Poltergeist II

PG-13

Released May 23, 1986

1 hr. 32 min.

Horror

List

20%

56 Reviews

Tomatometer

35%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The Freelings have escaped their haunted house, which is now being studied by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor (Will Sampson). When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Rev. Kane (Julian Beck), knows where young Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) now lives, he goes to warn the family that their daughter is in danger again. To protect Carol, her father, Steve (Craig T. Nelson), and the rest of the family must plot to take down the Beast.

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Critics Consensus

They're back, but this hollow sequel retains none of the charm or suspense that made the original Poltergeist such a haunting specter.

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Teddy B

The main antagonist may be enjoyable, but the rest of the film could have done with much more time and money. This film's script is the antithesis to the first with tepid dialogue and thin characters. The effects are also a noticeable downgrade in comparison.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

Full Review

Jacob B

The story may not be as strong as the original movie but as far as horror goes, Poltergeist 2 is superior in every way. The reverend was a fantastically creepy addition to the film. His appearance alone is enough to send shivers down your spine. Another scene that really stands out is the swallowing of the tequila worm and the legless monster that follows. A great cast of characters all around, especially in regards to the native indian and the "magic munchkin" who aid the family in their war against the evil spirits that haunt the family. A late 80's horror classic that never gets old.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

Full Review

Jules N

Ennuyant mais heureusement qu'il y a un point positif qui est le révérend qui est plutôt terrifiant dans cet opus

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

Blu B

It's actually a half decent sequel for the first half and than just completely goes off the rails and ruins any momentum it had. The main strike against this is it's basically just doing the same plot from the first one with nothing new added. Gone is any suspense or mystery about the other side and traded for a incoherent plot in the second half where they try to epalin why the spirits of the settlers under the house are returning for them. The acting is ok. Nelson is half decent until the second half where he is all over the place and pulls a Venom Spider-Man 3 moment puking up the creature. The Mom & Carol aren't bad, but the rest is either just forgettable or stupid like the preacher. The music isn't bad and probably the best thing in this, though it is a lot stronger in the first half where its almost as good as the first even but just blends in and becomes forgettable at times. Everything else is subpar. It feels like once the spirits appear, stuff just happens to them with no real flow and are just over the top crazy rather than cool or spooky like the first. That sense of wonder of the great beyond is completely gone in this and so is a cohesive story when it tries explaining why they are back. Which gets so out of control it becomes borderline incoherent and I'm not sure at the end why the spirits gave Carol back and stopped. It makes no sense. It's basically though the same resolution as the first and follows the exact same structure almost with the same settings. The special effects are good but not as well done as the first mainly because it's stuff we've already seen before or there used in bizarre over the top ways. Just watch the first one, that's basically all this is. A crappy retelling of the first just without any of the suspense or mystique.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

matthias s

"Poltergeist 2: The Other Side" is a sequel that disappointingly fails to capture the magic and terror of the original. The story feels uninspired and lacks the nuance and depth that made the first film so effective. The scares are few and far between and when they do occur, they feel formulaic and predictable. The special effects, while impressive for their time, now feel dated and lack the impact they once had. The acting is also lacklustre, with none of the performances standing out as particularly noteworthy. Poltergeist 2 is a disappointing sequel that fails to live up to the high standards set by the original. Fans of the first film will likely be left feeling underwhelmed.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/09/23

Full Review

Ryan C

Terrible unnecessary sequel. The main villain scary demonic Beast in the original is suddenly now a mediocre preacher named Reverend Kane. Suddenly the plot of the other spirits being the dead from the cemetery under the freeling's home is changed to the spirits of the dead trapped in a cave under the cemetery. The special effects were cheesy compared to the great special effects from the original. They also had the character of Dana the oldest daughter written out of the movie with no mention of her whereabouts. I know actress Dominique dunne who played her was murdered the same year of the original film's release but they could have had her away at college. Original they were going to have a scene with Diane on the phone talking to her daughter at college, however it was cut. It was very insulting to the late actress's memory to just write out her character Dana. Also the sequel was supposed to take place a year after the events from the 1st, however they waited 4 years to do it. The child actors Oliver Robbins and Heather o'Rourke looked way to old by then. Stick to the original and just pretend this unnecessary sequel never existed.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/01/23

Full Review

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Brian Gibson

Director

JoBeth Williams

Diane Freeling

Craig T. Nelson

Steve Freeling

Julian Beck

Kane

Heather O'Rourke

Carol Anne Freeling

Oliver Robins

Robbie Freeling

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Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Possessed

2:13

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Chainsaw Attack

2:03

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Kane

2:32

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Vomit From Hell

1:14

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Braces Attack

2:01

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Diane's Nightmare

0:35

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - The Bottle

2:35

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Mind Control

4:06

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Final Resting Place

1:55

Poltergeist II: The Other Side: Official Clip - Good vs. Evil

2:09

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Debra Oswald

Sydney Morning Herald

The annoying thing is that the movie doesn't make sense. Poltergeist II doesn't stick to its own supernatural rules and leaves lots of loose ends waving in the breeze.

Rated: 1/5

Nov 3, 2021

Full Review

Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

It's a tacky tale of terror. It creates no plausible atmosphere, but springs its shocks indiscriminately.

Nov 3, 2021

Full Review

Neil Jillett

The Age (Australia)

Not much of the first film's tincture of humor is revived, but most of the tiresome mumbo-jumbo routines get another going-over.

Nov 3, 2021

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…Poltergeist II sticks closely to the first film’s structure, doing most of the same spooky things but not as well….

Rated: 2/5

Oct 8, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Pretty lousy.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 21, 2023

Full Review

Philip French

Observer (UK)

The original Steven Spielberg-Tobe Hooper Poltergeist was an effective shocker. Gibson's sequel is a maudlin, religiose affair.

Nov 3, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

The Freelings have escaped their haunted house, which is now being studied by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor (Will Sampson). When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Rev. Kane (Julian Beck), knows where young Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) now lives, he goes to warn the family that their daughter is in danger again. To protect Carol, her father, Steve (Craig T. Nelson), and the rest of the family must plot to take down the Beast.

Director: Brian Gibson
Screenwriter: Mark Victor, Michael Grais
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Freddie Fields Productions, Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 23, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $38.8M
Sound Mix: Surround

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