. You will want one to succeed, and the other to get his just desserts.

A bombastic finish

When you watch Jimmy and Dr. Kelson work their way through the film, one thing becomes apparent: Both ideologies are set for a collision course against each other. A meeting between the two feels inevitable, but you just won’t know how yet.

Now, some things are better off being experienced. Though, like the previous film, The Bone Temple starts more methodically and more deliberately, it will all lead to one of the craziest endings I’ve seen in modern cinema. Even if you’ve watched the film’s trailers, you’re bound to still gape in awe of what it has in store. All I’ll say is, even in this messed up future, Iron Maiden is still an icon of heavy metal.

In its insanity, which shall not be named in this review, The Bone Temple proves that the franchise wants to be something more than just another zombie flick. And, after all’s been said and done in this clash of ideologies, the promise of hope remains, along with the expectation of an even grander conclusion in the upcoming third movie in the 28 Years Later trilogy.