Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to cinapse.twocents@gmail.com.
March is Women’s History Month, and we’re focusing our attention on memorable works of Black female filmmakers. The four movies under our theme this month range from horror to romantic comedy to the supernatural, but each exhibits distinctly original voice and a creative vision. Join us as we celebrate this underrepresented group of directors and their stand-out films.
The Pick: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
Nia Dacosta entered the scene with her much lauded 2018 feature debut Little Woods, which clearly caught the attention of Jordan Peele. Peele handpicked Dacosta to direct his 2021 passion project, the reboot sequel to the classic 1992 Tony Todd vehicle Candyman. In her 2021 film – also titled Candyman – she showed the world that her cinematic vision was one that would need to be taken very seriously. Since that time she helmed Marvel’s girl power explosion of 2023’s The Marvels and the 2025 critical darling Hedda, cementing herself as a filmmaker to be reckoned with. Thus, she was chosen by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland to direct the first 28 Days Later franchise installment that would veer from the direction of Boyle.
While our selections this month are directed by amazing black women, The Bone Temple serves as a great reminder that a strong director doesn’t have to be pigeonholed into directing films that only highlight their own traditions and cultures. With last week’s Eve’s Bayou being a great film with a story that centers on strong black females and black culture, this film that features a primarily white and majority male cast can also benefit from the point of view of a talented black woman like Dacosta. With this film, Dacosta reminds the world that mainstream horror movies aren’t just for the boys and that visceral gore isn’t just for the established horror masters. And with that, I pass the mic for a look at the 2026 action horror gem.
The Team
Austin Vashaw
The 28 series is primarily known for its harrowing visions of apocalyptic terror, and while there have been pockets of warmth, friendship, and familial love in this harsh and unforgiving world, it hasn’t exactly been a place for tenderness.
For me the big highlight of Bone Temple is the dedication of Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in working with and trying to cure the infected, gradually earning the acceptance and trust of Samson, the monstrous Alpha whose towering physique and virus-induced aggression may belie a sharp mind and gentle spirit.
This unusual bromance is a bright spot in a very dark world, as embodied in the anarchic violence of the “Jimmies”, a gang of ruffians who take their pleasures in torturous violence, reminding us of the Romero-esque theme that humans, limitlessly capable of evil, are ultimately more dangerous than monsters, whose destructiveness is based on predatory instincts rather than wicked hearts
Eddie Strait
28 Years Later was one of my most anticipated movies of 2025. So if the film didn’t exactly live up to my expectations on first viewing well, that’s partly on me. It took a second viewing to get out of my head and enjoy what Danny Boyle and Alex Garland were serving up. I say that to say this: I had no such reservations or preconceptions going to The Bone Temple. I think what Boyle and Garland did by bringing in Nia DaCosta was a great pivot for the series. Instead of building out the macro world of the story, Garland’s script turns its focus inward. That’s a great match for DaCosta, whose best films prior to Bone Temple are the intimate character-driven dramas The Little Woods and last year’s excellent Hedda.
The Bone Temple taps into the visceral horror that comes from a world gone mad, sidelining the traditional zombie action in another smart changeup for this entry. Saint Jimmy (Jack O’Connell) is a terrifying figure. A zealot who knows he’s peddling false promises and prophecies, Jimmy will do whatever it takes to keep his facade alive. That means ruling with fear, forcing his subordinates to do unimaginable things so they won’t be cast aside. There’s a desperation from everyone in the film, from Jimmy to Spike to the other Jimmys to Dr. Kelson to alpha zombie Samson, to find their place in the world and avoid loneliness. With the world crumbling around us, facing it alone is one of the scariest ideas the 28 series has offered up so far.
Justin Harlan
Admittedly, I chose this film because I wanted to watch it. I didn’t think about how it would fit the theme of the month, at first. But – as I noted in the intro above – it really fits perfectly. When we think of black female filmmakers, we often think about black stories and/or women’s stories. And, while there are some incredibly badass girls in the one, this is a film that can serve as a great reminder that this type of film doesn’t need to be one directed by a white man with a specific pedigree. Instead, a visionary director of any complexion, cultural background, or gender is a visionary director first. Inevitably, one’s point of view will always seep into their films, but a story that centers on a homicidal gang run by a young white man and a bromance between a white man and a zombie can be told by a black woman – and told really well.
The energy of this film, despite being written and produced by Garland and Boyle, definitely benefits from some feminine energy. While Ralph Fiennes’s Dr. Kelson certainly exudes a masculinity, it’s a decidedly non-toxic brand of masculinity, one that transcends simple terms of masculine and feminine – it’s essentially just a human being showing humanity. His performance is incredible and the visual storytelling around him and his “bone temple” is even moreso. What it essentially shows us is that humanity can win out when we value life – and death.
There is so much thematic depth to explore in this film and so many other aspects to be praised beyond just the aforementioned Fiennes performance and Dacosta’s direction. Yet, as this was my first watch, I’m not fully sure exactly how I’m thinking about these themes and elements just yet. Alas, I will keep this blurb brief.
But, I’d be doing the film a huge disservice if I didn’t spend a couple sentences on the visceral and impactful gore scenes in the film. The Jimmies are a brutal bunch and their “charity” ranks among the most extreme gore I’ve ever seen in a mainstream film. The scenes of skinning rival even those of the final sequence of Martyrs. The film forced me to close my eyes on numerous occasions, something I rarely do as a fan of films as notorious as certain entries of the American Guinea Pig series and A Serbian Film. And, like the infamous Martyrs climax, the gore here isn’t senseless in its placement in the film – in fact, it’s imperative.
This is a worthwhile film. And it you don’t believe me, check out the praise it’s received from the full reviews on this site and many others. It wrestles with so much and I can’t wait to wrestle along side it again in time.
This month, we’re honoring some of the incredible Black female voices in film! Join in by sending your thoughts on any of the films above to cinapse.twocents@gmail.com or your favorite Cinapse staffer by early in the week listed above. Hope to see you all month long!
