Movie Night: The Jester 2 (2025)

“The Jester 2” is a campy, Halloween-soaked slasher that improves on the original with inventive kills and a surprising underdog heroine.

MORBID MINI: Jester 2 is no masterpiece, but it’s undeniably fun. As a spooky-season crowd-pleaser, it does exactly what it promises: tricks, treats, and just enough terror to keep you grinning. 

If 2023’s The Jester left you a bit cold, you weren’t alone. The first outing leaned too heavily on melodrama and squandered its killer concept, leaving many horror fans frustrated. But what almost everyone agreed on was that the Jester himself—with his slick, creepy design and supernatural flair—deserved better. If the execution was a little rocky, the potential was always there.

With The Jester 2, writer/director Colin Krawchuk clearly took that critique to heart.

This time around, the grinning ghoul gets a sharper script, meatier screen time, and a wickedly fun foil in an unlikely teen heroine.

Michael Sheffield once again delivers as the supernatural slasher, bringing equal parts menace and dark humor to his pitch-perfect physical performance.

If Art the Clown is a midnight-movie icon, the Jester is angling for Saturday-night slasher status, and he gets much closer here. The design is sleeker, the tricks more sadistic, and the kills playfully cruel in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

It’s a campy blend of horror and dark humor; Think Leprechaun by way of Satan’s Little Helper, with just enough Halloween iconography to make it an October staple.

The sequel finds an unexpected beating heart in Max (Kaitlyn Trentham), a magic-obsessed, socially awkward teen whose sincerity makes her an instantly sympathetic heroine.

While her peers are busy partying, she clings to the wonder of illusions and stagecraft. Her wide-eyed innocence contrasts beautifully with the Jester’s sadism, creating a cat-and-mouse dynamic that grounds the film in more than just body count.

The diner scene where they first meet is a twisted highlight, setting up a relationship that’s equal parts mentorship, manipulation, and mortal danger.

The Jester 2 trades the first film’s sluggish pacing for a brisker, bloodier ride. Practical effects do the heavy lifting, delivering gooey payoffs without relying too much on CGI.

The kills are inventive, cruel, and often staged with tongue-in-cheek flair. Atmosphere-wise, it’s drenched in Halloween vibes.

While it never reaches Terrifier-level extremity, it works as a teen-friendly gateway into nastier midnight fare.

Despite the glow-up, The Jester 2 doesn’t fully solidify the franchise as must-see horror. Its added lore is intriguing but clunky, and the narrative occasionally slips into formulaic beats. Still, there’s charm in its VHS-era throwback tone, and for those frustrated by the first film, this sequel, which feels more like a reboot, is a pleasant surprise.

Krawchuk may not have perfectly stuck the landing yet, but this is a far more confident step in the right direction.

The Jester 2 is in theaters nationwide for two days only: September 15 and 16, 2025 (via DREAD and Fathom Entertainment).