Terrifier 2 (2022)

_Terrifier 2_ is a massive improvement over its parent film but doesn't quite do enough to move the needle for me. From the get-go, this films tone and quality is drastically superior to the previous entry. The writing gives characters room to develop, and audiences can actually grow attached to characters in way that was blatantly absent from the first film. I enjoyed the added lore for Art that was sprinkled throughout, adds a level of depth to the newly founded horror icon. The writing allows for much more creative kills and set pieces, with the story taking place across an entire town rather than one claustrophobic apartment building. But with all those improvements, there are still lingering problems that carried over from the first film. Actor performances were all over the board. Some actresses were really compelling and honestly shocked me for the indie type feel of the film. Some notable highlights for me were the lead actress _Lauren LaVera_, _Kailey Hyman_, and _Elliott Fullam_. But other performances were legitimately bad, it felt like I was watching a high school drama production. There are some major pacing problems, for starters this movie is almost 2.5 hours long. There is no need for a runtime this long, there is so much fluff in here that it really bogs down the flow of the film. This movie does a better job of adding suspense to its scenes but is too reliant on blood and gore to get its gasps from the audience. I normally am one to appreciate when a movie goes above and beyond in the gore department, but this movie went overboard. So many scenes had be physically ill due to the graphic content. Sometimes less is more and that is for sure the case here. Despite its flaws, this is a great next step for this small-time studio and with the success at the box office there will surely be a sequel where Dameon Leone has the opportunity to craft a real top notch horror film. **Score:** _63%_ | **Verdict:** _Decent_