Archive · 30 Jan 2026
28 Years Later Cult Reference Sparks Debate
The new movie 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has people talking because of a costume trend inspired by a character in the film.
This character, Sir Jimmy Crystal, is dressed in a flashy tracksuit and wig, which some people think is a reference to a real person named Jimmy Savile.
Savile was a famous TV host in the UK, but after he died, people found out he had done very bad things.
In the movie, the character is part of a cult, and this has made some people uncomfortable, especially in the UK.
In the US, where people don't know much about Savile, they think the costumes are just fun.
The movie's director says the reference is meant to show how people can remember the past wrongly and how evil can hide in plain sight.
Audiences are dressing as 'The Jimmies,' a cult from 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, inspired by the character Sir Jimmy Crystal.
The costumes reference Jimmy Savile, a controversial British TV personality exposed as a sexual predator after his death in 2011.
Director Danny Boyle states the reference is meant to highlight the film's themes of misremembered past and the nature of evil.
US audiences see the costumes as playful, while UK audiences find them unsettling due to Savile's infamous legacy.
The film's setting in 2002, before Savile's crimes were known, mirrors the public's ignorance of his actions during his lifetime.
- Who
- Audiences and filmmakers of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- What
- Debate over a controversial cultural reference in the film
- When
- During and after the film's release
- Where
- Cinemas and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok
- Why
- The film references a fictional cult inspired by a real-life controversial figure, Jimmy Savile, which has sparked varied reactions
- Film Title
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
- Controversial Character
- Sir Jimmy Crystal
- Actor
- Jack O’Connell
- Year of Britain's Collapse in Film
- 2002
- Real-Life Figure Referenced
- Jimmy Savile
- Savile's Crimes Exposed
- After 2011