In 1984, Buddy Cooper directed Fall Break, a film whose name was later changed to The Mutilator. The slasher film joined a group of college kids as they were bludgeoned to death by one of the group’s erratic fathers. Although never quite reaching the famed heights as other 80s slashers, the film retains a loyal cult following. After patiently waiting, those fans are soon in for a treat as Cooper has returned forty years later with its sequel, Mutilator 2.
It isn’t too often that a director is able to direct the sequel to their horror film. It is even rarer for this to happen after a significant passage of years and so Cooper’s decision to return to The Mutilator world will be a surprise to many. That Cooper is involved however, is paramount to the sequel’s success. He has lived with the original for forty years and has used that time to create a story that works for a modern audience. The hook for Mutilator 2 is that a film crew are remaking the original movie. The production is in its final moments and there is to be a special screening for the cast of The Mutilator. However, the new cast and crew suddenly find themselves besieged by a killer with the same nautical proclivities as the one in the movie.
With Mutilator 2, Buddy Cooper is clearly going down the New Nightmare footpath, and it works. His sequel is full of the original cast playing versions of themselves, something that will delight die-hard fans, and the addition of the real world danger adds a fun spin to proceedings. Like Seed of Chucky and Scream 3, Mutilator 2 takes great glee at poking fun at the movie industry and even features some great gags involving icons such as Art the Clown and Ghostface. Everything about Mutilator 2 is present for a fun time, with the central cast and crew party reinforcing Cooper’s intentions. As charming as the opening section is with its nostalgic look back at the first film and commentary on the horror industry, Mutilator 2 properly screams to life as the body count begins.
Although the original film was retitled to The Mutilator, the deaths on screen didn’t 100% live up to this deranged name. For the sequel though, Cooper owns the moniker and throws so much bloodshed on the screen that even the most hardened gore fan may struggle. The kills on display are especially strong and do a fantastic job at making the audience winch and squirm in their seats. In order to ensure maximum trauma, Cooper enlisted the help of those around him, even letting Jen and Sylvia Soska design one of the kill sequences. The identity of which kill has yet to be revealed, but there are plenty to pick from. Highlights include some fish hook eye trauma, death by barnacle, and a harpoon entering a place that it really doesn’t belong. All are gleefully graphic and Cooper definitely earns the film’s title this time around.
After so much murderous mayhem, Mutilator 2 rushes to its ending. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, it just ends. It’s a slightly lacklustre ending to what has previously been a non-stop rollercoaster of carnage and body parts. Cooper does manage to win the audience back with the whimsical end credits, which features behind the scenes footage of each actor’s on-screen death. It’s a lovely addition that reinforces the love that has gone into making this sequel. After forty years of waiting, in Mutilator 2 fans have been given exactly the film that they will have been hoping for.
Mutilator 2
Summary
Buddy Cooper returns to his cult classic after forty years and the resulting sequel provides a fun hook with an abundance of graphic deaths that sees it earn the title, Mutilator 2.
Mutilator 2 was reviewed at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2024.
