Sightlines · reception
How 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple was received
2026 · Nia DaCosta · 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple on Sightlines
The arc
Opened January 2026 to the best reviews in the entire 28-verse — critics called it the franchise peak — yet it underperformed in theaters, falling short of its ~$63M budget; by spring it was climbing Netflix's streaming charts, and the 'why did nobody see this?' reappraisal is already underway.
What’s debated
The core fight: critics crowned it franchise-best while audiences stayed home, and fans still argue over whether the first film's divisive Jimmy-flavoured swerve poisoned the well before DaCosta's chapter had a chance.
Its footprint
It's become 2026's poster child for the 'great reviews can't save a January sequel' discourse — and a key exhibit in the Nia DaCosta redemption arc after The Marvels pile-on.
Where it stands
Early cinephile consensus tags it as the critical high point of the trilogy-in-progress — a box-office casualty already being adopted as an underseen favorite while everyone waits on Boyle's closer.
Did you know? Cillian Murphy reprises Jim — the bike courier from 28 Days Later — marking his first time playing the character in 24 years, and Danny Boyle has said Jim has a major role in the trilogy's final film.
Named by the director
- Barry Lyndon (1975) — DaCosta said the film's main theme was inspired by how Kubrick deployed Schubert and Handel in Barry Lyndon.