28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)

Ralph Fiennes, coated in iodine and dancing with a giant infected man beside a temple of bones, gives The Bone Temple the most tender image in any horror movie this year. That’s the good half. The other half is harder going. Spike, the boy who carried the last film, gets swallowed by a gang called the Fingers, who are all named Jimmy, and their stretch is so cruel and relentless that it’s easy to check out. Jack O’Connell is a menace as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, grinning like a game show host who forgot the prizes. Erin Kellyman gives Jimmy Ink a conscience you can see working. But Fiennes owns this. His Dr Kelson, coaxing an Alpha named Samson back toward being a person, is funny, strange and moving, and Nia DaCosta gives it room to breathe. It made $58.5 million worldwide on a reported $63M. An 8.6 because the strange heart outweighs the grim slog. $7,628 says you introduce yourself to a stranger as Jimmy this week and can’t explain why.

What works: Ralph Fiennes is mesmerizing as Dr Kelson, and his bond with Samson is the most surprising and moving thing in the series.

What doesn’t: The Fingers’ storyline is so grim and repetitive that it drags, and Spike is left mostly reacting instead of driving the story.

Who it’s for: Grown-up horror fans who liked the strange, thoughtful turn of 28 Years Later and don’t flinch easily.