By David Hastings
After a popular social media influencer goes missing in the Tahoe National Forest, filmmakers Michael Rock and Dillon Brown set out on a rescue mission, but get more than they bargained for when returning to the famous hunting grounds of Tahoe Joe
Found footage films are tricky enough as it is to make, drawing in an audience around characters in their most vulnerable and almost feral states as some sort of evil force or presence eventually surrounds them, getting closer and closer before a shocking climax occurs leaving more questions than answers.
The original Tahoe Joe was a good and inventive entry into the found footage genre, mixing thrills and a well thought out narrative groundwork to present its scares, surprises and its own Bigfoot legend. And by doing so, filmmakers Brown and Rock have seemingly and inadvertently paved the way for them to expand on their ideas with ease, which brings us to Tahoe Joe 2 – a film that can instantly hop onto the worldbuilding phase studios love of late, but in a way that doesn’t feel forced, while neither exhaustive.
Instead, Tahoe Joe 2 in a sense bounces off the original and presents a superior rare sequel that has allowed Rock and Dillon to expand on and bring more characters into the fold with surprising and deadly results which help merely up the tension.
Saying much more would spoil a lot of surprises, but Tahoe Joe 2 brings in lots of thrills, opens up the story possibilities that never feel forced or unnatural and allows us to additionally know this probably isn’t the last time we will be venturing into the woods for future instalments. It also allows the story to become very crowded at times. And that’s a good thing if Rock and Brown continue bringing more and more expansive ideas to the series.
Some FX can be a little wobbly still, and the big critter himself can sometimes not look as great as he could but these are momentarily, while some of the later characters can threaten to fall into cliche and remove their impact on the audience.
However, despite these minor quibbles, Tahoe Joe 2 is a slick, well made and bigger invitation into the bloody and deadly world of Bigfoot! If the original was more a slower burner in the vein of Alien, Tahoe Joe 2 is the Aliens of the franchise!
Bloody Flicks 