Over
the
past
few
years,
Nia
DaCosta
has
quietly
emerged
as
one
of
the
most
exciting
voices
in
contemporary
genre
filmmaking.
With
films
like
Little
Woods
and
her
bold
reimagining
of
Candyman,
DaCosta
has
shown
a
rare
ability
to
blend
emotional
depth
with
atmospheric
horror,
crafting
stories
that
unsettle
not
just
through
fear
but
through
feeling.
Her
appointment
as
director
of
28
Days
Later:
The
Bone
Temple
isn’t
a
gamble;
it’s
a
calculated
creative
decision.
Here’s
why
she
stands
out
as
the
perfect
filmmaker
to
take
this
iconic
franchise
forward
-\
1.
Proven
horror
credentials
DaCosta’s
reimagination
of
Candyman
proved
that
she
understands
how
to
build
tension
without
using
cheap
jump
scares.
The
film
employed
silence,
shadow,
and
psychological
unease
to
evoke
fear,
much
like
the
slow-burning
dread
that
defined
28
Days
Later,
making
her
the
ideal
choice
for
the
upcoming
28
Days
Later:
The
Bone
Temple.
2.
Deep
respect
for
the
original
film
Danny
Boyle
has
himself
stated
that
DaCosta
is
a
genuine
fan
of
28
Days
Later,
not
just
familiar
with
it.
Her
respect
for
the
original
movie
shows
in
her
approach
–
she
wasn’t
trying
to
overwrite
what
worked,
but
preserve
the
emotional
and
thematic
core
–
loneliness,
survival,
and
moral
collapse,
while
exploring
new
dimensions
of
the
world.
3.
Auteur-driven
vision
Unlike
many
filmmakers
who
have
stepped
into
major
franchises
and
tried
to
imitate
what
came
before,
DaCosta
has
been
firm
about
crafting
her
own
visual
language.
As
Alex
Garland
had
earlier
revealed
that
she
had
told
him
and
the
director
of
the
original
film,
Danny
Boyle,
earlier
on
that
she
would
not
move
the
camera
or
edit
the
film
the
was
Boyle
did.
That
level
of
self-awareness
and
confidence
is
the
mark
of
a
true
auteur.
4.
Emotional
storytelling
Even
in
her
horror
work,
DaCosta
prioritises
human
emotion.
Little
Woods
was
a
character-driven
drama
about
survival,
desperation,
and
moral
compromise,
traits
that
also
define
the
universe
of
the
28
Days
Later
franchise.
Her
ability
to
ground
large,
genre-driven
stories
in
intimate
emotional
truth
ensures
that
The
Bone
Temple
won’t
only
be
terrifying
but
also
deeply
affecting.
5.
Willingness
to
push
darkness
further
Boyle
has
already
hinted
that
The
Bone
Temple
explores
an
even
darker
territory
than
the
previous
film.
DaCosta
has
never
shied
away
from
uncomfortable
themes
–
Candyman
confronted
violence,
identity,
and
inherited
trauma
head-on.
She
doesn’t
soften
difficult
ideas,
and
that
fearlessness
is
crucial
for
a
franchise
built
on
brutality,
collapse,
and
psychological
horror.
With
The
Bone
Temple,
the
franchise
isn’t
just
moving
forward,
it’s
redefining
itself.
In
DaCosta,
the
filmmakers
have
found
a
voice
capable
of
honouring
the
past
while
reshaping
its
future.
And
in
a
genre
that
thrives
on
reinvention,
that
may
be
the
most
important
decision
of
all.