Overview
- The Universal/Blumhouse sequel arrives in theaters Oct. 17 with an R rating for strong violent content, gore, teen drug use and language.
- Director Scott Derrickson reframes the story as dream-driven horror set in 1982 at a snowbound Christian youth camp, leaning into Dante’s icy hell and ’80s slasher influences.
- Ethan Hawke returns as the Grabber, performing under extensive masks and prosthetics, with the character now operating as a supernatural threat.
- Atticus Derrickson’s electronic score, partially composed before production and used during filming, underpins the film’s uneasy mood and major sequences.
- Early notices from The Hollywood Reporter, the A.V. Club and the San Francisco Chronicle highlight performances, visuals and sound, while the Marin Independent Journal and Chicago Tribune criticize plotting, tone and derivativeness.