Strong source material, a post-Potter Radcliffe and a creeping sense of dread: all of these made the original film a success, and all of these are lacking in this very lacklustre sequel. Idiot Plot abounds, early scenes dissipate into nothing and although the film tries to position The Woman as a child-serial-killer with associated tropes, it does not really deliver well on either count, apart from a nice bit of foreshadowing with the first death. Too many doors creak open and shut on their own which become irritating rather than scary, and even the shoehorned-in jump-scares fail. The first two-thirds are lethargic in the extreme - Phoebe Fox wanders around well saying "Hello?" a lot, and Jeremy Irvine looks way too young for the role but acquits himself acceptably as a pilot - but what is unforgivable is the spectacularly bizarre nonsensical third act and a 'shock' ending that simply does not. The first film was efficient but reasonably effective; this sequel disappoints.
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