Movie Reviews

‘Dementia: Part II’ review: Horror movie is an awesome achievement

Made in about a month.

May 23, 2021

Dementia: Part II gets off to a promising start. An elderly man sits at a typewriter and calmly states how it has been one month since he planned to kill his wife. From there, things settle into the plot. Wendell (Matt Mercer) takes on a maintenance job at an older woman named Suzzane’s (Suzanne Voss) house. As the day progresses, Wendell learns this is not some simple order.

The making of the comedy horror film is an interesting story in itself. Dementia: Part II was essentially made on a dare. Co-directors Matt Mercer and Mike Testin were given five weeks to make a movie. The plan was to get it ready to premiere at the Cinepocalypse Film Festival. Dementia: Part II (a sequel in name only) is the result.

Mercer and Voss provide a pair of strong performances. The two do a great job of playing off each other. Mercer is great as the patient maintenance man just trying to help out. Voss plays an outrageous role in an equally over the top movie. It works without getting too grating. As the action and scares ramp up, both play their parts perfectly.

Early on, it is a little hard to get a handle on Dementia: Part II. Things are obviously being played for laughs, but Suzanne also has a real problem. The movie walks the line between serious psychological horror and silly horror comedy. It eventually becomes clear what Dementia: Part II is attempting. The extreme gross out scenes make it clear this is a comedy that is not trying to make a serious message. For most of the movie, it works.

Things runs out of steam towards the end. This is when the rushed nature of the production becomes obvious. It is impressive what Dementia: Part II was able to do in a constrained time. It does not take away from how noticeable it is when things start to race towards the finish. Still, it is a fun film that horror fans will enjoy.