28 Years Later The Bone Temple review: Nia Dacosta succeeds, and then some

Trilogies are tough, but middle entries are even tougher. Like those perpetually overlooked middle children, the second entry in a trilogy faces just as much pressure to succeed, but with half the grace afforded to revered eldest children or coddled youngest. (And I say this as the overachieving oldest of three brothers.) But when a middle entry (child or film) succeeds, the results are remarkable. Think The Empire Strikes Back or The Dark Knight, movies that broke the mold of the trailblazing first and overshadowed whatever followed. (The list of high-achieving middle children includes Michael Jordan, Warren Buffett, and Madonna.) In spite of the heavy odds stacked against it, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is one of those perfect middle entry movies: It elevates what came before and throws down the gauntlet for whatever might follow.