This article contains spoilers for “28 years later: The Temple of Bones”.
2002’s “28 Days Later” was a groundbreaking horror film in more ways than one. It revived the zombie subgenre (although it wasn’t technically a zombie film, but let’s be real), reintroducing many elements and tropes of horror that hadn’t been seen in a long time at the time of its release. It also subverted the nihilism of the zombie/post-apocalypse subgenre. Where films like “Night of the Living Dead,” “The Afterlife,” “Return of the Living Dead” and other zombie films revel in conclusions where the protagonists don’t survive, “28 Days Later” allowed its heroic trio of Jim (Cillian Murphy), Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns) to survive until the end of the film. Additionally, the ending implies that the three potentially found themselves saved, an inference that is only encouraged by composer John Murphy’s upbeat, upbeat track “End Credits.”
When “28 Years Later” was released in 2025, also directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland as “28 Days Later”, fans were curious and eager to know the whereabouts of Jim, Selena and Hannah. This film provided no answers or even clues, as Boyle and Garland were more focused on a new set of characters, as well as the larger concept of a quarantined United Kingdom still living with the Rage virus. Now, at the conclusion of Nia DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Temple of Bones” (again written by Garland), we finally see the return of Jim. It turns out he’s started a family of his own, and his reintroduction not only centers closely on the themes and tropes of that “Years” trilogy, but it also provides some clues and raises questions about what’s to come.
Jim treats his daughter (and others) well
In the last scene of “28 Years Later: The Temple of Bones”, we find Jim alive and well. Oddly enough, he still resides in the United Kingdom, and it is unclear whether this is a deliberate choice or circumstance. The latter implies that Jim, Selena and Hannah were not rescued at the end of “28 Days Later”. We don’t see any sign of these women either, although it’s possible that one or both are still there, as Jim’s house seems big enough for four. In any case, he is the father of a young daughter, Sam, who may or may not also be Selena’s daughter.
We are shown how Jim exists in opposition to Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) from “28 Years Later”, as Jim teaches Sam a more sober, darker version of English military history than Jamie’s biased, macho interpretation. This doesn’t mean Jim and Sam are pacifists, though, as the approach of a nearby infected pursuing Spike (Alfie Williams) and Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) spurs father and daughter into action. Even their brief debate over whether to help demonstrates that while Jim is naturally cautious, his heart is still in a heroic place, as it was at the end of “28 Days Later.”
Of course, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding what’s happened to Jim over the past 28 years, where his friends are, and whether he’s still looking to escape the UK or has resigned himself to living there. What is clear from this suspenseful scene is that he continues to be a force for positive change. With this fact, combined with Samson’s (Chi Lewis-Parry) awakening, we can infer that a pretty massive revolution is on the horizon for the world of “28 Years Later.”
