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Netflix movie review: The Rope Curse 2 – Taoist rituals vs Thai black magic in horror sequel
- Horror fans will be left disheartened rather than frightened by the unfolding drama in The Rope Curse 2, as Taoist rituals battle against Thai black magic
- Liao Shih-han’s direction is slick and Wilson Hsu, Lee Kang-sheng and Vera Chen play their part in selling the convoluted narrative
Wilson Hsu (left) and Lee Kang-sheng in a still from The Rope Curse 2. Photo: Netflix
2.5/5 stars
Taoist rituals battle against Thai black magic in The Rope Curse 2, director Liao Shih-han’s mildly diverting sequel to his own 2018 horror film. Horror fans will be left disheartened rather than frightened, if also somewhat enlightened, by the unfolding drama, which focuses more on the mechanics of traditional ceremonies than the supernatural entities they aim to dispel.
Connected only tenuously to the first film, The Rope Curse 2 focuses on Jia-min (Wilson Hsu An-chih), an orphaned teen who can interact with the spirit world.
After her uncle falls victim to a Thai “rope curse”, Jia-min’s aunt (the Golden Horse Awards-nominated Vera Chen Xue-zhen) begins to display signs of possession. Into the mix steps Yen-huo (Tsai Ming-liang regular Lee Kang-sheng), a guilt-ridden Taoist priest who wields powers similar to Jia-min.
By teaching the young woman to control and master her abilities, Yen-huo hopes to pay penance for causing the death of his master, while Jia-min welcomes a much needed parental figure into her life.
Liao’s direction is slick and visually arresting throughout, while performances from Hsu, Lee and Chen play their part in selling the somewhat convoluted narrative.
Unfortunately, The Rope Curse 2 never manages to be scary. Liao is too focused on recreating authentic costumes and make-up for the elaborate song rou zong rituals to spare a thought for casual viewers merely looking to be spooked. As a result, the numerous possessions, levitation and incantations fail to make much of an impact.
Lee Kang-sheng in a still from The Rope Curse 2. Photo: Netflix
Perhaps most interesting is the appearance of Edward Sun An-tso as the host of a live-streamed internet show. The controversial son of celebrity couple Sun Peng and Di Ying earned himself a lifetime ban from the United States in 2018 after making violent threats against his school there.
In the film’s opening, his character’s foolish comments trigger a near-fatal catastrophe at a seance he is filming.
The Rope Curse 2 is streaming on Netflix.
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