Scoop: Why 'The Bone Temple' and its 'Jimmy' cult is the year's most dangerous movie
Nia DaCosta takes the reins from Danny Boyle for a sequel that trades nostalgia for a sledgehammer. Inside the risky 'Jimmy Savile' subplot that has Hollywood holding its breath.
I usually hate saying "I told you so," but when the first whispers about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple started circulating last summer, I knew we were in for something unhinged. Danny Boyle handing the keys to Nia DaCosta (Candyman) for the middle chapter of a trilogy? That was the first clue.
But seeing the final cut this week confirmed what my sources had been nervously texting about: this isn't just a zombie movie. It's a radioactive piece of pop-culture satire that makes the original 28 Days Later look like a bedtime story.
The film, landing in theaters this Friday (Jan 16), picks up exactly where last June's predecessor left off. But forget the polite survival drama. DaCosta has pivoted into full-blown folk horror delirium, and at the center of it is a villain so controversial I'm surprised the studio executives didn't faint during the pitch meeting.
"It’s a kaleidoscope of misremembered history. We are looking at a world that forgot who the monsters really were before the virus took over."
— Alex Garland, Screenwriter
The 'Sir Jimmy' Gamble
Here is the tea that everyone in London is afraid to spill: Jack O'Connell's character, "Sir Jimmy Crystal," is a direct, grotesquely satirical riff on Jimmy Savile. Yes, that Jimmy Savile.
Before you tweet your outrage, listen to the context (because Garland is smarter than a simple shock-jock). In the film's timeline, the Rage virus hit in 2002. Savile's horrific crimes weren't exposed until 2011. So, O'Connell's character—a traumatized orphan who grew up in the apocalypse—remembers Savile only as the shiny, tracksuit-wearing TV magician of his childhood. He has built an entire cult, "The Jimmys," modeled after this false idol, complete with platinum blonde wigs, gold jewelry, and velour tracksuits.
It is terrifying. It is deeply uncomfortable. And frankly? It’s the kind of ballsy narrative swing we haven't seen in a franchise blockbuster in decades. O'Connell plays him with a manic, terrifying charisma that feels like A Clockwork Orange meets Top of the Pops.
DaCosta's "Metal" Vision
While Boyle's first film was intimate, DaCosta has decided to go, in the words of a set insider, "full metal." The aesthetic is grimy, weird, and visually operatic. The titular "Bone Temple"—a massive memorial structure—is hauntingly beautiful, contrasting sharply with the tacky, rotting luxury of the Jimmy cult.
This isn't a bridge movie. It's a disruption. DaCosta proves she isn't just filling a seat until Boyle returns for Part 3; she's scarring the franchise in a way that ensures we can't go back to normal.
👀 SPOILER: Does Cillian Murphy finally return?
Yes, but keep your expectations in check.
After skipping the first movie entirely, Cillian Murphy’s Jim makes his grand return in The Bone Temple. But don't expect him to lead the charge just yet. He appears in a pivotal, smaller role that essentially sets the board for the third film. He looks weathered, hardened, and absolutely electric in his brief screen time. The stage is set for a massive Jim vs. The World finale.
The Verdict?
The Bone Temple is going to divide audiences. Some will find the Savile imagery too close to the bone (pun intended). Others will hail it as a masterpiece of satirical horror. But one thing is certain: nobody is sleeping through this one.
Snob ? Peut-être. Passionné ? Sûrement. Je trie le bon grain de l'ivraie culturelle avec une subjectivité assumée. Cinéma, musique, arts : je tranche.
