Filmmaker David Teixeira made his horror directorial debut last year with Girls Night, a twisted short film that is equal parts urban legend tale, and a claustrophobic ride to hell. In 13 minutes we meet three young women who start telling horror stories until Bloody Mary comes up, unleashing a vicious entity that turns a fun night of partying into a night of survival and horror.
Because of its short runtime, there isn’t a whole lot that can be said about the plot of Girls Night 2, other than it’s been a year since the events of that fateful Halloween night, and a key character from the first short returns, traumatized by the memory of a masked killer. When a friend invites her over to his house, her nightmares will start getting more intense as the killer comes back to finish the job.
Actress Marina de Sousa does a great job portraying the horror of her character, picking up the story a year later to look at the paranoia and fear she lives with. Meanwhile, Teixeira shows he’s grown as a filmmaker, focusing on providing a more claustrophobic and intense experience this time around. Dutch angles and close shots intensify the psychological horror of Girls Night 2.
Even the narrative works better in Girls Night 2, with the elements of psychological trauma blending with the slasher elements to create a short, but exciting experience. That being said, the time limitations of this being a short film hurts the plot a bit. We could have spent a bit more time with Jess and how she coped with the events of the past year, or the investigation into the murders, or something.
Hardcore slasher fans won’t find Girls Night or Girls Night 2 particularly groundbreaking, but they do have something quite special – the villain. The mysterious figure wearing a human-like mask with the blond hair makes for a creepy killer, especially since it mostly stands around watching, hunting like one of the killers from The Strangers.
The best compliment I can give Girls Night 2 is that it left me wanting to see more of this world, especially its potentially iconic franchise-starting killer. A full-length feature or a third short would be welcomed, but for the time being, Girls Night 2 is still a scary, fun short film with a lot of potential.
