REVIEW: ‘Brahms: The Boy II’
Photo: Brahms: The Boy II is the sequel to the hit horror movie The Boy. Image courtesy of Universal / Provided by press rep with permission.
There was no real reason to create a sequel to the middling horror film The Boy, but alas any modicum of success in Hollywood, especially in the horror genre, results in a trip down nostalgia lane. So it is with Brahms: The Boy II, a forgettable sequel starring Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery and Owain Yeoman.
The original flick surrounded the events of a haunted doll and a creepy-looking mansion, and the sequel essentially follows the same formula. This time though Jude (Convery) and his parents (Holmes and Yeoman) are the new unsuspecting residents of Heelshire Mansion, where the horrors of The Boy took place.
MORE: Read Hollywood Soapbox’s review of The Boy.
It doesn’t take long for Jude to find out about the legend of Brahms, a deeply disturbing mannequin who begins this sequel buried in the nearby woods. When the doll is found all amounts of terror are unleashed on this innocent family. Note: This is PG-13 horror, so that terror is more creepy than gory.
There is no problem with the acting, and the scares may be satisfying for first-time horror fans. However, the script by Stacey Menear, who also penned the original, is lacking in originality and punch. Director William Brent Bell, who also directed the original, tries his best to spruce up the surroundings with atmospheric chills and elicit a few cheap scares, but this one is dead on arrival.
Brahms: The Boy II is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Brahms: The Boy II (2020). Directed by William Brent Bell. Written by Stacey Menear. Starring Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery and Owain Yeoman. Running time: 87 minutes. Rated PG-13 for terror, violence, disturbing images and thematic elements. Rating: 
