Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One thing that fans of horror films can agree upon, is that the sequel is a supremely difficult venture, for a variety of reasons. Because more often than not, the original movie… is beloved through and through, and was super successful, and the team that has to put together part two and beyond… has those shadows hanging over them. Which can lead to all kinds of trouble. Because creating a follow-up to a film that big and that important, can intimidate a creative mind and push them to make some unique decisions, the kind that offers up proof about how difficult a task this truly can be. Since time after time, we’ve seen sequels that try to take the story in a bold new direction to try and not tread upon the original’s accomplishments, or they play it safe by being nothing more than a light rehash of the original to appease. Or in the worst-case scenario, the sequel is a cash grab, and we know what that looks like.
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But now and again, you run into a horror sequel, that manages to satisfy and/or impress. All because those that made a part two, knew exactly what was needed to make the fans happy and/or blow them away. And wouldn’t you know it, those movies offer up a wonderful blueprint on to how to make that happen. Because one can easily see from those movies that giving the audience connective tissue to the original is critical, as is growing the story in a new direction that feels familiar but has just enough spice to differentiate it. But above all else, it needs love and care and really… the importance of what creates a quality sequel is top of mind today, simply because… a follow-up to a beloved horror film on Shudder is going to arrive on the streamer this Thursday and it just so happens that, Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, is a masterclass on how to create a proper and respectful sequel. 

A feat that this film accomplishes by checking off all of those boxes in an intricate manner. For this is a movie that fully acknowledges the carnage of Scare Package, and the fact that poor Rad Chad, a horror expert, didn’t make it out of the original story. And therein lies the connective tissue. Since when we enter this world again, we are in fact, alongside a group of friends and family (and many acquaintances) at Rad Chad’s funeral. Wherein… bad things happen. For someone is displeased with the fact that Chad wasn’t respected in this life and that he is gone from it, and believes that some of the folks in attendance, should be punished for their disrespect toward Chad, and their perceived role in his passing. Which means several unfortunate souls are about to be plunged into a horrific game for survival, wherein they must learn from horror movies to escape their captor before this twisted game of vengeance claims their lives.

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Which of course, is the perfect way to connect to the first film, but that connective tissue extends beyond all of that. Since this motion picture is once again filled with short vignettes that explore the wonder of the genre and neatly tie into the wraparound story. Allowing for this film to perfectly fit into the saga in a comfortable and genuinely organic manner. But of course, the fact that someone wants others to pay for what happened to Rad Chad, is how this movie differentiates itself from the original. Since now we are surrounded by a wondrous new plot that keeps us curious as to who exactly is behind this madness and of course, that alone keeps you engaged, as does the house of horrors that this evil entity subjects everyone to, and the wonder of this story doesn’t end there.
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Because there was mention that for a sequel to truly be worthy of its predecessor, it must be filled to the brim with love and care, and that’s present here as well. Because the vignettes are carefully assembled to be perfect homages to the horror films of the 1970s and 1980s, and to a lesser extent, the 1990s, and even the wraparound story features all kinds of shoutouts and nods and winks to the genre, and they’re all engaging and enjoyable and make this a love letter to the genre. Plus, we’ve be remiss to not point out, that the horror elements here are simply top notch. Since the gore is next level and the gags are gross and twisted and of course… the humor and camp present in part one can be found here as well. Which leads to some hilarious moments for certain, the kind that allow for the uglier stuff to never get heavy and it serves to remind us that horror is and will forever be… fun.

If anything, it is safe to call this film, a perfect horror sequel. Much of which can likely be attributed to the fact that Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns, the brain trust from the original, returned to shepherd this sequel and did their absolute best to ensure that the critical elements that go into making a great sequel were made a priority here, alongside holding the stories to the right standard. And really, all of these elements make this… must-see horror. Since everything we love about the genre is present here and it really is a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half… and the good news is that we don’t have to wait all that much longer to enjoy this delightful anthology. For Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge, makes its debut on Shudder, this Thursday, December 22, 2022.

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