Creepshow is pretty widely accepted by critics and horror fans alike as an effective anthology film. The second series installment is almost as enjoyable as its predecessor, yet Creepshow 2’s abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of 29% seemingly suggests the flick is a train wreck. I can wholeheartedly assure you, however, that Creepshow 2 is anything but. I think there are a few reasons why this Stephen King adaptation lives in the shadow of its predecessor, but few of them have much to do with the picture’s overall quality.
Creepshow 2 Director Michael Gornick cuts the core vignettes from five down to three — the plan was initially to shoot five shorts like the original film, but two of the planned stories were excised for budgetary reasons. Some viewers may have been put off by that, but the film’s decision to focus on fewer stories ultimately allows the segments to develop their characters a little more and gives the scares more time to percolate. Not to mention, Stephen King helped conjure the scenarios behind each of the vignettes within and George A. Romero fleshed them out from there — you can’t beat that creative team.
Because this sequel was made for less money than the original, there are some places where that shows. The effects are toned down, some of the kills transpire off-camera, and there aren’t as many recognizable names in the cast, but the production makes the most of its budget.
Creepshow 2 Is a Horror Anthology in Three Parts
The three core segments featured within Creepshow 2 are “Old Chief Wood’nhead,” “The Raft,” and “The Hitch-hiker.” Like its predecessor and the EC Comics by which the series is inspired, each of the stories features a morality play.
“Old Chief Wood’nhead” sees the elderly proprietors of a trading post held up by hooligans. Following the ordeal, a wood carving of a Native American chief comes to life to avenge the innocent parties. The older couple are charming, making the tragedy that befalls them tough to watch. Seeing those who cross the endearing shopkeepers being served their comeuppance by a wood carving come to life, though, certainly makes for a satisfying conclusion to this vignette. The segment features endearing characters and a couple of good scares, but please keep in mind that it’s dated and some of the language and characterizations are offensive through a contemporary lens.
“The Raft” follows a group of college friends who take a lakeside holiday at Cascade Beach during the off-season. The pals run afoul of a mysterious, black, sludgy aquatic monster during their visit, but with no lifeguard on duty, they must fend for themselves. All three vignettes have ample merit, yet “The Raft” is my personal favorite. The aquatic monster is plenty imposing and the setting is so far removed from civilization that it works well to create a real sense of isolation. A college-aged cast of characters stalked by an imposing aquatic entity almost sounds like the setup for a slasher picture — if the antagonist of said picture were liquid sludge, that is.
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The final segment, “The Hitch-hiker,” follows Annie (Lois Chiles), a woman embroiled in an adulterous affair, as she makes her way home after a tryst with her lover. When Annie accidentally runs over a hitchhiker, she makes the fateful decision to flee the scene. Needless to say, her cavalier behavior comes back to haunt her in a fitting fashion. The setup for this segment may be the most heavy-handed of the morality plays within, but it’s done with its tongue in its cheek, and this sequence delivers plenty of atmospheric tension while unfolding at a breakneck pace.
Each of the three shorts in Creepshow 2 captures the darkly comedic tone of the film’s predecessor and various comic-based inspirations. Creepshow 2 is a remarkable sequel that rarely gets its due for the effective effort that it is. If you have somehow overlooked the flick based on its less-than-stellar reputation with critics, I hope you’ll give it a chance and evaluate the film on its ample merits. This underrated anthology effort is, after all, deserving of another look.
Is This Stephen King Adaptation Available to Watch Online?
As of writing, the film is available to stream via Tubi, Xumo Play, Pluto, The Roku Channel, Philo, Plex, and Prime Video. So, if you’re game to check it out, you’ve got plenty of choices.
Where do you stand on Creepshow 2? Are you able to see past the film’s minor shortcomings and enjoy it for the darkly comedic gem that it is? Let us know in the comments section below.
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