Director: Steve Lawson
Year: 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
Down on his luck, a struggling writer and his fiancée try to make ends meet when his lack of coverage on the current void of Jack the Ripper murders has drained their finances from his previous spate of killings, but when it becomes apparent that they might continue forces them to stop the madman.
Review:
This was a rather decent and likable follow-up. One of the better elements here is the solid starting point that ties into the original about the impact the original killings left on the community and how the survivors have had to move on. With the main focus here on bringing the ladies of the night back out onto the streets following the older spree of killings and now finding themselves stalked by the killer once again, forcing the reporter to go back to his old ways of trying to solve the killings when it appears his woman might be a target, everything here comes together immensely well for what it is. Their relationship together is quite fun, bringing the kind of lifestyle where they’re both affected by what’s gone on since the last spree and looking to restore the old magic they once had while keeping themselves just out of his grasp as the new rampage starts up.
The deeper it gets into the rampage, the more this starts to evolve into a fun, engaging mystery that keeps this going along. The detective skills that he has to use to try figuring out what and where the killer will strike next from them offer this a great turn, as it comes from both angles of the press. That he keeps getting new letters taunting him about the next crime gives him enough clues about the next strike and who’s the potential victim that it sets him off on a quest to not only keep her safe but also try to prevent it from happening, with the clues leading him to a potential suspect in his inner circle. The investigation here into the letters he receives spurs him into going through with more close-up field-work into the various potential victims, which sets him into the sights of the determined detective looking to stop the killings and continually confronted with the possibility of the killer being right under his nose with no way to pin it on him. This ends up with a solid series of twists at this stage of the film, offering up enough to make this one enjoyable.
There are some issues here that keep this down. The main issue with this one is the outright lack of horror for the majority of the kills, as everything that happens here that could possibly be used to enhance that feeling is kept off-screen and stumbled upon later. The series of murders on the various streetwalkers that pop up here are always shown after the fact, with the mutilated and mangled bodies being found afterward, after they’ve been dead for a while or just after the act has been committed, so the wound is visible but not the means of it happening. That leaves so much of this one to be immensely dry and disappointing when it never manages to engage in the kind of stalking or vicious striking that would usually accompany these kinds of films, in favor of these aftermath sequences for every attack, making for a disappointing time. As well, the lackluster action means far too much time is spent on the endless conversations trying to piece the mystery together or going about their lives, which causes everything to feel rather dry and plodding for long, lifeless stretches without any bodies piling up. Combined with the usual low-budget limitations on display, these all manage to lower this one overall.
Overview: **.5/5
A really solid and likable sequel, this one gets quite enjoyable for what it is, as there is a lot more to like here than expected, while being hurt by some detrimental and damaging issues overall. Those with an appreciation for this style of genre fare or who are fans of the creative crew will have a lot to like here, while most others out there should heed caution.
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