Grotesque 2 is a worthy sequel that is as funny as the original. The first Grotesque movie was an excellent Mildred Moyer origin story and the sequel builds on that character perfectly. Director Brandon Rhinnes brings back a lot of actors from the first movie in new roles which is great because the cast is excellent. Julie Whelan, who was a standout in the original shines again in the sequel. She is fantastic in these sort of roles, she's terrifying. She's scarier than Mildred Moyer. Whelan is really funny, as well, and her delivery left me in stitches more than once.
Elizabeth Chamberlain shines as Mildred again, of course. The running gag about Mildred's (slightly) new identity, and how she looks familiar is hilarious. The jokes are often corny but they land because Chamberlain is a great comedic actress, and I found myself laughing when I probably should have been groaning, even after multiple watches.
The supporting cast is great as well, with lots of familiar faces from the original, such as Jaime Hill, Tom Antoni, and many others. It took me a couple of watches to realize Jade Benoit, one of the evil camp counsellors in Grotesque 2, was one of the sarcastic homeless people in the original. She's great too. Everybody's really funny, they're almost a Canadian horror version of Broken Lizard.
The practical effects are very well done, as with the original movie the kills look good and they're fun. The movie is well lit, you can always see what is happening, and the sound levels are consistent throughout, so the movie avoids the usual pitfalls that often trip up low budget indie horror films.
Grotesque 2, as with the original, is my brand of horror comedy. Like Shaun of Dead, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, and Snatchers (2019), the emphasis here is really on the comedy and these silly, slightly goofy Grotesque movies are truly funny. This is a sequel that lives up to the original, like Godfather II and Empire Strikes Back. Fans of the original will definitely enjoy Grotesque 2. I eagerly await a third instalment to the franchise and if we don't get one I'm going to go full Mildred Moyer. Or worse, I'll go full Karen, Julie Whelan style.
