It’s Halloween night – that beloved evening in late October when kids dress up in their favorite costumes and take to their neighborhood streets in hopes of scoring bags full of candy. It’s also a preferred time of the year for deranged and diabolical movie masked murderers to go on blood-drenched killing sprees. It’s a cinematic truth that both slasher and non-slasher film fans know well.

The latest movie to let its Halloween night killer loose is “The Jester 2”. The film’s titular character debuted in a trio of well-made short films that are currently available to stream on YouTube. The shorts paved the way for a 2023 feature length film although it didn’t leave much of an impression. Yet writer, director, and editor Colin Krawchuk (who has helmed every Jester project to date) was able to get a sequel made – a true testament to his passion for his creation.

The Jester (impressively played by Michael Sheffield) is a mysterious mute trickster sporting a bright suit, top hat, and a hideous joker mask covering his face. He’s a little bit magic, a little bit demonic, and a whole lot of demented. Unfortunately he’s not much beyond that. Midway through the film we get a supernatural explanation for why he does what he does. But it feels more out of necessity rather than something organic to the character and his story.

As for our protagonist, 15-year-old Max (Kaitlyn Trentham) is a sweet and timid introvert who struggles to fit in. At home she’s constantly denigrated by one of the worst movie moms of the year (Jessica Ambuehl), and at school she’s an easy target for the preppy bullies. Her one real love is magic and her one real friend is Willie (Dingani Beza), the owner of a small local magic shop.

Decked out in her homemade magician costume, Max heads out to enjoy her Halloween night. But after a run-in with some obnoxious classmates followed by a pep talk from Willie, her evening takes a twisted turn when she encounters the Jester. At first Max is enamored by the silent trickster who not only wows her with his magic, but who does something few others do – shows an interest in her. But after she witnesses him use his magic to murder a woman right before her eyes, Max realizes she is in the presence of evil.

From there the movie pretty much plays out according to formula. But for slasher movies that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They have long been a sub-genre of horror built largely upon fan expectations. In that sense “The Jester 2” seeks to deliver, offering up a fairly unique and often bloody variety of kills. Still, as with many of these movies, the originality is often found in the killer. The Jester certainly has an unsettling sadistic side which makes him both creepy and compelling. Sadly, too much about him remains a mystery.

Interestingly, “The Jester 2” features some of the same strengths and weaknesses as its predecessor. It creates a genuinely eerie atmosphere and the Jester himself certainly grabs our attention (in large part thanks to Sheffield’s physically chilling performance). But there is so much mythology and backstory left untold. And while the story we do get is serviceable, it doesn’t do enough to keep us engaged as it moves from one kill to the next.

VERDICT – 2 STARS