Pop Culture Happy Hour 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and What’s Making Us Happy
4 snips
Jan 16, 2026 In this discussion, Sam Yellowhorse Kessler, a producer for NPR's Planet Money and film analyst, joins Ronald Young Jr., host of Leaving the Theater, to delve into the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. They explore the film's tight plotting and contrasting tones, with Ronald sharing his mixed feelings about the unnecessary violence. The conversation reflects on character motivation and the movie's role within a trilogy. The duo also shares what’s bringing them joy, from Industry’s evolution to Buffalo Bills lore, adding a personal touch to the critique.
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Sequel As Bridge, Not Standalone
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple functions mainly as a bridge between movies rather than a standalone story.
- It leans heavily on prior film knowledge and rewards viewers who watched 28 Years Later (the prior installment).
Mixing Directorial Flavors
- Nia DaCosta blends her own creepy camera flourishes with Danny Boyle's frenetic horror and Alex Garland's cynicism.
- The film feels like a cross-pollination of director and writer styles rather than a single tonal vision.
Viewer Reaction: Gratuitous Early Torture
- Ronald Young, Jr. found the early torture scenes gratuitous and felt they left a bad taste.
- He admired Ralph Fiennes' performance and said the film still lingered in his mind afterwards.
