The Gate 2: Return to the Nightmare (Also known as, The Gate 2: Trespassers) is an American/Canadian horror film released on February 28, 1992 after sitting on studio shelves for years. The film was originally completed in 1988 under the helm of Tibor Takács, the returning director from the first picture. The film stars Louis Tripp as Terry Chandler alongside, Simon Reynolds, James Villemaire, and Pamela Segall-Adlon. I am watching the 1992 SVS/Triumph Pictures Home Video release. It’s a decent VHS copy.

Synopsis

It's been five years and Terry is still practicing demonology. His friend Glen has moved away, but Terry is using his old house to summon demons through The Gate. This time to answer his wishes. Unfortunately, a group of bullies decides to crash his summoning party and everything turns to shit. Literally.

Analysis

This is a pretty underwhelming sequel. That doesn’t do much to shine over it’s original. There is a big focus on Demons, but all other supernatural elements have been removed. The first movie featured a lot of scary elements that are absent from this sequel.

The practical special effects from coordinator, Randall William Cook, are great. He really went through a lot to get the shots that they did. I love the little stop-motion demons. They are great. The big demons at the end were wonky, but still looked good considering the budget.



Pamela Adlon was a surprise. I had only been familiar with her work on Louie and as the voice of Bobby Hill on King of the Hill. So seeing her as the damsel in distress was pretty neat. I really liked Louis Tripp and Simon Reynolds too. These three really made the movie what it is.

There isn’t much horror to speak of. It’s a thriller that plays around with demonology. There are some comedic elements, but nothing frightening. The scariest part is when one of the bullies starts growing boils and lesions on himself in a fancy restaurant. That’s all.

Overall

The Gate 2 felt forced. It’s a horror adjacent story that focuses on smaller elements than the previous film. I didn’t find this movie to be particularly scary. It just doesn’t play in the horror element. Instead, taking pieces of that genre and infusing them with comedy. It’s a different approach that doesn’t pan out very well if you are looking for something scary.