Main cast: David Knight (George), Nancy Brilli (Hannah), Coralina Cataldi Tassoni (Sally Day), Bobby Rhodes (Hank), Asia Argento (Ingrid Haller), and Virginia Bryant (Mary)
Director: Lamberto Bava
If Dèmoni was a neon-drenched nightmare of zombie-demon chaos, Dèmoni 2 feels like its tired sequel that swapped theaters for apartments and creativity for a CTRL+F script edit. It’s the cinematic equivalent of reheating yesterday’s pizza, except this time, someone decided to toss on some glowing neon sauce and hope you wouldn’t notice the taste hasn’t changed. Spoiler: you notice.
The movie opens with a shrug at its predecessor’s demonic zombie apocalypse. Rather than grappling with the fallout of such an event, we’re told the problem was “walled off”. Crisis contained, humanity moves on, no big deal—because apparently, demons ravaging the city are as forgettable as a bad Yelp review of the local diner.
This time, the action shifts to a high-rise apartment complex where every room is inexplicably bathed in nightclub lighting. You half expect a disco ball to descend during the opening credits. This time around, the residents are even less characters and more archetypes, distinguished not by personality but by convenient descriptors. Meet Husband and Pregnant Wife, the closest we get to a dynamic duo. At least they’re memorable, unlike the rest, who might as well wear name tags like Gym Bro and Neon Lamp Owner.
The demon outbreak kicks off at Sally’s birthday party, where the titular Karen—I mean Sally—throws the tantrum to end all tantrums. Her voice, dubbed with an electric drill-like shrillness, is a weapon in itself, capable of driving even the most patient viewer to madness. Sally, in her infinite wisdom, locks herself in her room and turns on the TV, which promptly summons a demon that possesses her. Instead of making a break for the window, she opts to stand there and scream. Honestly, if anyone deserved to get demon’d, it’s Sally.
From there, the demons spread like a bad case of food poisoning, and the building descends into chaos. Sort of. The problem is, Dèmoni 2 loves to set up side plots only to abandon them faster than a gym resolution in February. Remember the punk group that crashes their car? Neither does the movie. What about Asia Argento’s child character? She disappears into the cinematic void. Even Tony, er, Hank the Gym Instructor, who along with his clients channel their inner Olivia Newton-John in a gym sequence straight out of Physical, doesn’t get the satisfying arc they deserve.
The movie’s main thread—Husband and Pregnant Wife versus Sally and her demon-zombie posse—has its moments. Husband’s transformation from nerdy everyman to action hero is genuinely fun (who doesn’t love a hot nerd?), and Pregnant Wife proves to be surprisingly competent in a genre that usually reduces women to scream queens. But even their heroics can’t save a movie that feels like a highlight reel of its predecessor, with practical effects that, while still impressive, lack the novelty to truly shock.
Speaking of rehashes, the movie shamelessly recycles ideas. Baby demon-thing popping out of someone’s back? Seen it. Gruesome transformations? Been there, done that. While Sally’s grotesque demon makeover is a sight to behold, it’s not enough to distract from the déjà vu that permeates the film.
Ultimately, Dèmoni 2 feels like a watered-down imitation of the original. It’s not the worst way to kill 90 minutes, especially if you’ve got a soft spot for 80s practical effects and glowing neon decor. If you’ve already experienced the gory, campy glory of Dèmoni, however, this sequel might leave you wishing they’d just stopped at one.
