By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I just reviewed Grave Encounters yesterday anticipating the release of the sequel on Netflix. Well it became available today, so I thought it was a good time to check that out as well. I was pleasantly surprised with the original and was hoping for the best as this was written by the same individuals.
Grave Encounters 2 opens with a bunch of vloggers providing reviews of the first movie. One of the critics Alex Wright (Richard Harmon) receives a clip of Sean Rogerson who portrayed Lance Preston in the original. Rogerson didn’t look well in the movie yet it wasn’t a clip of Grave Encounters. Alex becomes perplexed and decides to investigate the film. After researching and finding out that the caretaker from the original movie committed suicide and none of the actors starred in anything else, Alex begins to believe the footage from the movie was real.
He tracks down Jerry Hartfield (Ben Wilkinson) who admits that the footage with few exceptions was real and that all involved are now considered missing as no bodies have been found. Jerry doesn’t think Alex is taping him, however he has the whole conversation secretly recorded.
Alex, who is a film student, decides to go to the Canadian hospital where Grave Encounters was shot. With his friends Trevor (Dylan Playfair), his love interest Jennifer (Leanne Lapp) and friends Tessa (Stephanie Bennett) and Jared (Howie Lai), they intend to tape their entire experience and create a documentary/horror movie. The initial plot reminded me of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 which though widely panned, I enjoyed immensely. Though not nearly as good as Book of Shadows, Grave Encounters 2 does have some good points.
When they break into the hospital they find police tape and take it as further evidence that the events were real. They set up the cameras all over the hospital. The group puts light sticks around the hallways so they don’t get lost. They carry a military grade GPS system and air horns in the event they are separated. Feeling as though they have all their bases covered, the group believe they’re in for a fun night.
A security guard breaks in and tells them to leave but nearly immediately the guard goes missing. The ghosts make themselves known to a much more fierce degree than in the first. Doors fly off the hinges, spirits talk to the people and fly through the halls. It is clear that the writers were trying to stay true to the first but also wanted to add more frequent and more detailed scares.
The issue is that the actors aren’t nearly as good, the characters aren’t nearly as likeable, the dialogue is for the most part empty, unbelievable and in the most dire situations way too similar to the first. Even the overall premise doesn’t make sense. If Alex truly believed everything he saw in the first, which he makes abundantly clear he does, why does he decide to do the same exact thing the first group did? Why would he anticipate a different result? Though the characters touch on this a bit, a definitive answer is never given.
There are a few cool scenes and there are glimpses of the original that strengthen the connection. I even appreciated the latter half of the movie which allowed an illusion of escape. There are tense situations and elements of surprise. The reintroduction of Sean Rogerson has its ups and downs. Some of the acting is over the top but there are moments which compel. There are answers to some of the questions left open by the original which is refreshing. Still, the movie really fails in some of the most important areas.
I do like that the main character spoke against torture porn like Saw and called for a return to the horror greats of the 80s. I just wish that point was made in a superior film.
Now, that’s not to say that this is awful. Though it clearly isn’t as good as the first, one can certainly see the intent the filmmakers had at making a good movie. It’s just hard to overlook so many small issues that made the movie, at times, hard to watch. The immaturity of Trevor is annoying as is the constant throwbacks to the original. Conversation about Grave Encounters is fine and expected, but the first half of the sequel is filled with clips of the original only to be followed by actors criticizing it and its special effects. I believe the writers believed this to be clever, but instead it just takes the viewers out of the movie. There’s coyly and subtly winking at the camera and then there’s hitting the audience over the head with the point.
Overall, I would suggest that fans of the first give this a chance, though the first 30-45 minutes is tough to get through. I think the latter half does pick up and has enough interesting points to make it worthwhile. The final twist is unsatisfactory but it doesn’t completely ruin the production.
Scared Stiff Rating: 5.5/10
well i dont agree with your 5.5/10 rating because it is highly inapropriate because it is very scary and not for children i almost wet my pants.
I agree it’s not for children. Few horror movies are for kids, but I don’t think it’s very scary. Then again, I grew up watching really horrifying films from the 70s like the original Black Christmas, Class Reunion Massacre and The Exorcist. If Grave Encounters 2 really scared you that much, I certainly don’t recommend you watching any of those! 🙂