Connect with us

Reviews

“Chucky” Season 2 Review – Episode 6 Sets Up the Final Confrontation and Its Deadly Stakes

Published

on

No one could ever accuse Don Mancini of being afraid to kill his darlings. Or, in the case of “Chucky,” maim them again and again, if necessary. “He is Risen Indeed” picks up where we left off, with Lexy (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and Devon (Bjorgvin Arnarson) discovering Andy (Alex Vincent) alive and not so well as a captive of the Colonel, a cannibalistic variation of Chucky. The Colonel’s arrival coincides with the reveal that the Chucky (Brad Dourif) variations are rapidly diminishing in number, setting up a race against the clock for Chucky Prime and “Chucky” Season 2.

While episode six briefly touches on the previous episode’s events, it’s more interested in laying out the groundwork for the second season’s home stretch. “He is Risen Indeed” brings Andy and Kyle (Christine Elise) more firmly back into the fold, though neither is aware of the other’s whereabouts. They’ve got more pressing problems at hand; Andy’s reckoning with being used as a human buffet for the past year while Kyle carefully navigates a tenuous alliance with a Chucky-inhabited Nica and his offspring Glenda (Lachlan Watson). While both plotlines push us closer to the big picture, none compares to the chaos unleashed upon the Catholic boarding school.

CHUCKY — “Doll on Doll” Episode 205 — Pictured in this screengrab: (l-r) Lara Jean Chorostecki as Sister Ruth, Chucky — (Photo by: SYFY)

Though Jake Wheeler (Zackary Arthur) finds himself playing catch up in this episode, and the Chucky situation has escalated to a precarious degree, the adults are having the most challenging time. The strict control Father Bryce (Devon Sawa) maintained over the school slipped through his fingers, and his desperation to regain control teases that there might be far more to Father Bryce than he’s let on so far. The gloves are off for Dr. Mixter (Rosemary Dunsmore) now that her cover is blown, making for a fascinating continuation of ideas presented in Cult of Chucky.  

Season-long plot threads are reaching a boiling point, and the expositional floodgates are opening regarding Chucky’s central quest for revenge. So many characters and plot threads are currently up in the air with very little time left to bring them to a close tidily, but it’s hard even to notice when the surprises are coming fast and furious. So much happens and yet much of it feels like the groundwork for a showstopping final two episodes.

If there’s one thing that “He is Risen Indeed” really drives home, it’s that no one comes away from Chucky unscathed. Even the most stalwart heroes have lost flesh, in more ways than one, in their quest to stop the killer doll and his cohorts. Those lucky enough to evade death still experience catastrophic loss in the ongoing war, and episode six ensures that death’s presence looms large. No one is safe. There are still so many unanswered questions this season, many of which are raised in this episode. But the episode’s most considerable success is that it serves as a devastating reminder of the physical, emotional, and psychological toll as we barrel into the final episodes of the season.

The confrontation is coming, and this episode ensures the stakes are higher than ever.

Watch new episodes of “Chucky” on Wednesdays at 9/8c on SYFY and USA Network.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Movies

‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II’ Review – Sequel Defies Expectations and Surpasses the Original

Published

on

Winnie the Pooh Blood and Honey 2

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey broke the internet when it was first announced back in 2022. Disney fans and everyone else were caught off guard by the concept of the iconic toy bear and his stuffed pals becoming feral, but enough time has passed to where this current genre practice — turning public-domain material into horror films — is less of a shock. However, that didn’t stop folks from reacting with surprise when a sequel was reported last year. And with all the financial success from last time, this continuation has more resources at its disposal. That increased budget is evident on screen and partly why Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II surpasses the original.

Returning director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is joined by Summer of ‘84 writer Matt Leslie, and their collaboration is a quasi-reset of the first Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. The prior film is now treated as an in-universe adaptation of Christopher Robin’s horrific ordeal. The meta touch gives the sequel room to acknowledge the original film’s deficiencies as well as a chance to expand on the lore. As the “real” Christopher Robin (Scott Chambers) tries to now move on with his life while also enduring accusations from all sides, Winnie-the-Pooh (a.k.a. The Yellow Bastard) and his wicked storybook pals brew up their next violent course of action.

Beyond its opening act, the previous Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was much too plotless and straightforward. Its only ambition was reimagining Pooh and Piglet as merciless killers. Sure, audiences mainly tuned in to see these characters carry out a massacre, but there is no denying that the execution was monotonous. That same kind of narrative redundancy is, thankfully, not in the sequel. Leslie penned a more sinuous script that doesn’t ever switch on the “autopilot” button. From probing Christopher Robin’s extensive trauma to revealing the origin of the Hundred Acre Wood villains (which now include Owl and Tigger), the second film is more structured and engaging.

On top of a better story, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II benefits from higher production values. The detailed creature designs and suits are more convincing than before; they don’t just look like actors in masks anymore. Simple yet favorable upgrades, such as articulating mouths and thorough skin texture, make these monsters persuasive as they work toward the film’s ultimate body count. The extra funding also allows for elaborate set-pieces, including a rave-set mass murder and a brief but exciting chainsaw sequence. In addition, Andrew Scott Bell’s score work in these films continues to be a highlight.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II is a significant step up in certain areas, although there is the issue of tone. The sequel resumes the grave atmosphere from earlier as well as injects random, not to mention welcome spurts of humor (the intentional sort). Nevertheless, this film is generally an improvement on the first, which read like a parody due to its uncompromisingly severe delivery. Here, there are glimpses of campiness that make for a more entertaining experience.

This flawed but enjoyable sequel defies expectations — albeit low ones — and outperforms its predecessor on most levels. There is more to appreciate this time around. And if plans for the “Poohniverse” go as planned, this won’t be the last appearance of the bloodthirsty Hundred Acre Wood gang.

From Fathom Events, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II will screen in theaters from March 26 to 28.

2.5 out of 5 skulls

Pictured: Poster for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II.

Pictured: Poster for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey II.

Continue Reading