This post-apocalyptic horror franchise limps on with its sequel to last year’s 28 Years Later, with Danny Boyle handing over directing duties to Nia DaCosta.

It continues where it left off, with young Spike finding himself part of a satanic cult.

Having been ‘rescued’ by Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) and his motley crew of followers, young Spike (Alfie Williams) is expected to pass an initiation test, to become a member of Jimmy’s Fingers.

Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) has a repeat visitor to his temple, an Alpha infected he dubs Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry).

They are seemingly worlds apart, but they’re about to get closer as the Fingers continue roaming the countryside and the temple not that far away...

It was a hope that this sequel would improve on what was a lacklustre effort with the first, but sadly it’s pretty much more of the same.

Firstly, to describe it as a zombie film is misleading; there are no more than a handful of the living dead, seemingly serving as a reminder to audiences that it is a zombie film – honest.

It’s written by Alex Garland, which is a good thing, but it is all about character with no content.

There are some fetching performances, from Fiennes, O’Connell and Lewis-Perry, but what little story there is, feels that this really should have been a TV mini-series; this is supported by its poor box office, where it failed to recoup its $63 million budget.

Because of that, the planned trilogy finale – which would have been the last three episodes if it were a show – is now in doubt, and it would be a relief if it was better never than later, as it’s likely to be just more of the same, especially with Boyle returning to the director’s chair once again.

They will probably scrape enough to get it greenlit however – especially with its teasing ending, but with the style and structure already set, it’s unlikely to be worth waiting for, regardless how many years it takes to get here.