I saw the Boy II...

"Brahms: the Boy II" is a sequel (surprise, surprise) to "The Boy" (see May '16 post), and like director William Brent Bell's initial chapter, which oozes a "Psycho", "Magic", "Pin" and (to a lesser, though still evident) "Tourist Trap" angle, "The Boy II" probes its cerebral causes further, along with all the chilling side effects.

In other ways, the sequel is reminiscent of "Dead of Night '45", "The Devil Doll" and Rod Serling's "The Dummy", with a pronounced, supernatural motive. 

This chapter features Katie Holmes' Liza in lieu Lauren Cohan's Greta: the former the concerned mother of the tale's unfortunate antagonist, Jude, played by Christopher Convery. Owain Yeoman is the lad's caring but cynical father, Sean, who's as vexed as Liza over their son's obsession with a dirty doll he comes to call Brahms. Debate regarding the doll's possible cognition ensues, while a series of strange events implies that it's alive. (Ralph Ineson's Joseph helps accentuate the concern, becoming increasingly involved with the family.)

To add fuel to the fire, we learn that Jude was severely jarred by a home invasion, which leaves him mostly mute. It's this sad turn that has led the clan to seek solace within the vicinity of the creepy ol' Heelshire house: nice move! Still, it isn't so much the house's gloomy interiors that haunt the folks, but knowledge of what once roamed them: a wacko who existed in cahoots with Jude's beloved, pale-faced friend. 

Through Brahms' actions are subtle, he does influence the impressionable Jude in an enormous way, making the boy a perfect agent to orchestrate his disturbing games. On this basis, Brahms is a Chucky, Annabelle and Zuni Doll variant, just more patient in achieving his goals. (Perhaps because of his subtleties, one could argue that Brahms comes across as scarier than his more kinetic counterparts.) 

Ultimately, Liza ends up Brahms' object of utter disdain, giving Holmes many scenes to rule (much as she managed in the "Don't be Afraid of the Dark" remake). She's the one we empathize with, the one whose torment tingles our spine the most. (Credit for Liza's identifiable lure goes as well to Bell and Menear, who have a knack for making tension tick.)

On the whole, "The Boy II" is a pretty decent sequel, tipped by a twist that begs exploration. It won't matter if one hasn't seen the first film, and if this sequel is sequelized, it's safe say that it'll perform as the main spark for a full-fledged franchise. (That's generally the way it goes with these set-ups. They start small with an initial, cult entry and then--boom!--a pop-cultural phenomenon is born after the first follow-up.)

As to whether more chapters will, indeed, arrive is pure conjecture, but while the opportunity is at hand, give "The Boy II" a try.  It's weird enough to please most killer-doll/psychotic-killer fans, and for the present, that makes it a veritable success.