Dementia Part II – Movie Review (4/5)

DEMENTIA PART II is a new horror-comedy that’s extremely dark and absolutely brilliant. With a runtime of just 1 hour and 7 minutes, and shot in black and white, this is the perfect treat for genre fans. You do not want to miss this. Read our full Dementia Part II movie review here!

DEMENTIA PART II is a horror-comedy shot in black and white, which enables it to go even darker and be cruder than you’d expect. Think Sam Raimi wild and then add the fact that the runtime is just 67 minutes.

This was such a pleasant surprise (in often unpleasant ways) and I cannot recommend it enough. You have to treat yourself to watch this one!

Continue reading our Dementia Part II movie review below.

Is Dementia Part 2 a sequel movie?

First things first: No, this is not an actual sequel to the 2015 movie Dementia. The Godfather font used for the “Part II” element of the title is a pretty good indication not to take anything too seriously. It’s more of an inside joke that the title has the “part 2” moniker. Both because these movies are made (in part, anyway) by Mike Testin, and they both deal with dementia.

Now, obviously, they deal with the subject of dementia in very different ways. Both dark, but Dementia Part 2 also uses a lot of super dark humor. I loved it because the timing and method are done with respect. The person suffering from dementia isn’t a bad person, but she is certainly complex.

In fact, all the characters are quite complex and none of them are inherently good. Also, I should mention that there is a somewhat supernatural element to Dementia Part 2. This again sets it apart from the 2015 movie which was a horror-drama hybrid.

The supernatural element reminded me of both Evil Dead and Shaun of the Dead in its use of humor and crude grotesqueness. Again, this is a definite compliment!

Suzanne Voss and Matt Mercer shine

The star absolute stars of Dementia Part II are Suzanne Voss and Matt Mercer. Suzanna Voss plays the elderly Suzanne Goldblum who suffers from dementia. That’s not all she suffers from, as we’ll find out, but the dementia part is the first thing we’re confronted with.

Suzanne Voss was also in the 2015 Dementia movie, but she played a different character in that movie.

Matt Mercer is a man on parole who works as a handyman and takes a job working in Suzanne Goldblum’s house where her husband recently passed away. The opening scene actually features her husband, Harry, and has the most brilliant opening line which he types out on an old typewriter. As soon as I saw this opening scene, I knew I’d love the movie!

You’ll probably recognize Matt Mercer from the amazing Contracted (2013) and Contracted: Phase II which he stars in. Also, he was in Beyond the Gates (2016). He always plays interesting characters that leave quite memorable impressions. As Wendell in Dementia Part II, he does this on a whole new level.

The star of Contracted (2013), Najarra Townsend, is also in this movie. A smaller role, but one that ultimately becomes very important!

Watch Dementia Part II in theaters or on VOD

Mike Testin and Matt Mercer are the co-writers and co-directors of Dementia Part II. While Matt Mercer also stars in the movie, Mike Testin is the cinematographer, so this is really a co-creation of theirs on so many levels.

Previously, Mike Testin was also the cinematographer on the aforementioned Contracted and Contracted: Phase II. Both of which you really need to check out, if you haven’t already. More recently, he also worked on The Mandela Effect (2019).

You’ll want to read this

Our review of the mind-bending sci-fi thriller The Mandela Effect (2019) here >

This movie was made as a project specifically to be ready for the Cinepocalypse Film Festival, which meant it was done in just around 5 weeks. If you enjoy the trailer, then you can be fairly certain that you’ll have a blast watching this horror-comedy as well. Enjoy… I know I did!

DEMENTIA PART II will be out in limited theaters on May 21, 2021, and on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on June 1, 2021.

Details

Directors: Matt Mercer, Mike Testin
Writers: Matt Mercer, Mike Testin
Stars: Suzanne Voss, Matt Mercer, Najarra Townsend, Graham Skipper