Displaying items by tag: Chi LewisParry

28 YEARS LATER – THE BONE TEMPLE

UK, 2026, 109 minutes, Colour.

Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Chi Lewis-Parry, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, Louis Ashbourne Serkis.

Directed by Nia Da Costa.

This chapter in the 28 series begins immediately after the conclusion of 28 Years Later. To appreciate what happens in this chapter audiences need to be quite up-to-date with the situations, the range of characters and their previous interactions and crises.

This is a film of frequently changing moods or, as one commentator put it more elegantly, “tonal shifts”. It opens with a scene of the infected pursuing a hunter, ripping his head off, eating his brains – a jolting sequence and images to begin with. And there are some jolting sequences to follow.

This is particularly true when the narrative takes up the story of the young boy, Jimmy, in the first film, in the church, saved by his father, given a cross, then surviving as an adult in 28 Years Later, finding his place in society, but gathering round him a number of young adults, all now with the variations on Jimmy in their names, his becoming a kind of satanic cult leader, especially with his new friend who was an important focus in the earlier film, Spike, Alfie Williams. He is played Jack O’Connell who has had a strange cinema year with the 228 Years Later films and his of the diabolical role in Sinners. Sir Jimmy now defies Spike to fight and to kill and to merit the name Jimmy. Sir Jimmy is now a megalomaniac leader who hears the voices of the devil, calling him Old Nick, and considers himself the Devil’s son.

Complete tonal shift: a return to the world Dr Kelson, Ralph Fiennes, who has survived for 28 years, continuing his pursuit of medicine, living in the vicinity of the extraordinary Bone Temple, skulls and bones of survivors. He encounters one of the infected, the giant Samson (and the actor Chi Lewis-Parry is noted as 6’9”). Menacing threats, but Dr Kelson nevertheless experiments with him, various medications, trying to humanise him.

Which restricts most of the action of this chapter in the series to the buildup to the confrontation between Sir Jimmy and the doctor. There are some flashbacks to the happy years, people living humanely, but then the infection and the dire takeover, violence and slaughter.

The audience knows the film is building up to a confrontation between Sir Jimmy and Dr Kelson, especially with Dr Kelson looking like a blood red warrior, the result of his taking iodine to repel infection and affecting his skin. But, he agrees to impersonate Satan for Sir Jimmy, some wild dancing gyrations on Ralph Fiennes’ part, until he recognises Spike, Samson returning more humane, remembering, speaking, and the strange vision of Sir Jimmy, reminded how God asked self-sacrifice from Jesus, now crucified on an upturned cross, asking his father forgive them for they know not what they do…

So, this is a doomed post-apocalyptic future. But, aficionados of the series will enjoy the brief epilogue, a moment with Ciaran Murphy and his daughter, taking us back 20 or more years to beginnings in 28 Days Later.

Writer, Alex Garland, seems preoccupied in recent years with current wars and future disasters with these films and Civil War and Warfare.

A strange cinema experience of changing moods and tonal shifts, from horror to humanity.

1. The popularity of the series? This film made back-to-back with this criticism? Plot continuity, sets, issues, characters?
2. The future, the effect of the plague, the infections, the visuals of the countryside, seemingly normal, the villages, the interiors, the Bone Temple and its vastness, the residence for Dr Kelson, the memories of the past, ordinary life, the train, the overwhelming infection? The musical score and songs?
3. The opening with the hunter, the infected, Samson, ripping the head, devouring the brains? Horror atmosphere?
4. The transition to Jimmy Crystal, memories of his past as a boy, and the church, the infection, his survival? His age, in the previous film, his personality, his gathering the young people around him, a type of cult leader, seeing himself as the son of the devil, Old Nick, hearing the voices, making the decisions? Violence, command, everybody’s name with a variation on Jimmy? Their appearances, the white wigs, their behaviour?
5. The confrontation with Spike, with Jimmy and the previous film, Jimmy Crystal taunting Spike, the fight, and his reluctance, eventual action, his opponent in defeat, his being given the name Jimmy? The various personalities of the group? Young girl and her friendship with, her name, Kelly?
6. The transition to Dr Kelson, the change of mood, tonal shift, his background, the 28 years survival, work as a doctor, in the previous film with the community, his going to the Temple, his laboratory, chemicals, books, his appearance, yellow, iodine stain, Jimmy mistaking him for Old Nick?
7. Samson, infected, his size, his community, the encounter with Dr Kelson, his hopes for healing him, the chemicals, for memory, for sound, speech? Samson and his leaving, the community, the gradual coming back of memories, the train, as a boy, so the last, the book, the moon? Saying the word, moon? His eventual return to Dr Kelson?
8. The savage sequence of the cult, the young people hunting, the pregnant girl, the old people in the house? The group arriving, brutality, mocking them, tying them up, peeling their skin, entrails, verbal brutality? Wanting them to fight? The young man, cutting down, the attacks and fights? The youngsters watching, Spike watching? The fire and destruction?
9. Spike, the challenge, with the young man, with the pregnant woman watching, trying to escape, her fear of him and running away? The young girl? Combining with Spike, their hopes to escape?
10. Jimmy Crystal, madness, arrogance, the binoculars, seeing Dr Kelson, equating him with Old Nick? His visit, Dr Kelson’s decision, playing along with the situation? The conversation, issues of faith, belief, the devil?
11. The gathering, Dr Kelson and his performance, the dance and writhing? Jimmy Crystal content? Controlling the group? Dr Kelson recognising Spike, the change of attitude?
12. The violence, Dr Kelson and his shrewdness, quoting the Gospels, Christ giving his life in the world, therefore Jimmy Crystal to give his life, the crucifix, upside down, his screams, father forgive them?
13. A return to some kind of normality, Samson coming back, with the group, his memory, beginning to speak? Spike, the young girl – and a future?
14. The pessimistic aspects of the film? Some survival? What hopes for the future of humans and the world?