USA, 2007
Review:
JA Kerswell
Many people possibly don’t know that the sequel to Ghosthouse Pictures’ 2005 supernatural horror hit eschews the oogie-boogey and goes the full slasher route as a gory masked killer whodunnit. Years after their parents were killed by what they thought was the Boogeyman, a brother and sister are still suffering from the trauma ten years later. One of them enters a mental health facility to confront her fears, but soon after the other patients start dying horrible deaths associated with their phobias. The film holds no great surprises, but does excel with some expertly handled cat-and-mouse suspense in its closing third.
After seeing their parents brutally slain by a killer in black robes, two now adult siblings are still coming to terms with the aftermath and the fact that the killer was never caught. Henry (Matt Cohen) has recently been discharged from a psychiatric facility where it has been judged that he has been cured of his fear of the dark and what lurks within. At first, his sister Laura is delighted, but soon becomes despondent when she learns he has a job interview on the other side of the country. This triggers a nightmare that the killer has returned and murders her brother. Realising that she is still dealing with her trauma, with Henry’s agreement Laura checks herself into the facility that has recently treated him.
As is par for the course in slasher movies, the sprawling, multi-storey psychiatric hospital has just a handful of staff and patients. So much for budget cuts! Dr Jessica (Renée O'Connor) tells Laura that nightly the ward is locked until morning so that the patients feel safer. She is introduced to the other teenage inmates - all of which are battling their own phobias. She also meets Head Doctor Allen (Tobin Bell), who is working on experimental approaches to treating their conditions.
Initially, Laura believes she is making progress, but is irked by Allen’s insistence that she confronts her fears directly. Later, one patient is cut in half by a lift after trying to escape his fear of the dark. At first, the patients and staff believe it is a tragic accident. However, after more of them start to die in horrible ways, Laura comes to believe that the Boogeyman is back. The survivors then discover to their horror that they have been locked in for the night with a killer …
BOOGEYMAN 2
has that competently shot but rather rather bland look of many DTV slashers of the time. Something not necessarily helped by the endless beige corridors of the hospital. However, it is surprisingly gory - with much of that beige splashed with the red stuff. The shadow of SAW (2004) - and especially its 2006 sequel - obviously looms large over the production. Not only with the inclusion of Tobin Bell - whose character may or may not have nefarious intentions - but with many of the murder scenes where some of the victims are driven to kill themselves to escape the visceral and violent reactions to their phobia after the killer forces their hand.
The film tangentially links to the first BOOGEYMAN, but not much more than seeing a previous character appear in a press clipping. The whodunnit angle works pretty well, but considering the relatively small cast it isn’t too difficult to whittle down the suspects as to who is behind that silver mask. As usual, with horror movies that have characters question what is reality and what is hallucination - or even supernatural - it is best to suspend disbelief and not ask too many questions. The film even features the cliché of the killer meticulously being able to clean up a gory murder scene in a matter of minutes to make the lead character look crazy. Not to mention meticulously creating elaborate ways to kill people - but, of course, that’s all part of the fun.
Whilst the first half struggles to lift itself out of the mundane, the film does come alive as it passes its halfway point. Savre is likeable and resourceful as the film’s Final Girl - and is certainly game with the buckets of fake blood thrown at her during the film’s climactic tussles with the killer deep in the bowels of the hospital’s basement.
The film was shot at a former hospital in Los Angeles on a budget of $4.5 million between January and April 2007. In a remarkably quick turnaround, the film premiered at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Grauman's Chinese Theatre in October 2007. It is a little unclear whether BOOGEYMAN 2 was originally intended as a theatrical release, but it was eventually released direct-to-video in the United States in January 2008 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. However, it was released theatrically to some overseas territories.
Despite its overseas theatrical release barely covering its production budget the film was a big hit on home video. The franchise received a third entry that went back to its supernatural roots with lesser success.
Very possibly overlooked by slasher fans, BOOGEYMAN 2 sometimes hits the spot and is worth a look.
BODY COUNT 11:
Female 6 / Male 5
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Trailer for BOOGEYMAN 2 (2007)