429: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

SPEAKER_01 0:04

I was fully prepping myself for 28 years later the Boner Temple.

SPEAKER_03 0:08

Absolutely. Last year, the rage virus returned to the big screen in the form of a long gestating sequel that positions itself decades after the initial outbreak. The film marked the reunion of Danny Fole and Alex Garland, launching a new trilogy decades after the original outbreak, and re-establishing this world for a theatrical audience. Now, our story continues on the mainland. As survival settles into systems and hierarchies, Spike is drawn into Jimmy Crystal's operation, learning how power functions when collapse becomes routine. And elsewhere, Dr. Kelson pursues research that leads to a discovery with implications that extend far beyond any singular group or territory. Rather than resetting the board, his chapter follows the consequences of what came before, tracking how people organize, adapt, and exploit what remains after years of infection. This week we're talking about 28 years later, the Bone Temple. Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hackerslash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. I think your name is Jimmy. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

A total joke, a waste of time, or a slash.

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Totally killer, pun intended. We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, are rating these movies with the perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris. I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Pride moves inside me like maggots in the corpse of Christ.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

And the paranormal paramour, Binx. How's that?

SPEAKER_01 1:58

You're tuning in for the Bone Temple, but if you support the show, you'll also get to hear our B side at the end of this episode, where we get into some post-apocalyptic nonsense.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Listen, is it an episode of Hacker Slash or if we're not diving into some manner of post-apocalyptic nonsense? But before we get to all that, what were you all expecting going into this one?

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Well, I will start by saying I was fully prepping myself for 28 years later, the Boner Temple.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Absolutely. 28 inches later. We talked about it all last year. It swept the Slasher's Choice Awards. How could you not be prepared for that?

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Yeah, of course. But no, I mean in all seriousness, I was looking forward to I think just more storytelling from this new universe that we've been given, right? With 28 years later, really going in depth on this universe now and expanding on this world, what happens to Spike, what's going on with Kelson, what's going on with this tracksuit gang that we got at the end of the last one?

SPEAKER_02 2:54

Definitely. We needed answers. I just was hoping for some clarity, to be honest, especially with that wild ending that we got in 28 years later. So I was a little unsure if this was going to be just about Dr. Kelson. It was a little bit of a toss-up. I really didn't stay focused on the trailer. I may have maybe watched it once, but with him in the cover of the movie poster, I was like, is this going to be some kind of prequel to him? Is this going to be maybe just a little bit of him? And then we're going to keep the story going. I just wasn't sure where this was going to go, but I hope it was going to give me some answers, that's for sure. Because we were introduced to a lot of new things in the previous film.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

Yeah, I don't recall the trailer for this movie very much. I remember looking forward to it when we got the last one. And I also remember the taste that was left in my mouth when we met the Jimmies at the end of the last movie. And going into this, I expected to find even more brutality. I expected to get more of the Jimmies, which I think we got in some measure. But there's also a great amount of things in this movie that I did not expect. And something that I undersold even from my own perspective was the fact that we have Nia DaCosta at the helm of this one, and what a difference that would make tonally and even visually in this movie.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Yeah, absolutely. I did not know that Nia Da Costa was even directing this until I sat down and saw her name. So that's on me, but you can definitely sense that tone shift. For me, I want to say that Jack O'Connell as a cult leader and villain again is something that is easily entertaining, of course. And anything with Ray Fines is a guaranteed good time. So once that was kind of uncovered and my answer was given as far as is this going to be about Dr. Kelson or whatnot, I thought, okay, so we're going to get the two of them. It seems like they're central figures here. Interesting. But personally, I just felt like the film was a bit supplementary for the most part. It felt like a spin-off episode or novella of a book series. And I think it does have to do with the fact that it was really those two characters. Like they are the main people, it felt like, with Spike, of course, having to kind of interact with both of them in some capacity.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

For sure. And I think this also because this movie suffers from being the second in a trilogy. And I completely forgot that this was announced to be a trilogy. In my brain, I was only latched on to the previous film we got, and then the announcement of the Bone Temple immediately after. But when you go into the second installment, there is a lot of there's a lot to the story that is going to be a continuation without necessarily having a lot of resolution. And it perhaps is gonna beg even more questions and set you up for a great finale. So going into this one and experiencing what unfolds on screen, I wasn't immediately met with a lot of uh intrigue, the sense of being a captive audience member. I was entertained, don't get me wrong, but I also didn't feel nearly as much as I felt during the first film. But what is interesting to me is that it has given me even more to chew on in the aftermath, and I'm thinking about this movie more than I thought about its predecessor. And I'm thinking specifically about Binks, you're just mentioning these two main characters and being at odds with each other. It's their dynamic and what they represent in this movie that has just absolutely stayed with me.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Yeah, there's definitely a lot going on, and I I agree. I went into this one also not remembering that this was a trilogy, so I think that's partly because we literally got these movies back to back, right? Year, like one year after the next, because they had already like been filming and or wrapped this one up right after the last one. So I don't know what the timeline is for the third installment in this trilogy, but it just felt like we knew that Bone Temple was coming when we were watching 28 years later. And so, yeah, I don't know. I think we were just thinking of this 28 years later when we saw it, and then what's gonna happen in Bone Temple, and then we forgot that there was a trilogy. But yeah, you're right, because this is like a middle movie of the trilogy, there's a lot of story that has to happen, and they really dive into a lot of the character development in this one, and so it can feel like a slow burn for sure at times, and then there's these like shifts, there's these tonal shifts where you've got like this slow pace, and just as you start to feel the slow pace, it like bam, it hits you with some graphic violence, and so there's some mixed feelings there, but I can tell you that this one definitely had me feeling all kinds of different things. I feel like this movie was full of emotional moments, with especially with some of the characters that we get. There's moments of laughter, there's moments of shock and gore. I think the performances were super good, and the story was really a lot better than I anticipated it being.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

I think that that's super interesting that we need to do a better job, and we as a society, maybe, of reminding people of this like shift in marketing for the franchise. I a hundred percent forgot that this was a part of a trilogy, and that's so important because when you think about it from that frame of reference, it's like the previous film I didn't really like very much. Didn't really like it at all, actually. And I think it's because I thought of it as this is supposed to be the conclusion of that trilogy when it was really just the beginning of a new one. It's the beginning, yeah. So it's very different when you look at it from that frame of reference. And so now when I'm thinking of this movie and its tone, going back to that, it's like yeah, that was a very big shift in tone. But maybe it does work for a quote unquote sequel, like a number two. It wouldn't maybe it wouldn't be the same if you thought of it as a fourth installment. Does that make sense? Like I think you think of those things a little bit differently. By the fourth film, you're like, all right, give me something a little juicier and let's like raise the stakes and think about things more intensely. Whereas this was maybe a little bit of that too, sure. But also like comedy.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Okay. See, that is one of the biggest things that surprised me going into this. This movie felt in a lot of moments like it was one beer can away from being a buddy comedy. And that is just such a wild thing to consider. And that dynamic, I'm not gonna reveal it. None of us are gonna reveal it until we get into the spoiler zone in just a bit. But there's a lot to unpack there because that was the most surprising aspect of the story overall, and also the part that was most dangerously on the verge of really campy comedy.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

I am with you on that a hundred percent to the point where I literally wrote in my notes buddy comedy film. Yes, I mean, my whole entire theater was laughing for a good majority of the time, folks. A good majority of the time.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Move over, crack open a cold one. Now it's time to crack open a boat. Oh god.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Yeah, I mean, I agree, like there were definitely a lot of comedic aspects to this uh, what do we say, emotional bond between two major characters, right? Like I just think definitely some funny moments that had me thinking at times, like I was reflecting on it as the movie was progressing, and then as the movie ended, and then as I was going home, I'm like, did I like this, or was it just, you know, was it just funny? I don't know. So I had to really think about it, but yeah, I think that was a big surprise. And overall, I know it's not a total surprise, but the fact that the movie continues to lean less into the infected and the chaos around surviving the fast-moving zombies and really starts to lean in more into cult behavior, human extremism, and like this moral decay decades after the collapse of society happens. And I think the choice to really lean into some of the character stuff, it it feels like a surprise if you're going in for especially if you're going in for like a traditional type of zombie experience. We've touched on things like this when if you're a big Walking Dead fan and things like that, but I feel like this takes it into an even other direction that maybe we haven't seen before. And yeah. Outside of all the seriousness, though, I know we made jokes of it at the beginning of this episode already, but still somehow this film surprised me with the amount of dick that we get. Like it I expected the Alpha Dong again. I expected it, fully expected it, but to get even more than that was a surprise for sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

Yeah, these movie was not dicking around.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Really? I almost thought that we got less dick. Am I crazy? I thought that there were more people in cleaning.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

We got a lot more subtle casual dickness.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Oh, I'll take it. A little slippery. Okay, you know the difference between hours and man hours? I'm afraid to answer that. So hours is like elapsed time. So if you're doing something for 60 minutes, an hour is just the 60 minutes. Man hours is two separate people spending 60 minutes, so that's 120 minutes of man hours. In Sean's mind, it's not that we get more hours of dick, it's that the man hours have increased because the dick quota is split into two characters.

SPEAKER_01 12:43

Yeah, the dick hours.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

Oh, I see. Okay, okay. All right, I see it now. I I did the math. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Oh man. But aside from that, when you look at the film as a whole, and I think the film, it's interesting because when you think of it, the film isn't really scary in the sense that a haunted house movie is scary, right? Like you're not getting these sudden, you're I mean you're not, you're not getting like these build-up, like weird pop-out, jump scary type things. Although there are some sudden bursts of violence, there are some things that kind of pop because, but I think they pop because the movie really kind of drags and really lingers for so long in this kind of like, I don't know what the right word for it is, but it just feels like it's just moving at its nice slow pace, and then all of a sudden, bam, you get some craziness. And I think it's more about these sudden bursts of chaos from the moments that we do see, like the infected and things like that, then and then the violence when it does happen, it's intense and it's very graphic. But from a scare sense, I don't know, it's not that scary.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

It's because what this movie does, like many zombie movies do, is show you that the fear is not in the monsters we become, but the monsters that are already inside of us, and that again, it's something that we've seen in so many different zombie movies. Tons. The execution of it in this movie feels a little bit more interesting, a little bit more bewildering, don't get me wrong, but also simultaneously a touch more interesting. What I love most about this is even though you're allowed the space to just be fearful of that and to thinking about the absolute horror that these people wreak, this movie does it with a particularly deft hand of duality that doesn't make it overwhelming. If you're watching this with someone who doesn't like horror movies or is fairly new to things and they get a little squeamish, there's some gore in this, but the violence isn't so terrifying that I think you're gonna have a problem in that category.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yeah, I'd agree. I think that this is more tension and maybe more creative avenues of being scary than what we've seen in the other ones, because it felt less zombie scary and more human to human violence scary. But I would argue also, though, that the characters themselves and like these humans, right? I wish they were a touch more intimidating. And maybe it's because I'm still thinking and lingering of the ending of the previous film and the Jimmies that we see in those tilotubby suits, you know, like kind of kills the vibe a little bit, I think. But I think that a little if we could just crank up the intimidation just a smidge. I think also the tone of the film, and again, going back to that humor aspect, it's a little hard to go back and forth sometimes for me personally when you're like you were just laughing a moment ago, and then you want me to be like terrified. But I think the circumstances are still there, and I think the world of 28 days, years, weeks, whatever, right? Like it's a very terrifying place to be. So that itself, like the atmosphere doesn't dissipate. That's still a scary thing that lives on even throughout this film.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, for sure. And I think that's what it is. It is trying to tell you, like, don't you're we should fear less about the monsters, like you said, Chris, and fear more about the what people turn into in this post-apocalyptic world. Tons of movies and TV shows have shown us this aspect. But the problem with how this comes off, at least from a fright factor, is true. Like we have the Jimmies, right? And we have these moments, but there's just a lot of comedic elements that just don't ever let you feel any real fear. Even when there's graphic moments, yeah, there's some cringy moments, there's some stuff that's really graphic, and there's some pretty decent gore for sure. But at the end of the day, there's so much absurdity that you're just like, yeah, I don't know. And I don't even think the movie's trying to be anything scary. I think the movie's really heavily focused on really good storytelling, which I think it does very, very well. And we've seen our fair share of zombie movies over the years now. We've seen all kinds of different versions of what the world turns into after a zombie apocalypse. But I think that this one definitely shows us something that we haven't really seen before. There's a couple of things that it dives into where I think it separates itself. And so, even though it's its overall theme is something that we've seen in other things, the evolution of the infected, the dive into the psyche without giving too much away, like there's a lot of things here that I feel like we haven't gotten before in this type of movie. And so for that, I feel like this is bringing something new to the table.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Yeah, I think that with the direction that this new trilogy is going into, this is definitely original. I agree with you, Sean, in the sense of like even just shifting the focus, because we always just follow a main central character, and it's the same one for each individual film. I mean, each film has been like almost an anthology, obviously. So we are following that character all throughout. And this film, it's kind of separated in between like three people in a way. And everyone has their moment where we've got two main stars that you wouldn't expect are really your main stars. And that was very interesting. Everything with the tone, sure, we've talked about that, but I appreciate the direction of this film and changing it up a little bit just to kind of shake it up. I mean, we everything else has been pretty formalaic for the other ones. And although it didn't hit quite right for the 28 years later for me personally, this one was just enough to kind of like get me engaged, partially because the actors are incredible, I will say. But it also just provides a lot of context that is very important for you to understand for this new world of 28 days, I guess that we can say, right? I think that's also important. So I go back to what I was mentioning earlier. Yes, it feels supplementary because it's a shift in the way it's telling the story, but it's kind of like that novella that you really do want to read, that prequel that you really want to read before you keep going, or you know, like an article or something to the effect of like getting the answers that you need before you keep going on this ride.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

You know what's interesting to me about this movie, and I was reflecting on this when considering all of its predecessors, and thinking about in the last film, we talked about how it was largely shot on iPhone, and then thinking about this franchise's origins within digital video in the original installment. And I was thinking about that and thinking then about even how different this movie feels cinematically and visually. There are shifts even within its own two-part story that shows that sure there may be a a particular through line for this trilogy, but each installment is gonna feel a little bit different. And something that I really appreciate is how we ended the previous film with a big what the hell is this moment when we're introduced to the Jimmies. And that same exact sentiment has flickers in this installment, but doesn't outwardly live up to that exact level of camp. And it's incredible to me that we can get a sequel so soon on the heels of this of its predecessor by a completely different director, and it simultaneously feel congruent and also completely separate. It's a really strange dynamic. I'm really enjoying this new addition to this franchise. This is a franchise that's getting better with every movie for me, and I think it's also largely in part because of this ending. I found this ending to be actually really, really beautiful. And even if it doesn't give us the exact payoff that we want, and you want to see just a little bit more in there, I think it does offer the perfect foil for the premise of the first film, and it plays on this idea of isolation and disconnection from the horrors of the world that we saw in 28 years later. And now in this one, hope that humanity can still be saved, even when it seems unlikely that it still exists and what's left.

SPEAKER_01 21:10

Yeah, I think, well, one, if a movie ends in a way that makes you want just a little bit more, that in a good way, that's usually a good ending, right? If it if it leaves you wanting to watch more in that sense, I think it's done its job, right? If it ends and you're like, well, I feel like I didn't get anything, that's a whole different feeling. But but yeah, I I agree. I actually really enjoyed the way this movie ended. I think the amazing scene that led to the ending scene that we got, like everything about the end of this movie was great. It was a great finish that really added this really great high point to the film and then its own kind of happy esque type ending in a way. And we, in that last moment that we get, I think was just really special and sets up this next installment. Perfectly.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

And I think it's an ending that I really hope somehow, somehow, people haven't been spoiled to. I think I feel like there was a lot of internet chatter going on, you know what I mean? Even prior to this movie even coming out. So it's a bit surprising for sure, but it's one that I think really lands and is a lot of fun if you have avoided any spoilers at all, which will be very difficult to do, it feels like.

SPEAKER_03 22:26

I can't wait to see how all this shakes out in its ratings. But before we get there, Sean, how would you describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_01 22:34

In terms of how much gore we get throughout the movie, it feels very moderate, but what but when we do get gore, the impact I feel like is very high. There is some real intense moments of gore, and it really proves that you don't need like buckets of blood to make violence feel brutal. You get that feeling from what we do get in this movie, and there are some really graphic moments, but the overall feel of the gore in this movie, matched with how much we actually get, earns itself a solid medium gore score.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

Yeah, what about the animal report? We are all safe in this bone temple. Let's go ahead and get into our ratings then. 28 years later, the Bone Temple, 2026, was it a hack or a slash? Now I'm gonna go ahead and just get us started here. This movie manages to continue the trajectory that's set by its predecessor, but it does so by carrying the torch while simultaneously adopting a slightly refined tone. What I love about this is it treats the rage virus as less of a sudden event and more of a long-term condition. And sure, we saw that in the previous film, but in this one, it feels like there's an emphasis on the word condition. The power in this movie lies in the moments that it explores how people, how humanity organizes, trades power and tries to justify control. And you see that from two different lens, right? We have this entire expansive runtime where we're torn between the Jimmies and Dr. Kelson, and it's done effectively enough to keep our attention on cause and consequence rather than just pure violent spectacle. We got a lot of brutality in the previous film, and while we still get some here, it feels different, it hits different, it looks different, but it also rewards familiarity with the source material and all the movies that came before it. And if you know, you know, especially with the ending. But it also underscores the fact that escalation in this world comes just as much from human decision as it does from an infection. And that's the soul of this new trilogy where our first two films in this franchise really talked about infection, and then yes, how humans interacted and the dynamic that existed between that and the immediate aftermath. The humans are more a part of the story than ever before. And I've been chewing on this movie for a bit. I don't know if I enjoy it more than its predecessor for sure, but it has been growing on me in the time since I watched it, which I feel is incredibly significant. So it's a slash.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

I share a lot of the same sentiments as you, Chris. I think that this is one that is very interesting and does stay with you. Simply, I think, also because it's just different. It's very different than all the other films, so it's memorable for sure. This film's not like other girls. It's certainly not. It's certainly not. This movie isn't quite what I thought it would be, though. But at this point, neither was 28 years later. And it's like we said at the very beginning, I really needed that reminder of the fact that this is a new trilogy. How could I have forgotten? You know, I think that that really does change my perspective to an to a sense and give it a little bit more grace. I mean, I'm not against the Ray Fines and Jack O'Connell show personally. I think that they're great actors. I love them and so many other pieces of work, right? But I also respect that this movie doesn't really try to hide the fact that they have these two great actors at the helm and they have a great accompanying cast along with them, but they know that they have these two actors that are really dynamic. They have range, they can be really funny, they can be very intimidating. We've seen that obviously Ray Fine's work. I don't even need to get into it. Jack O'Connell also just literally sinners, not long ago. I mean, we see that come through. And so although it felt like a very different film from the entire franchise, I'm still kind of on the fence on whether that's a bad thing or not. I actually thought that this was refreshing and gave me a little bit more hope for what's to come next, because if we had just stayed with that 28 years later energy for me personally, I don't think it would have done it. It would have done it for me. I it just kind of left a bad taste in my mouth, uh which is weird because I know it's Danny Boyle. So I think it says a lot to the idea of having some fresh people dip their toes and change things up. I think that that does keep it fresh, it keeps it dynamic, it keeps you kind of wondering what else is out there to tell in this world and in this story. It definitely gives you a moment to take a beat from the chaos and just deal with people, the intensity of those people gives you a good laugh for sure. I wasn't against the buddy comedy of it all, personally. I was like, well, at least it's a good time. And like we've talked about, as long as it just didn't completely go off the rails and go a thousand percent camp, although it danced that line. I thought it was very entertaining. So for me personally, I can't believe I'm gonna say it, but it was a good time, kept me engaged. I had a good laugh, maybe a scare or two, and the 28 inches later of it all wasn't so intimidating and scary. So I'm gonna be giving this a slash.

SPEAKER_03 27:53

28 centimeters, huh?

SPEAKER_02 27:54

It did downsize, it got a little flaccid. Wow, that's a lie, it's not true. It didn't get flaccid at all.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Wow. Listen, the Bone Temple, I think, is a film that really takes you by surprise. I think the movie can feel slow at first, almost testing your patience. But just as you start to feel the lapse of time, it snaps back with these sudden, brutal, and graphic bursts of violence and gore that remind you that this franchise still knows how to hurt you. You know what I mean? The gore isn't constant, but when it hits, it's intimate, it's ugly, and it's emotionally punishing. We've already said it. Jack O'Connell delivers a grounded, haunted performance while Fines is absolutely unhinged in the best way possible. He's calm, terrifying, and magnetic, giving one of the most memorable performances of the series so far. And what really elevates this film is the its emotional depth and its very like Rick style of survival belief and what people turn into when society doesn't just collapse, but it kind of mutates. And I love that the movie refuses to be just another zombie sequel. It really leans into cult horror, psychological dread, and bold storytelling choices that make the franchise feel refreshed again. And it's darker, I think it's more ambitious than expected. And that confidence in tone and performance is what truly captivates the audience, I think, in this one, proving that this infection can still bite. So this one is an absolute slash and a great way to kick off the new year for horror.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

Hot damn, a universal slash, and we still have so much more to say when we return from our very brief break. Now, if you haven't seen this one yet, you can still check it out in theaters. And if you're listening to this post, it's the actual run. Check it out online, and then join us in the second house where we can break down all these spoilers in just a bit. We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

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SPEAKER_03 31:59

Welcome back, folks. You're not engaging the spoiler zone for 28 years later, the Bone Temple in 2026, which has earned a universal slash. Oh, for sure. It was when the Jimmies got wrestled, and that was Jemima getting impaled in the back of the head with a hook. Now, in in some parts, I absolutely feel bad for her because of course she gets picked out and is perceived to be the weakest because she's a woman in the group. So good for her. Standing her fucking ground and kicking ass. But also, damn, what a way to go.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

I know. Absolutely. Never underestimate the crazy girl in the cult. She's the one you need to fear the most. We all know this.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

True.

SPEAKER_02 33:12

We've watched plenty of movies to substantiate that opinion. I think that her little fairy vibe was also just the cutest. I did not see the kill coming though in terms of like a hook, because I know that the survivor was up there.

SPEAKER_01 33:26

I just didn't realize that there was that kind of equipment to I didn't even put two and two together when it happened, and I knew something happened, but I didn't I didn't know what happened. I don't know if she got stabbed, if he had a knife or something under her or something. I have no idea. You know what I mean? But it when it turned around and we saw the hook, I was like, okay. Whoa. That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 33:49

It was surprising. No, for sure. But there are so many kills. I'm gonna go for maybe the obvious one because of course Jemima was also my favorite. But Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal with the upside down crucifixion was a hoot. That was real great.

SPEAKER_03 34:06

I agree with you, but my problem is that we still don't see it.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

Oh, sure. I mean that we didn't see the actual crucifixion part. Yeah, that would be that would have been fun, but I think visually it was just fantastic. And what a great little bit considering his satanic obsession.

SPEAKER_03 34:22

So you feel confident that he's dead and that he's not gonna come back, you know? Yeah, I feel pretty confident in that, yeah. Big time. We'll see. Because you know what? You get crucified a couple days later, you are risen.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

Resurrected.

SPEAKER_03 34:36

How's that?

SPEAKER_01 34:37

That will be interesting.

SPEAKER_03 34:38

Risen with a risen.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

That would be act absolutely interesting. It was a great moment, though, for sure, just to get the like inverted crucifixion and still having those moments of comedy, even at the very end with this dude. Like they're just unrelenting. Jimmy Crystal, this guy. Amazing, absolutely amazing. I do think obviously, what a brutal way to go for George, Matthew, and Jane, because being skinned alive has got to be, if I had to imagine it, one of the worst things to go through. I don't know what that feels like, but it cannot feel great.

SPEAKER_03 35:15

Just imagine Art the Clown in this countryside. Because that was some art the clown shit.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Dude, Art the Clown collabing with Jimmy Crystal here, I don't know. An infamous duo to be had in the apocalypse of 28 years later. That would be wild.

SPEAKER_03 35:31

We would be so fucked. Not only do you have the injury of zombies, you have the insult of adding Art the Clown to those zombies. That's fucked.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

It is crazy. And just to think, also for a second here, is that we have more kills in this movie caused by non-zombies than we should have in a zombie film. Like there are there we have more zombies being killed than other people being killed. Like it there's some weird, there's some weird shit happening here, right? We're so like it if this movie is so much less about the general population of infected, and it's very, very interesting. It's a it's an interesting dynamic.

SPEAKER_03 36:11

Zombies don't kill people, people kill people.

SPEAKER_01 36:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:14

This entire production team, though, fucking killed it with the design of the bone temple. I know we got it in the last movie, but holy shit, the lighting, the theatricality within this bone temple, and especially when we get an incredible live performance from Dr. Kelson, Chef's Kiss.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

Dude, it looked so good with all the lights everywhere, the little lanterns glowing. What a cool place. I mean, just take me there, I'll live there.

SPEAKER_03 36:42

He really pulled that shit out of his ass. That was just that's not something that should be possible in the apocalypse.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Absolutely not. It was getting Super Bowl performance. Yeah, it was something else.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

Theater productions with a big with a bigger budget do less than this man did.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

The creativity unfounded. But speaking of just that performance, for me, it was all of the great needle drops that were happening throughout this film.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

I know, Sean, that you are ready to dive in, brother, because when I was listening to these songs, one one after the other, I was like, Sean's having the time of his life.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

The soundtrack was awesome for sure.

SPEAKER_03 37:22

I have questions. Why do you think there was so much Duran Duran? Why Duran Duran specifically? Why what?

SPEAKER_02 37:29

What kind of question is that? Why not Duran Duran?

SPEAKER_03 37:31

No, I get it. Why not? But like, why? Why do you suppose?

SPEAKER_01 37:36

I don't know. Maybe he was a maybe he was a fan. Maybe that was the jam. Maybe that's all he has.

unknown 37:42

Maybe.

SPEAKER_03 37:42

I'm just thinking about how specific and intentional Nia DaCosta is. And I just want to know why.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

28 years in, you know, if you get what you can. Duran Duran.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Interesting. I don't know. I mean, maybe maybe we need to dive in a little bit more. I hadn't thought that deep. I just thought, listen, my dad's obsessed with the cars. I feel like if we were in the apocalypse, it would be the cars left and right. I don't know. Yeah. Just random things, I guess. But I do want to say specifically about the music, just one particular moment where the theater erupted in laughter was the music that was playing when we got that montage of Samson and Dr. Kelson hanging out. That's when it felt like the most buddy cop borderline romance movie. It was very hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 38:29

The song that we needed was Wouldn't it be nice if we were over?

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Oh my god. If we got that song, it's over. It's over. There's no going back from that. That that would just put it over the edge, I think. That would completely change the feeling of this movie. Ridiculous. I think for me, the cinematography is one of the film's strongest assets. I think the muted and sickly color palettes that make the world feel rotted, that was very intentional. The heavy use of natural and low light, and then the use of fire and shadows was so good, especially in that scene with Kelson at the towards the end when at night doing the whole performance. Plus, the camera, I think, often lingers just for a second or so too long. Really kind of it really almost forces you to sit with a little bit of discomfort in some scenes and just like, why are we staying here for this long? And there's these long, patient shots that just let dread accumulate instead of cutting away. And it's not flashy, it's just the use of the camera, it's oppressive almost, like which kind of fits the theme of the film's slow burn structure or feel. So I really thought it was really a lot of great intentional shots with the cinematography that I thought was really, really good.

SPEAKER_03 39:45

Man, there was so much in this movie that was really fucking good. But I really want to throw back just a moment. And it wasn't even, I think, the best scene in the movie, but really was just this moment of pure chaos, pure insanity, pure you can do it, Spike, you can get out of here, only for him to completely fail. And that is the farmhouse fire. So I mentioned earlier we had Jamima who got hooked in the head. We get all the Jimmies get wrestled, their body count now is lessened because of this. And Spike is forced to go out and try to hunt this survivor down. When he is confronted with an opportunity to either become with every Jimmy who has come before him has become, or to try to escape, he takes the moment to try to escape, and she doesn't see that for him. She doesn't believe who he is, she doesn't trust him. And what a sad, absolutely sad moment that this is a kid that we saw from the beginning of the previous movie is so young and is so innocent. And when we get into characters, I want to go through even the parallels of the infected versus the humans in this movie because you think about all these infected people vomit blood when they're affected by the rage virus, and then poor Spike is out here vomiting and puking just because of how horrified he is with all this violence. It is one of those where you feel, oh shit, this really is just a kid, and he is going through it in this movie. It hit me in the heart shrinks for sure.

SPEAKER_01 41:19

It's a lot, you get a you get to see a lot with Spike, even towards the beginning, that opening scene where Spike has to kill a Jimmy to earn his spot on the squad, and you could tell like it was pure luck that he actually was able to do this, but it was still it was like brutal, it was graphic, it was tragic. It's really like the loss of true childhood, right? Even though he's been dealing with this apocalypse and dealing with all this crazy shit with the infected and losing his dad or whatever, and he's stuck here with this group of fucking crazy motherfuckers, right? Like crazy people, and he's what does he have to do? Like he has to fight to the death, basically. He goes one one long shot, stabs a dude in the leg, hits an artery, and like a bloodbath ensues, and the guy dies. Like, that's absolutely insane. But you could tell, like, it's very it's a big symbolic moment of like this is a transformation because there's no going back from this. Like, you're now going down this path of absurdity and chaos.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

For sure, it's transformation, but it still isn't as much transformation as I think you would normally expect for his character. Because there are so many parts of him that are true to himself. The biggest difference we get is in the beginning, he reluctantly and accidentally kills someone, and at the end of the movie, he very intentionally stabs Jimmy Crystal. Yeah, and that's the biggest difference that we get. But this is a coming-of-age story for him, but it's also a testament to how fucked up we get with all these daddy issues.

SPEAKER_01 42:56

Yeah, true.

SPEAKER_03 42:56

Spike gets real mad, real upset when he finds out that his dad had wandering eyes, and that's what sets his whole quest to be the one to save his mom and to find help. And then Jimmy Oh, poor Jimmy. You remember in the previous film, he sees all his friends and family die, goes to his father for help, and his father gets killed too. Yep. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_02 43:21

Meanwhile, Dr. Kelson dancing and having the time of his life. That for me was my favorite scene. Just watching Dr. Kelson do his thing. He's dancing, almost giving Buffalo Bill, but not the villain vibes, you know, having the time of his life enjoying the music, doing his research. He's living like the best life in solitude to an extent. And it's so interesting to see because meanwhile, you have Spike obviously just trying to survive on his own, especially, very scary. You know, you see this Teletubby club just Killing people left and right. And then you have a scientist, basically, a doctor, just trying to understand the environment, kind of do research. And at first, the thing with the previous film for me, at first I was like, this is strange. Like, why is the alpha just okay? Like, why are we not intimidated? What does Dr. Kelson have that suddenly he's immune to this? He's not even scared. This movie helped really develop that further. So now, from that perspective, looking into this next film, I'm like, okay, this goes to show you, like, in an apocalypse, you would find people that are using their skills and their research and their knowledge to kind of figure out what's going on and how do we resolve this to an extent. My only gripe with it is I always just wondered, it took 28 years though, to get some of that.

SPEAKER_03 44:51

Listen, the man was building his bone temple. He had priorities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:56

A lot of work goes into building that bone temple, you know. You can see it. It was Binks probably the greatest scene of the whole film because there's a lot of little moments throughout the film, but that scene just came out of like nowhere. You know what I mean? I don't think anyone was ready for a performance of that caliber. And somebody fucking tag Iron Maiden because that should be their new music video. Literally, they should just insert that because I don't think anybody can really top that. The interpretive dance to Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, the playing the devil, the theatrics, the fire, the singing along, the drugs, the fire dance, even just watching the reactions, like watching Jimmy Crystal like violently shake his head because he's all fucked up on whatever the fuck he sprayed in everyone's face. Like if that's some kind of opioid or fucking cocaine or some crazy ass shit, there, they are going absolutely nuts. And what a time that must have been. It just I wasn't even on drugs watching that, and I felt like it would have been a great time to watch that on drugs. You know what I mean? Like amazing, absolutely amazing. It was quite the experience. But it's even like the the moments right before that where he's having where Kelson is having that conversation with Jimmy Crystal, and they're having they're just talking, and he's just you could tell this is like probably one of the only times that Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal has been able to like have a semi-casual conversation with somebody that's very calm, somebody that doesn't feel, I guess you would say, intimidated or scared or whatever by him. And it was just so interesting that they're talking through everything, and then all of a sudden, you know, he just spits out that they have to figure out something because he can't go back there and say that he's not old Nick, you know, so he just randomly says, if we can't figure something out or whatever, I'm gonna force feed your intestines so you can no longer breathe, and you're just like, Oh, and here we're right back into the absurdity.

SPEAKER_03 46:59

Yeah, I can just imagine a recut of this movie where it starts with Kelson's character, mid-Ion Maiden performance looking crazy, and then it freeze frame, zoom in. Yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I got here, then circle back up to the main conversation. And I really want to dig in here, especially with Kelson and Jimmy Crystal, because they are in some ways two sides of the same coin, right? You have Kelson who radiates empathy, and he does so in the face of such evil that surrounds him. You have Jimmy who travels the land consuming souls, while Kelson, not unlike Frankenstein and Frankenstein's monster, is trying to restore humanity, finds humanity in monsters. And what I love is that he sees through the rage, sees through this illness that in his mind blankets the existence of the person beneath it. There is something so beautiful there about how, oh man, there's something so beautiful there about how they take such wildly different approaches. One person being absolutely tormented by trauma, isolation, and rage, and the other one who is faced with horrors, but still honestly up to the very end, upholding his Hippocratic oath and trying to give back to humanity.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Yeah, it's crazy. The dynamic of a lot of these characters that we get in this movie is very interesting, and I think probably the one that we didn't expect to see the most was Samson. I think the dynamic of Samson's character, I don't know if anyone was truly expecting or prepared for the way that we really dive into this alpha and the relate not only just the relationship that Samson has with Dr. Kelson, but even the moments that we get to see a little bit of the backstory of Samson. You know what I mean? Like it's very, very interesting, and it makes me think, where are we going with this? Like, how is this gonna show up in the next film?

SPEAKER_03 49:12

100%. And again, that's exactly what I'm telling you. Maybe it's the recency bias, but it really had a little bit of that Frankenstein and Frankenstein's monster creature energy. Especially with Samson, and I just absolutely loved how you can get continue to see the restoration of his eyes and the subtle hints and glimmers of his cognitive function, his humanity returning, his motor skills returning, he's wiping his hands on his loincloth after he eats berries. These are all these small little touches. And then let's uh circle back to the ending with the fact that Kelson was killed by a human and then carried away and laid to rest by an infected. That's fucking crazy.

SPEAKER_01 49:58

That is absolutely wild for sure. Definitely crazy. And even it's even the fact that like it'll be so interesting to see how this plays out because obviously he can't be infected anymore. We've seen it because he got bit like probably 16 times in this fucking bus or train or whatever, and he's still I thought he was gonna go back to being like super crazed alpha after that whole escapade because he got bit so many times and vomited right in his face, you know, all of that shit hitting his eyes, his mouth, whatever. Who that got in there?

SPEAKER_03 50:33

But he has the antibodies.

SPEAKER_01 50:35

He's got the antibodies, so it's very interesting now. It's very, very interesting.

SPEAKER_03 50:39

Yeah. The other question that gets posed is if Dr. Kelson treated this as antipsychotics or antipsychosis, these drugs would wear off and get out of his system at a certain point. So the question is, is Samson's return to form permanent or just temporary?

SPEAKER_01 50:56

That's another great point. Yeah, I I totally forgot that this was all drug-induced. That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

Mental health. I really hadn't considered that at all. That's so interesting. I think all of it that has to do with what Kelson's work when it comes to Samson is gonna be so different. I never thought that we were gonna go there because in a way we kind of already did with 28 weeks later, where we were able to do research, and you know, that's what the military at the time was doing and such, and so it's crazy, like the military couldn't figure that out quick, but Kelson, with just a little bit of observational research and whatnot, and just a bit of luck, maybe, and some courage, managed to do some crazy work out there in the middle of nowhere with his little bone temple. I loved it. I thought that it was pretty cool and generally entertaining. But another dynamic that I wanted to highlight also really quick is Jimmy Inc. and Spike, because I think that Jimmy Inc. as a character also is really cool. She's one that despite being, I guess we can say indoctrinated, but not really to an extent, right? Like she's very bought into what Jimmy Crystal's ideology and just hooked in his little cult and this world of thinking, just enough to be a part of it, but not fully enough to trust him. And I think that that's interesting. Trying to survive, right, trying to survive with still the semblance of faith, though, because she's got faith. We can see that by her really believing that Dr. Kelson might have been Satan, I guess we can call it plainly, right? But not fully bought into the person that's selling it, not fully buying into Jimmy Crystal as a person. So I like that dynamic when it comes to a cult. And each one, you've got your quirky crazy girl, you've got your, you know, your minions, the other Jimmies, and then she's the kind of member of this cult whereas she's in it for herself, maybe but has some of those ideals, but she's willing to take those ideals on her own. She doesn't have to be a part of the cult to practice. Does that kind of make sense? And I think that that was so interesting where she's taking Spike under her wing versus trying to teach him the ways of the cult. I thought that that was interesting. So it's gonna be kind of crazy when we see the two of them in this next installment.

SPEAKER_01 53:22

For sure. Is it the two of them mashing up with our boy Killian, who finally made his return to this franchise? And I think we were all waiting for it. You know, we had that speculation, which I still believe was on purpose from the first one and getting the little zombie that looked just like him in the fields, you know what I mean? And it the whole everyone blew up over that. They're like, Oh my god, is that Killian? And it wasn't, but we didn't know that Killian was gonna make he was gonna be involved in some form or fashion. So I knew it was a thing. I just totally forgot about it while watching this movie until we got to the end. So when we did get it, I was like, ah shit, there he is.

SPEAKER_03 54:04

Oh, I loved it so much, and I especially loved his messaging about history and just not ignoring it. It feels even more relevant now than it probably did during the filming of this film. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 54:18

Yeah, it'll be but that's the part. It'll just be cool to see how they mix together. Like they're obviously we got to the very end where they're about to meet, right? Like he's about to go down there with you know, I guess his daughter or whatever, and save Spike and Jimmy Inc. from being chased by these infected, and now these two these two duos are going to clash, and it's gonna be an interesting thing to see is is Killian Murphy's character gonna be a focus point in this next installment? How much is he gonna come into play? Are they are they gonna kill him off quickly? Who the fuck knows what's gonna happen? We just don't know what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 54:55

Anything is really possible, that's for sure. That's without a doubt. It will be very interesting. And my only thing about the marketing with this film and the next one, I suppose. Or the I guess it could be this entire trilogy, because you brought up a good point with that whole like fake out of whether he was in 28 years later or not. This was screened almost a month ago. I watched this like a month ago, and so in that month in between, there was a lot of like silent chatter because you just didn't want to reveal or spoil anything. But at one point, naturally, it was revealed that Killian Murphy was going to be in the next film. And so that's where I'm like, man, I really hope that people don't find that out to an extent. Like maybe they have heard that he might be involved, but he was an executive producer, you know, or maybe he was to that capacity in the production side of things, but maybe not actually in the film. Because when it is revealed that he's actually in it and we get to that ending, I was like, wow, the theater was erupted in like super excitement. And I don't, and I'm curious. I don't know if that was still the case. I would hope so, because I'm like, I hope people are dodging the internet because it's a fun time. You just aren't quite sure if he's really gonna be in it.

SPEAKER_03 56:10

I mean, listen, we all remember what my feelings were about the original movie, and even I was excited to see this man on screen. I was like, look at you, you aged well for 28 years. Pop off.

SPEAKER_01 56:21

Yeah, looking good, looking good.

SPEAKER_02 56:24

Now that said, I will say that for me, the worst part of this movie is that I do kind of feel like it wouldn't have been entirely a slash for me, or it wouldn't have been as great if it wasn't for it the casting. Because again, I go back to a lot of this walks a fine line with its tones and the shift of tones, you know, delivering empathy and care, delivering comedy, delivering tension and stress. It's so many different things. And I'm just talking about, I'm thinking of just Dr. Kelson and Ray Feines in this moment. I think Jack O'Connell is also very intimidating, but then he has snarky moments and he's got a little bit of wit and charm to him. This is so important to kind of translate so that this movie doesn't land into a what the fuck am I watching? Why is this so funny and not a horror movie? So I'm really glad that the casting was extremely particular. I think Spike, the actor that plays Spike, is also a really good child actor. I think that he's really great at giving off this energy of innocence. I really want to do the right thing, I'm really scared, but I have to survive. And I think that the actress that plays Jimmy Inc. is also really good at portraying an older version of what Spike could be to an extent. Not exactly, at least we don't hope so, but enough to where, kid, you've got to survive if you want to get out of here. I'm gonna teach you how to do that. But Spike is the kind of person that I hope would just hold on to that love and that warm hearted nature, you know, that care for his mom, that care for his dad, even though he's upset and disappointed. Like all of that, I think I hope we still see that translate through the next film.

SPEAKER_03 58:10

You know, I'm gonna say something that's probably gonna sound a little crazy. And I'm also gonna say this, and I want you to know that I say that when I mean this, there's so much good in this movie that to pick the worst is really saying something. And I found that throughout this entire experience, the thing I cared least about was Spike. Now remember, I still really enjoyed a scene earlier where you're really confronting his change, a moment where he is defying what most others before him have just leaned into, which was to become a Jimmy. And I admired his courage and wanting to escape. So I don't actually dislike his character, but I think for the interest of what was happening in this movie, we got so much with Spike in the last film, and he was a boy on a quest for his mom. And I think the more interesting things that were happening here pushed him towards the background. I'm curious to see how his story concludes. I say this for me was my least favorite part of the movie, but that's also saying a lot because it it's just how well acted, how well performed, how well written the movie is.

SPEAKER_01 59:25

Yeah, it's definitely an interesting thought. A lot deeper than what I think the worst part of the movie is. And for me, outside of maybe the fact that there were moments where I feel like the pacing was just a little bit too slow because the first half of the movie, I would say, I got like there were moments where I was like, all right, where are we going? But you know, I think it's one thing to it's the casual dickness. I think it's one thing to to see the alpha flinging his thing around because you know he's naked and he's an alpha, he's infected, he doesn't, you know, he's just doing his thing. But I don't see the value in seeing Dr. Kelson's fucking schlong in his bush. You know what I mean? I don't think that we needed to see any of that full frontal nudity at all. I think it didn't add anything to the film. I don't need to see any of his iodine covered schlong.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:15

Wow, didn't need to see Nip 2026. Here we go.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:19

Yeah, put it in there. That's good, that's happening for sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:22

But the 2026 Slasher's Choice Awards are gonna be something to behold, folks.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:26

Stay tuned. We got a long ways to go in this year, but I also actually cannot wait to watch 28 Years Later and Bone Temple back to back. I just feel like that's gonna be such a good watch. It'll be very interesting to see obviously the two direction styles, but just to watch the story unfold back to back will be really good, and it'll be fun to watch those back to back before the next installment for sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:53

It's funny. Before recording, I thought, eh, do I want to risk it and re-watch this in the future? But you both kind of convinced me that maybe I I really would want to. Maybe it needs to be that circumstance. Let me just power through 28 years later, watch this one, and keep it trucking. I think that that'll be a good idea. But then after that, I don't know. Because here's the thing: this is one of those fine lines where if I watch too much and then I think it's a little too silly, then it loses its charm. It's right at the place I need it to be. So I'm really hoping that this next movie is a little bit better than Bone Temple, just so that it's a climb up versus oh god, now I'm just gonna think this whole trilogy is a wash.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:36

Yeah, I absolutely plan on re-watching this movie and it will be back to back, but it will not be until the next movie comes out. I am looking forward to seeing how it all fits together as one continuous experience, though. But for now, there you have it, folks. Twenty-eight years later, the Bone Temple from 2026 is in a universal slash. Now we've certainly had a robust discussion here, but the conversation about this movie doesn't end here by any means.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:02

Yeah, if you want to find out how you can become a finger in the gang of Jimmies and go further than this episode, consider supporting the show by visiting patreon.com/slash hackerslash. This is truly where you can enjoy even more of the show, including bonus content with early access, extended episodes with R B sides, movie nominations, and live shows.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:23

We'll see you next time, folks, and remember, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:29

You are fucking shitting me.