THE JACK IN THE BOX: AWAKENING (2021) Reviews of British horror sequel

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‘When you thought the nightmare was over…’
The Jack in the Box: Awakening is a 2021 British supernatural horror film that continues the tale of a cursed creepy clown-faced demon. The movie is a sequel to The Jack in the Box (2019) and was followed by The Jack in the Box Rises (2024).

Written and directed by Lawrence Fowler (The Jack in the Box; Curse of the Witch’s Doll).

The Fowler Media production stars Matt McClure (Penny Dreadful TV series), Mollie Hindle, James Swanton (The Banishing; A Werewolf in England; Vampire Virus; Host; Frankenstein’s Creature; Double Date), Nicola Wright (Devil Djinn; Medusa: Queen of the Serpents; Witches of Amityville Academy; Don’t Speak; Cupid), Nicholas Anscombe (The Revenge of Robert) and Michaela Longden (Book of Monsters; The Creature Below).

Plot:
Terminally ill heiress Olga Marsdale (Nicola Wright) acquires a mysterious gothic box containing a captured demon – Jack. The powerful entity within makes a deadly deal with Olga and her devoted son Edgar (Matt McClure) – deliver six victims to Jack and Olga will live!

They trap several unsuspecting victims for him within the vast crumbling mansion – but can they deliver all six before it’s too late? Or will Amy (Mollie Hindle), the young and innocent woman recently hired to look after the estate turn out to be more than a match for both the family and Jack?

Our view:
Although it’s slightly stilted and a tad too long at 93 minutes, writer-director Lawrence Fowler manages to improve upon his original with this sequel. The characters are more rounded, especially loathsome Edgar Marsdale (in a decent performance by Matt McClure), and the kills are better paced throughout the running time. Overall, it’s worth a watch, for sure. Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA

Other reviews:
“Where Awakening does well is its commitment to character but more importantly, maintaining a steady level of bloodlust as Jack is blended perfectly and like all good horror, remains practical throughout to make every scene as believable as the next despite watching a killer jack in the box ride through its quest for souls. The film manages to stoke fear through great character and sound design…” Blood Guts UK

Awakening uses its 92-minute runtime to great effect. Detractors of the first film picked up on the majority of Jack’s 6 kill limit taking place too early in the runtime. Here the kills are more spaced out giving the storyline a bit more time to breathe. An added benefit at the core of Awakening is the creepy Oedipal relationship between Edgar and Olga.” Get Your Comic On

“I know that I have seen the original but I am at a loss as to recalling whether it was actually any good or not […] This sequel will no doubt be forgotten in much the same way. It’s not that it’s a bad movie, it’s actually rather good in an undemanding kind of way. It ticks all the right boxes, it looks great and the acting is decent but never ever soars above being average.” My Bloody Reviews

” …this needed more energy, whether it involves characters walking and talking to set up the premise, or just a heroine who did more than fall over at key points. Good effort, but more thinking out of the box would have helped avoid that nagging sense of deja vu.” On: Yorkshire

The Jack in the Box: Awakening is an enjoyable film to watch. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the party, but it’s well made and the acting is passable. Although obviously low budget, the monster effects are impressive and the clown is suitably scary.” Road Rash Reviews

” …it’s well-paced, mixing the kills through the film to avoid long dull stretches. And we get some backstory on the demon itself and the human host it inhabits. But the mechanics of the film are much the same as in the first film, only with the creature creeping around an estate instead of a museum […] an enjoyable, and slightly above average creature feature.” Voices from the Balcony

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

Release:
In the UK, The Jack in the Box: Awakening was released by 4Digital Media on DVD and Digital on 3rd January 2022.

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