28 Years Later The Bone Temple Ending Explained

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Ending Explained

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re dissecting the ending of “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.” Let’s sink our teeth into some spoilers.

Dr. Ian Kelson is the inversion of a devil in disguise. From the iodine that gives him an orange complexion to the temple of bones he’s constructed as a tribute to the dead, it’s understandable why Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal mistakes him for Old Nick, aka Satan. Where Jimmy represents the cruelty and chaos associated with the devil, Kelson provides peace, love, and mercy against the bleakest of backdrops. Kelson also brings death, putting Isla out of her misery in the previous film. Yet, you could argue that Kelson spared Isla a far more painful demise, be it from the infected or her terminal illness. Although grieving his mother, Spike sees this as compassion. He thus shows Kelson gratitude, saving him from the alpha Samson.

In “The Bone Temple,” it’s Kelson who saves Spike’s life during the final act. To make Jimmy go away, Kelson pretends to be Old Nick. This entails proclaiming Jimmy as the son of Satan, allowing him to regain control over his followers. Kelson knows that this is wrong, but he goes along with the ruse until realizing that Spike has been roped into the cult. In an attempt to spare Spike, Kelson says that Jimmy must be sacrificed. One of Jimmy’s followers, whose real name is Kelly, is eager to comply, having grown disenchanted by her leader. Jimmy acts quicker, stabbing Kelson to prove he isn’t really the devil. Amid the anarchy, Spike stabs Jimmy, freeing himself and Kelly. This is Kelson’s end, however.

Kelson dies so Spike can live, although the film avoids turning him into a Christlike figure. Jimmy does wind up on a cross, albeit an inverted one. While much about Jimmy’s past is left ambiguous, we know that his cult is rooted in two things: the cross his father gave him before surrendering to the infected and Jimmy Savile, who many would describe as a real-life devil in disguise. Ironically, the Rage virus broke out in 2002, but Savile’s reported history of abuse didn’t become common knowledge until after he died in 2011. Considering that Jimmy has presumably been cut off from society for 28 years, he might not be aware of the controversy. So, a sadist inadvertently modeled himself after an alleged abuser.

After Spike and Kelly depart the Bone Temple, Samson returns. Kelson develops an unexpected rapport with the alpha throughout the film. Using a concoction mainly consisting of morphine, Kelson calmed the rage-filled Samson, bringing out his humanity. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen a different side of Samson. In the last film, Samson seemed to have a genuine reaction to the deceased infected mother. It suggested that maybe there’s still a conscious human behind the rage, especially now that the infected are evolving. Kelson allows Samson to reconnect with his previous life, although this isn’t a cure per se. When the other infected attack Samson on the train, he isn’t affected, meaning he still has the virus. It’s just under control, but only temporarily.

Kelson told Samson that the drug would eventually wear off. He offered Samson a peaceful death, but the alpha chose to keep going. When Samson returns, Jimmy mistakes him for Satan, still believing that the devil is his dad. Samson feels like he’s lost a father in Kelson, who essentially brought him back to life. As Samson walks away with Kelson in his arms, Jimmy echoes the same question he asked when his father gave himself to the infected 28 years earlier: “Father, why have you forsaken me?” Jimmy is abandoned again, although he isn’t alone much longer. Samson resurfaces, back in rage mode. This likely means that the drug’s effects depleted, but perhaps Jimmy’s death isn’t senseless killing. It’s intentional revenge, implying that the virus hasn’t completely erased Samson’s individuality.

Speaking of parents and children, we then cut to Cillian Murphy’s Jim and his teenage daughter. Murphy’s character hasn’t been seen since the original “28 Days Later.” That film ended on a cautiously hopeful note. Jim survived along with Naomie Harris’ Selena and Megan Burns’ Hannah. They found refuge in a Cumbria cottage as the starving infected started to collapse. As a jet flew by, it was implied that the trio might be saved, although this was left ambiguous until now. While we know that the virus was eradicated throughout Europe, the British Isles have been under quarantine this whole time. Whether or not the pilot saw the “HELLO” sign at the end of the first film, rescue wasn’t an option.

Life nonetheless went on for Jim, settling down and becoming a father. What happened to Selena and Hannah remains unclear. Selena is presumably the girl’s mother, but is Jim raising her alone? Thinking optimistically, maybe Selena and Hannah are just out looking for supplies. For all we know, though, both could’ve died since we last saw them, leaving Jim and his daughter alone. Either way, Jim seems content with his daughter, giving her a lesson on why it’s important to remember the past, or else you may be doomed to repeat history. Ironically, we’ve now gotten back-to-back sequels that’ve largely ignored “28 Days Later” and “28 Weeks Later.” This final scene suggests that the next film, which is in development, will return to the franchise’s roots.

That doesn’t mean the events of the past two films will be ignored. As Jim and his daughter look outside, they spot Spike and Kelly caught in the middle of rampaging infected on the horizon. While Jim initially hesitates, he ultimately agrees with his daughter that they need to help these strangers. So, Spike may go from being tormented by a man named Jimmy to finding salvation with a man named Jim. Although helping Spike and Kelly is the right thing to do, getting involved could put Jim and his daughter at risk. Jim, in particular, could meet a grim fate in the sequel, especially since some fans feel he never should’ve survived in the first place.

There were multiple alternate endings to “28 Days Later,” with Jim dying in each of them. While the filmmakers went with the happiest ending, there was much discourse over whether they chose the right one. This even led to one alternate ending being included in a U.S. release as a what-if. The ending where Jim survives is officially canon, but the next film could kill the character off. Or perhaps history will repeat itself with Jim surviving again. In any case, there’s bound to be more online debate over where Jim’s journey ends. It’s just one of several unanswered questions we have walking away from “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”

Spike allowed a pregnant woman to escape from Jimmy’s gang, although she rejected his pleas to take him with her. Will we see this woman again? For that matter, will Spike ever reunite with his father Jamie, who doesn’t appear in this film? The last time we saw Jamie, Spike left an infant at the village, naming her Isla. The fact that the infected can have babies that aren’t infected is another can of worms that “The Bone Temple” doesn’t open. What could that mean for the British mainland, as well as the rest of the world? The next film, which Danny Boyle will return to direct with a script from Alex Garland, could answer all of the above while bringing this six-part series full circle. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long, although if it comes out in 2030, it’ll have literally been 28 years later.

What did you think of “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?” Let us know in the comments.