When Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 arrived in 2000, it was less a haunting continuation than a jarring detour — an ill-fated attempt to capitalise on the cultural storm whipped up by The Blair Witch Project just a year earlier. Directed by acclaimed documentarian Joe Berlinger, known for his work on true-crime investigations, the film promised a layered, self-aware dissection of horror fandom. Instead, it spiralled into a confused and heavy-handed meta-experiment that buried any sense of dread beneath studio interference and incoherent storytelling.

Set in a world where The Blair Witch Project is treated as a fictional film, Book of Shadows follows a group of obsessed fans who embark on a tour of Burkittsville’s cursed woods. After a night of drinking and ritualistic dabbling, they awaken with no memory of what occurred — only to discover that something unspeakable has followed them back to civilisation. It’s a concept that could have worked, especially given Berlinger’s fascination with media, hysteria, and the blurred line between truth and fiction. But what unfolds is a tonal nightmare: part supernatural horror, part psychological thriller, and part MTV-era montage stitched together under studio panic.

Gone is the quiet, creeping terror that made The Blair Witch Project revolutionary. In its place are slick edits, forced symbolism, and a heavy-metal soundtrack that feels more Hot Topic than haunting. The atmosphere never gels; Berlinger’s original vision — a slow-burn descent into mass paranoia — was hacked apart in post-production, leaving behind something neither smart nor scary.

Even the performances, led by Jeffrey Donovan and Kim Director, struggle against the chaos. There’s a glimmer of an idea buried in there — a commentary on obsession and media manipulation — but it’s drowned by overwrought exposition and desperate attempts to shock.

Twenty-five years later, Book of Shadows remains one of horror’s most perplexing sequels: too ambitious for its own good yet too compromised to deliver. Whatever spirit haunted the woods of Burkittsville was lost in translation — and Elly Kedward would indeed be spinning in her grave.

The Prognosis:

A muddled, misguided sequel that confuses provocation with profundity. Berlinger’s vision was strangled by studio meddling, leaving behind only echoes of what might have been.

• Saul Muerte