Plot
It has been several years since Finn survived his encounter with The Grabber in his basement dungeon.
Gwen is now suffering from debilitating sleep parasomnia, in which she is seemingly seeing visions of a series of murders at a camp in the late 1950’s
Now she along with Finn travel to the camp, and they make a shocking discovery about not just The Grabber, but also their mother too!
Direction
Directed by Scott Derrickson, who also directed the first film. He has become an ‘old hat’ when it comes to producing and directing horror movies.
There is some more impressive work behind the camera this time around. I particularly enjoyed the “Gwen Dreams” where it seems like it was being shot on Super 8 film.
There is also one sequence where Finn is on a payphone by the lake at the camp, where the voices on the other end sound distorted – and as the camera pans to show different views of the background – the boys he is talking to come into frame… and slowly get closer and closer.
Cast
Returning cast from the first film are Mason Thames (as Finn), Madeline McGraw (as Gwen), Miguel Mora (this time playing Ernesto, the younger brother of Robin – who he played in the first film), Jeremy Davies (as Terrence – Finn and Gwen’s father), and Ethan Hawke as The Grabber (more behind the mask than he was previously).
New cast include Demian Bichir as Mando, the camp’s owner (who has some good moments, especially his ‘dad’ advice to Finn, and Arianna Rivas as Mustang – his niece who works at the camp. James Ransone appears as Max very briefly, this would be his last film role before his passing in December 2025.
Breakdown
Set in 1982, four years after the events of the first film. Finn is still struggling with what happened to him, taking things too violently at times – and repressing his feelings to save face.
Gwen is still his person, but she has been having some disturbing dreams of late of some murders that occured at a camp lake in 1957.
She soon discovers that a young girl she has been talking to on a pay phone is their mother as a child – they decide to head to the camp in order to find the connection between their mum and the murders – and when The Grabber starts to “call” them from beyond the grave – they need to work out how he is connected to everything…. The winter snow storm doesn’t really add much, other than to make the group smaller as the camp is essentially cancelled due to the weather.
While this could be in the zeitgeist of ‘did it need a sequel’ – since The Grabber died at the end of the first film (that’s not a spoiler if you’ve seen the first film). While the first film had some minor supernatural elements, we have more of a supernatural element this time around. The Grabber is clearly working from beyond the grave, and is using Gwen’s psychic abilities against her.
Her dream/fugue states become more ‘real’ as the movie goes on – and when she is hurt in the dreams she is being hurt in real life too…. which as strange as it sounds written down – works and makes sense when you actually watch it.
This adds to some genuinely tense moments, especially in the kitchen scene – where the characters (including the cliche ‘you’re making this all up’ couple) see Gwen being attacked, and thrown around – while asleep, by and invisible (The Grabber) force.
The plot where the characters have to find the bodies of the boys that (yes, he did that too) The Grabber killed all the way back in the 1950’s – in order to both free their spirits, and stop the spirit of The Grabber from hurting anyone else is too convoluted, and I didn’t support that The Grabber was responsible for their mothers death either.
It does however give more strength to Gwen, as she was burdened by her mothers su!cide over her own psychic abilities.
I also was happy that Terrence was a better father in this one, as he had struggled with his alcoholism in the first one – and this was quite a realistic depiction of a man who is trying to stay good for his children.
Overall
Solid enough sequel, but it falls into the category of “did the original need a sequel”?
As much as I did enjoy this, the reliance on the supernatural element, plus the extension of the history of The Grabber (he both knew, and murdered Finn and Gwen’s mother years before he took Finn) is too convenient.
Still a strong pass, and worth a watch.
3.5/5
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