28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ending explained - how does Cillian Murphy's Jim return?

*Warning - contains full spoilers for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, out now in UK cinemas.*

Less than a year after we returned to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's post-apocalyptic world – first brought to screens in 2002's 28 Days Later – for the acclaimed 28 Years Later, we're heading back for the next chapter in a planned trilogy.

Picking up straight after the shocking cliffhanger to the last film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks back up with Alfie Williams's Spike as he finds himself in the presence of a violent gang known as the Jimmies.

Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes's Dr Kelson begins to experiment on Alpha infected Samson, played by Chi Lewis-Parry.

But after all the horrors Spike witnesses and the discoveries Kelson makes, how does it all come to an end, how does it set up the third film, and how does Cillian Murphy's 28 Days Later character Jim, who Boyle has already revealed will return in this film, factor in?

Read on for everything you need to know about the ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ending explained - what happened to Kelson, Spike and the Jimmies?

The final act of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple saw Jack O'Connell's Sir Jimmy Crystal leading his gang of Jimmies to Dr Kelson.

Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) had earlier seen Kelson and believed him to be the devil aka Old Nick, who Crystal had claimed was his father. It was in his name that the gang perpetrated their acts of torture, mutilation and murder.

She had told Crystal about this, and he had visited Kelson alone to confirm one way or the other. Once he found out Kelson's true nature, he told him to keep up the pretence for Ink and the rest. They would visit Kelson the following night, he would pretend to the devil, and then they would go on their merry, murderous way.

At night, they arrived. Kelson then put on a show for them, creating a ring of fire through the bone temple and dancing and lip-syncing to Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast, which he played on his turntable.

Crystal had Kelson instruct him and his followers to grow their number and to continue on their vicious mission. However, once Kelson realised that one of the masked Jimmies was in fact Spike, he found he couldn't go through with it.

Kelson then ordered the Jimmies to crucify their leader and his 'son', Crystal, as God's son Jesus had been crucified. Crystal refuted this, revealing that Kelson was not actually Satan, but just an old man. He stabbed him, fatally wounding him.

However, Crystal's betrayal in this moment was enough for Jimmy Ink, who had been starting to question his leadership, realised he was just a fraud. She killed the remaining Jimmies who remaining loyal to Crystal, leaving just Spike alive.

Spike stabbed Crystal, and Ink decided to crucify Jimmy upside down on a prop inverted crucifix that Kelson had used as part of his performance.

As Spike and Jimmy Ink left together, the latter revealed her real name to be Kelly.

What happened to Samson?

Throughout the film, Kelson had been testing numerous drugs and treatments on Samson, hoping to find a way of curing the infection.

Realising he had to treat both the physical and psychological elements of the infection, Kelson created a cocktail of anti-psychotic drugs, which he gave to Samson, who then returned to the nearby abandoned train.

While on board, he started to have more vivid memories of his childhood, as he was surrounded by other infected. Breaking from his memory in which he was being asked for a train ticket, he finally spoke clearly, with his mind now set free. At that point he was attacked by the other infected, yet managed to fight them off.

After Kelson was fatally stabbed by Jimmy Crystal, had been crucified by Jimmy Ink, and and Spike and Jimmy Ink had left, Samson returned to the Bone Temple where he found Kelson, still alive, but dying. He thanked him for treating him, allowing Kelson to realise his success before succumbing to his wounds.

Samson then approached Crystal, who saw the former Alpha as the devil himself.

How did Cillian Murphy's Jim return?

In the final scene of the film, we cut to a very recognisable cottage - the one we last saw Cillian Murphy's Jim in at the end of 28 Days Later.

Inside, Jim was seen helping his daughter prepare for her history exam, one she noted he himself would be setting.

Hearing a noise, they went to investigate, at which point they saw Spike and Kelly in the distance, being chased by a horse of infected.

With a gun in hand, Jim confirmed to his daughter that "of course" they would help the duo - setting up the crucial meeting between Spike and Jim that we have been waiting for.

This scene played out with the memorable theme music from 28 Days Later, In the House - In a Heartbeat, playing in the background, leading into the end credits.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now showing in UK cinemas.

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