28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Early Rotten Tomatoes Score Is a Franchise Record

2025 was a banner year for horror. Not only did the genre perform very well at the box office, several of these films received widespread critical praise. For instance, Sinners is in the thick of the Best Picture race, and Amy Madigan is receiving Best Supporting Actress buzz for her chilling turn in Weapons. While 28 Years Later is not garnerning the same kind of attention on the awards circuit, it stands right alongside Sinners, Weapons, and more in terms of overall quality. The legacy sequel earned rave reviews when it premiered last summer, with many citing director Danny Boyle’s ambitious vision, the great story, and fantastic performances from the cast. That reception raised anticipation for the follow-up, this weekend’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and it looks like horror fans are in for a treat.

As of this writing, The Bone Temple is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 91% critics score (82 reviews have been submitted so far). That is the highest mark in the franchise. Check out all of the Rotten Tomatoes scores in the series in the table below:

What Are Critics Saying About 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?

A critics consensus for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple hasn’t been added yet, but a glimpse over the published reviews gives fans a general idea of the film’s pros and cons. The collaboration between long-time series writer Alex Garland and director Nia DaCosta (who takes over for Danny Boyle) seems to have been a fruitful one, with some critics calling The Bone Temple the franchise’s best installment yet. Many people are impressed with the way the film is able to expand upon the pre-existing foundation while also standing on its own merits. The 28 Days Later franchise has always stood out amongst its peers by being about so much more than just a zombie outbreak, and The Bone Temple is no exception. There’s a thoughtful, emotional narrative core that elevates the film and makes it stand out.

The cast was also widely praised. Unsurprisingly, Ralph Fiennes is a highlight, delivering a typically compelling performance as Dr. Ian Kelson. Multiple critics cited his supreme dedication to the part, admiring how he was able to seamlessly blend elements of tragedy and comedy in what could go down as one of the actor’s best turns yet. Not to be outdone is Jack O’Connell, fresh off his villainous performance in last year’s Sinners. The actor appears to have found a calling as a horror movie baddie, terrifying audiences as a sadistic cult leader.

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There’s a smattering of negative reviews taking issue with elements like DaCosta’s storytelling approach, but they are significantly outnumbered by the positive write-ups. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple looks to be a worthy successor to last year’s film that does what any great sequel should: build out the scope while generating excitement for what’s to come next. Boyle had always planned to make a third 28 Years Later film, but it didn’t officially get the green light until last month. Sony’s confidence in the series wasn’t misplaced, and now the pressure will be on the creative team to follow up the acclaimed Bone Temple with a finale that satisfyingly lands the plane.

It is worth mentioning that there will surely be more 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple reviews added to Rotten Tomatoes over the next several days. As a point of comparison, the first 28 Years Later has 395 reviews counted on the aggregator. That means there are likely literally hundred of Bone Temple reviews on the way. That could cause the score to fluctuate a bit, but odds are it will stay in the ballpark of that 91% mark. The first wave of reviews is typically indicative of where the consensus will land, and Rotten Tomatoes would not have given The Bone Temple the Certified Fresh stamp of approval if it felt the score was about to drastically drop.

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