When “28 Years Later” was released last summer, reviving the genre bending zombie thriller series, it was met with a lot of acclaim.

While I was not as high on the film as some of my colleagues, feeling it was a bit uneven, I was still able to concede its effectiveness — especially in the strong third act that hinted at a different direction for the franchise.

That hint becomes a reality with “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” — a film that not only surpasses its immediate predecessor but enhances the entire series with a wonderfully created spin that makes it unlike any of the previous films. This is a zombie movie that is anything but your conventional genre film. “Bone Temple” is creative and compelling, taking this franchise to some lofty heights.

“Bone Temple” picks up right where the previous film left off with a pair of stories going at the same time. First there is Spike (Alfie Williams), the 12-year old boy who was rescued a by a group of misfits led by Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell in a bone chilling performance). Jimmy has convinced the rest of the group that the zombie outbreak is a sign from Satan and that it is their job to eliminate any survivors. It’s a gang that gives off “A Clockwork Orange” vibes — anarchists, who blindly follow a meticulous psychopath.

While this gang is running roughshod, and Spike is trying to find a way to escape without being harmed himself, the former doctor Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) is still creating his shrine to the fallen while possibly finding a breakthrough. This comes in the contact with an Alpha zombie he names Sampson (Chi Lewis-Parry) who the doctor manages to “treat” and perhaps figure out a way to have zombies return to a semblance of their original form.

“Bone Temple” was once again written by Alex Garland — who has penned three of the series four films — with Nia DaCosta (who previously directed the “Candyman” reboot) taking over the director’s chair from Danny Boyle.

Garland’s script is smart and original, flawlessly bringing these two stories together in a thrilling final act that manages to both bring closure while leaving things open (“28 Years Later” was conceived as a start of trilogy that is expected to conclude with another film that starts shooting next month.)

DaCosta gives the film its own distinct look as well — with some great sequence including an extended scene in the final act involving an Iron Maiden needle drop that is both entertaining and terrifying.

It’s that kind of creativity that allows “The Bone Temple” to bring the series back on track in a major way. The promise from the previous film has been achieved, creating a film that serves both as a strong building block in a series as well as an effective stand-alone experience.

Grade: B+