By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"THE JESTER 2"--A SINISTER TREAT JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN
In case you missed
"The Jester 2" during its special two-night
Fathom/Dread theatrical run on Sept. 15 and 16, don't worry. The creepy sequel will debut on
Video on Demand Oct. 1-- just in time for Halloween. And this is one horror flick you won't want to miss.
"The Jester 2" is the anticipated sequel to 2023's surprise underground hit "The Jester" from director
Colin Krawchuk, who returns to the helm alongside screenwriter
Michael Sheffield.
This time, the stakes are higher, the scares are sharper, and the titular villain is even more unhinged.
The sinister star of the show, The Jester (played once again by Sheffield), rocks his trademark bright red suit and eerie top hat, hiding a face that never needs to speak to send chills down your spine. He's back with more than just wicked tricks. He’s packing illusions soaked in blood and psychological torment. The Jester doesn’t just kill. He plays with his victims first, blurring the line between street magic and straight-up terror.
Kaitlyn Trentham (TV's "Haven") stars as Max, a high school loner whose love of magic makes her an outcast--sometimes even in the eyes of her unsupportive and critical mother (Jessica Ambuehl, "Time to Dance"). Fortunately, Max finds solace in a local magic shop run by Willie (Dingani Beza, "Casual Encounters"), a mentor who teaches her sleight-of-hand tricks that may save her life.
On Halloween night, dressed in a homemade costume, Max crosses paths with The Jester. At first, he seems more curious than cruel, and she mistakes him for just another neighborhood weirdo with a flair for theatrics. But when his "tricks" start turning deadly, Max finds herself in a waking nightmare, watching helplessly as schoolmates are attacked in a haze of gore and dark spectacle. When she witnesses him torture a woman, it's clear: this isn't an act. It's a horror show, and she's the next star.
Max seeks help, even going to the police, but The Jester is too cunning to be contained by handcuffs or bullets. With no one it seems able to stop him, Max must step up. Armed only with her wits, a few clever tricks of her own, and sheer determination, she prepares to confront The Jester in a deadly showdown where illusions could mean the difference between life and death.
What makes "The Jester 2" work so well is its blend of eerie atmosphere, clever writing, and pacing. Sheffield's performance as The Jester is particularly chilling. He oozes menace with every move of his head and twitch of his gloved hand.
Trentham’s Max, gives us a heroine worth rooting for and with Sheffield a villain we love to fear. "The Jester 2" is a spooky, Halloween thriller that taps into our childhood fears of masked strangers and turns them into something unforgettable.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the
Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station
KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Look At This Trailer For
"THE JESTER 2"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards).
