Part 1 and part 2 of Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight take the classic horror movie format and turn it into something entertaining. It manages to replicate the familiar format while providing more realistic responses to the events of a horror-slasher flick. In addition, it created a film where the victims do everything right to survive. Yes, it is campy in some places, but it is well done.
The Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight franchise acts as a parody piece on the formula of contemporary horror without being a full-on comedy. Instead, it honors the genre’s staples while providing the protagonists with more sense and power than most victims have, leading to a more dynamic struggle between good and evil.
I very much liked the first film. It had a cool and amiable lead female protagonist and several other likable characters. It was genuinely tragic when some of them died. The first film also had some decent gore & good cinematography, although some of the kills were quite unrealistic.
However, this sequel ruins the first film’s female protagonist, turning her into a villain, and the plot does not seem to go anywhere. I felt like this was a transition between the first and another upcoming film. However, as mindless entertainment, it is actually fun to watch. The twist on seeing the monster’s side of the story was different and held my interest.
Now I like slasher horror movies, and the first one didn’t disappoint, but when the filmmakers changed a straight horror into a comedy, it lost a lot of the appeal that the first film established. One good thing I can say about this film is that some of the kills in this movie are pretty unique and are well done.
So for me, I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.