Parents' Guide to 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Shot back-to-back with 28 Years Later, this film has the same intelligence, visual inventiveness, and brutal shock factor as its partner, though it heads into more spiritual territory. Director Nia DaCosta takes over from Danny Boyle for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and she again proves the range she's capable of, from mature horror (Candyman) to human drama (Little Woods, Hedda). She's a whiz at finding the right angles and colors to express certain feelings or ideas.

This sequel feels somewhat narrowed down, with less exposition and a focus on two compelling tales that converge in a powerful final stretch, with everything clicking in just the right way. The movie looks at big themes—including good vs. evil, kindness vs. cruelty, and science vs. spirituality—but in small, digestible doses. It's capable of great flourishes, as in the dazzling sequence in which Dr. Ian tries to convince the "Jimmies" that he's the actual Prince of Darkness, as well as moments of quiet reflection. Characters are always thinking and always on their toes, rather than being slaves to a plot. The movie's main flaw is that it is indeed the second half of a two-part story, and it will be compared to and contrasted with Boyle's well-received first half, which helped build things up. But 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a sometimes brutal, often thoughtful, and altogether impressive movie in its own right, as well as part of a series that just keeps getting better and better.