Horror Movie Review: Sometimes They Come Back…Again (1996)

Sometimes They Come Back….Again is a sequel to the 1991 horror, Sometimes They Come Back. A movie that was based off a short story by Stephen King. You can read our review of that film here.

If you’ve seen the original then your first thought might be just what about that movie suggested that a sequel would be possible? Or necessary?

Well, Sometimes They Come Back…Again basically copies the story told in the first with a few small variations and ups the gore/effects. The former is frustrating but the latter is welcome.

Here, Jon Porter (Michael Gross) along with his teenage daughter, Michelle (Hilary Swank) returns to his hometown following the death of his mother. Once back in town painful memories surface for Jon. A dark secret that he has kept buried for 30 years.

As a young boy Jon witnessed three greaser thugs murder his sister in some sort of demonic ritual. Before the trio could finish their task, Jon threw an electrical wire into a puddle of water they were standing in, killing them.

Hell is a revolving door though and the greaser thugs are back. The leader, Tony (Alexis Arquette) wants revenge and sets his sights on seducing Michelle as a way to get back at Jon. Will he be able to stop them before it is too late?

Sometimes They Come Back…Again’s overly familiar feel is a problem. Had it been a stand-alone movie, it would probably be rated a bit higher. A strong cast, decent characters and some nice flashes of gore help lift it out of the doldrums. I do enjoy a bit of Michael Gross (most famous for playing Burt in the Tremors series).

Unfortunately, it’s all a bit boring when it comes down to it. The plot moves at a super-slow pace for ages before speeding up for an action-heavy finale. It’s just a pity that the villains never really come across that threatening.

One of the positives is that the trio of greaser thugs have a little more ‘cheese’ about them. Whereas the first movies’ villains were semi-par for the course for Stephen King, these guys come across more like the vampires from The Lost Boys.

The best thing about the movie is probably the effects. The demon makeup looks pretty good and the transformations are done well but the standout moment involves a head and motorised grass trimmer!

Worth watching just for that? Of course not! Sometimes They Come Back…Again isn’t a bad film by any standards but with little it tries to tell a different story, it’s hard to recommend. Especially if you’ve the seen first one.

[amazon_link asins=’B00005Q57K,B00743UC2M,B014L2Y1S4,B00004WIAU’ template=’UseThisOne’ store=’g0e5b-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’46f4b979-d4c1-11e8-b18d-9f06756a155a’]