Horror Movie Review: Leprechaun Returns (2018)

Following in the footsteps of Halloween, this new entry in the long running Leprechaun series is not a reboot but a sequel to the original movie and that one alone. Every single movie after the 1993 horror has been retconned, especially the poor attempt to reboot it in 2014.

It’s a bit of a shame as there were some entertaining entries over the years but I would be lying if I wasn’t a little excited by this movie. You can read all our Leprechaun reviews below.

1993 – Leprechaun
1994 – Leprechaun 2
1995 – Leprechaun 3
1997 – Leprechaun 4: In Space
2000 – Leprechaun in the Hood
2003 – Leprechaun – Back 2 Tha Hood
2014 – Leprechaun Origins

I’d imagine many will dismiss this horror off the bat as soon as they see the name. Even long-time watchers might find it hard to get on board with a new Leprechaun movie but in a nice surprise there is a pot of gold waiting at the end of this rainbow.

Spoilers for the first movie will follow, so bear that in mind.

At the finale of the 1993 original, the Leprechaun had been seemingly destroyed and dumped down a well. 25 years has passed and the house from the first film has fallen into disrepair resulting in a group of sorority sisters arriving to fix it up. Their aim is to try and make these kind of houses places for the future. Self-sustaining and eco-friendly while also being ‘off the grid’.

One of these girls is Lila (Taylor Spreitler) who happens to be the daughter of Tory from the original movie. A nice reference as there was no chance in hell of Jennifer Aniston reprising her role here!

Of course, this house is the one connected to the well and it’s not long before the Leprechaun is ‘reborn’ and intent on getting his gold.

Leprechaun Returns embraces the silliness of the series overall but also tells a story that his thoughtful and entertaining for the most part. Fans of the original will have a blast spotting the references and nods to it. It’s all in detail such as the returning Ozzie (played again by Mark Holton) and his mangled ear!

There is a hell of a lot of fun to be had here. Thanks to good pacing, good acting, some really funny moments and plenty of gory deaths. It’s shot so well, so much so you’ll quickly forget that this is a SyFy TV movie.

It keeps things simple, the Leprechaun wants his gold and will kill anyone who stands in his way. His confusion over modern technology is hammed up wonderfully and he quickly embraces it to use for his own nefarious ways. Such as using a drone to fly on and catch up with a car.

He is the star and while it would have been nice to have Warwick Davis reprising the role he made so iconic, Linden Porco really steps up to make the role his own. After only a few scenes it’s quickly forgotten that we’re even watching an actor. Not just the joyfulness of a demented Leprechaun!

Is it perfect? Of course not, but it is certainly the best since the original.