Horror Movie Review: Reunion From Hell 2 (2022)

I didn’t hate 2021’s Reunion from Hell, I just thought the negatives outweighed the positives. In particular, the fact that it had a really unlikable main protagonist named Riley (Hayden Newman). I also don’t hate Reunion from Hell 2, though this time I think the positives ever so slightly outweigh the negatives. In particular, the fact that the main protagonist, Riley (Hayden Newman again) is slightly more bearable, and the supporting cast is stronger.

None the less, it is still an unremarkable slasher horror that is, once again, LGBTQIA+ friendly.

Directed again by Sam Hodge and Hayden Newman, with the latter also writing the story again, Reunion from Hell 2 picks up two years after the events of the first film. Riley, having survived the events of the first film, has spent time away from his family and friends recovering physically, mentally, and spiritually, and now wants to reconnect with everyone. It just so happens to be Christmas, so everyone is meeting at a remote cabin in the woods.

There, Riley reunites with his mother (now played by Lisa Wilcox), her new boyfriend, Sheriff Mike (James Stokes), friends (Lydia Manson, Evan J. Mackey, Darren Lee Cupp), and uncle (Danny Hassel). The wounds haven’t quite healed, but everyone is trying to move forward, even if the likes of party gate-crasher Ryan Lavery (Mark Patton) make it hard.

Do you know what else makes moving forward hard? When you’re surrounded by memories and buried feelings resurface. Something that sends Riley spiralling (he’s still throwing tantrums) as the killing starts again. Someone isn’t finished with Riley and his loved ones, and this time, it’s even more personal.

Once again, one of the biggest problems relates to the writing and once again, Hayden Newman writes himself in such a head-scratching way. Riley seems to have grown as a human being, seems to have learned to appreciate life, and seems to be in an overall better place, but instantly, once relationship issues arise, he slips right back into being a horrible, argumentative, insulting man-child that everyone treats with a certain amount of reverence. It’s baffling and almost enough to derail the film, especially as he has a lot of screen time, except he’s backed up by a cast of robust horror actors who are more than willing to make this film mean something. Least of Danny Hassel who is absolutely wasted here, disappearing completely for large swathes of the film.

This is because there are too many characters, which in a slasher would normally mean a high body count, but Reunion from Hell 2 takes a lethargic approach to all the slasher elements. Again, just like the first film, it’s simply too long. Thankfully the actual slashing is enjoyable and the killer mystery is one that engages. Sure, there’s nothing that memorable here and the motivations of the killer are sketchy at best, but Reunion from Hell 2 is liberal with the blood and the deaths we do get are suitably violent and graphic.

This, the initial growth of Riley, the strong support cast, and a slightly more engaging story is why Reunion from Hell 2 is a slight improvement over the original. That being said, no-one’s really going to remember it long-term. I know I won’t.