Four years after the terrifying events of the first film, director Scott Derrickson brings us on another harrowing ordeal involving the siblings, Finn and Gwen, as they deal with their lingering trauma and attempts to move forward in life.
This time, Madeleine McGraw takes center stage as the clairvoyant Gwen, whose visions and astral projection abilities have become even stronger – but unfortunately for her, this two-way street also allows the dead to have a stronger hold on her from the Other Side. Enter four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke’s Grabber who returns as a vengeful spirit, with his sights set on Gwen as his way of taking revenge on Finn for killing him and his brother.
The siblings, with the addition of Gwen’s new love interest, decide to go back to where it all started as they try to stop the Grabber once and for all.
While McGraw stole the scenes she was in in the previous outing, this time she really gets her turn to shine. That being said, Finn’s character still holds his own and is continued to be played brilliantly by Mason Thames. And Miguel Mora, who played Robin Arellano in the first installment, is back again as his brother Ernesto!
At the center of the terror and chaos, trauma seems to hold a major theme in this film: Finn has sailed to an island of one and he is now bitter and angry over everything he has had to go through. His substance abuse parallels that of their father Terrence who became an alcoholic after the death of their mother.
It’s also worth mentioning that some scenes may take you back to Derrickson’s previous work Sinister, with its use of 8mm footage, especially with how the visuals shift to show Gwen from her sleep state and waking state. The gore level is also kicked up a few notches this time around, and may make those with weaker stomachs lose their appetite…in a good way. 🙂
P/S: Keep an ear out for Pink Floyd’s return on the soundtrack!
*All images via UIP