I’m very happy I kind of loved Terrifier 2… because I didn’t like the original and here is the sequel with hugely impressive scores among slasher fans. I thought I was going to sit down with this 2 1/2 hour slasher film and just be bored and then write a scathing review that makes everyone roll their eyes at the guy with a stick up his butt.

It took me awhile to get around to seeing this flick too. This film is only playing at one showtime in the evening at my local theaters and my current sleep patterns (which are messed up on the best of days) prevented me from going to see it. Except on two occasions where I was thinking a 2 1/2 hour slasher sequel to a movie I didn’t like wasn’t really interesting me. But one of the local theaters actually just started showing it three times a day, including a noon showing that A) I was awake for and B) I could skip out of work to see.

And glad I did. Wow… what an improved budget can do for a sequel. This movie looks professional all the way around compared to the no budget grit and grime of the first. Acting is improved and the story actually gives us characters who don’t die immediately. And the film doesn’t give us 2 1/2 hours of slashing… it keeps the pace slow, introducing characters and giving us time with them (in between kills). To some slasher fans, that’s deadly. But not to me.

This movie is gory and brutal and sadistic and kind of brilliant if that’s your bag (of murder implements). As far as I can tell, it’s all practical too… just some sick messed up shit that will satisfy all the gore hounds out there. I liked it… but more importantly, I appreciated its commitment.

Appreciated it also because this movie just breaks rules and transgresses all over the place. In most normal worlds, an editor or producer or studio would demand this movie be cut back down to 90 minutes… and there’s plenty of room to cut in the released film. Dialog scenes are extended, dream sequences take longer than they should, there are multiple kills that go on longer than is practical, and multiple showdowns. This movie shouldn’t work but it really does and I’m not at all advocating for a 90 minute cut.

My only real problem with it is that it has a fantastical element that I wasn’t so sure about. For the most part, this is more Friday the 13th than Nightmare on Elm Street. And yet we get multiple dream sequences and segments (and characters) where I’m not sure if they are happening or not. And almost none of it is explained… but I was willing to go with it, partly because maybe it was something I missed in the original film or the short film. In an on-screen interview post-credits, the director explains this is all part of a master plan and that he didn’t feel like he needed to explain. Fair enough. As long as you know what you’re doing, sir.

So yeah, I’m really shocked how much I enjoyed this film. Sometimes I think I just don’t like slasher movies and then something like this comes along. It’s really good… if it’s the kind of thing you’d enjoy (and if you don’t mind a lot of time spent on character development).

Score: 87