A Chilling Night: Surviving The Woods In Don't Sleep

*Don't Sleep in the Woods Tonight 2* is a 2021 slasher horror film and the sequel to the 2020 film *Don't Sleep in the Woods Tonight*. The film follows the events of the first movie, in which a group of technology-dependent teenagers are sent to an offline camp and face a deadly danger in the woods. The sequel centres around the original movie's 'final girl' Zosia, who has been arrested by the police, along with the killer mutant twins she thought she had killed. The film takes an unexpected turn when Zosia is infected by the same meteorite as the twins and mutates, killing Sergeant Waldek. The plot then follows a group of characters, including rookie cop Adas, as they attempt to stop Zosia, with the story ultimately becoming a mutant romance between Zosia and Adas.

The only survivor of a bloody massacre

Zosia is the sole survivor of a bloody massacre in the woods. She wakes up in a cell at the local police station, arrested by the police. In the cell next to hers are the killer mutant twins she thought she had killed.

Zosia is taken back to the cabin where the murders took place by Sergeant Waldek, who wants to go through the events of her story. However, things take a turn when she begins to mutate after being infected by the same meteorite as the twins. She kills Sergeant Waldek and starts to make her way back to Camp Adrenalina, the site of the massacre.

Rookie cop Adas and his colleague Wanessa head to the cabin, but by the time they arrive, it is too late. Sergeant Waldek has been disemboweled, and Zosia is nowhere to be seen. Despite Adas' pleas to wait for special forces, Wanessa calls in the "territorial defense", which turns out to be two out-of-shape and incompetent brothers, Mariusz and Slawek.

Mariusz and Slawek track Zosia to the camp and set a trap, but the plan goes awry when Slawek accidentally cuts off his own hands in a bear trap and dies. Using Janeczka, who was hiding at the camp, as bait, Adas, Wanessa, and Mariusz attempt to lure and kill Zosia. However, the attempt only results in the deaths of Mariusz and Janeczka.

Wanessa betrays Adas and escapes in an ambulance, leaving him to face Zosia alone. Instead of killing him, Zosia infects Adas, turning him into a mutant like herself. The two form a romantic connection as Zosia teaches Adas about their new nature and race. Adas struggles with the idea that all of humanity is evil and deserves destruction, but he eventually embraces his new identity as a "bad guy".

The couple heads to the house of shopkeeper Janusz, who Adas had seen kicking a dog earlier. Adas toys with Janusz, hiding in his closet and then stabbing him through the eye. The pair then have mutant sex, and Zosia tells Adas they need to free the twins from the police station.

At the station, Adas overpowers Wanessa, but he cannot bring himself to kill her. Zosia, enraged, rips off Wanessa's face and stomps her to death. Heartbroken, Adas professes his love for Zosia, but she feels betrayed and storms out of the station. She is then run over by the special forces van that has finally arrived.

The mutant twins, seemingly having lost their will to destroy, pick up a grenade thrown earlier by Wanessa, causing an explosion that destroys the police station. Adas is seized by the special forces and taken into custody. The ending leaves the possibility of a sequel, as the scientists study Adas and extract substance from him, causing him to let out a ferocious roar.

An insecure rookie cop

Adas, a rookie cop, dreams of being a hero. He is a low-level cop in a rundown Polish town, and his duties include fetching his chief some kielbasa dogs. He has a crush on his colleague, Wanessa, perhaps because she is the only other female officer in the station.

When Zosia, the survivor of the first film, arrives at the police station, Adas is tasked with investigating the previous night's events with Wanessa. They head to the cabin, where they find Sergeant Waldek has been killed by Zosia, who has been infected by the meteorite and transformed into a monster.

Despite his fears and his desire to wait for backup, Adas and his team track Zosia down. However, she infects him, and he too becomes a monster. Adas struggles with his new identity as one of the "bad guys" and questions whether all of humanity is evil and deserves destruction.

As Adas and Zosia's relationship blossoms, they plan to free the mutant twins from the police station. However, when they arrive, Wanessa betrays Adas, and he is unable to kill her. This enrages Zosia, who brutally kills Wanessa. Heartbroken, Adas is then taken into custody by special forces.

The film ends with Adas being experimented on by scientists, who are trying to uncover the secrets of the mutations.

Gory slasher film

The film's plot centres around the only survivor of a bloody massacre, Zosia, who is arrested and taken back to the cabin where the murders took place. There, she is infected by a meteorite and mutates into a killer. Rookie cop Adas, along with colleague Wanessa, track Zosia to the camp, but Wanessa ultimately betrays Adas, and he is infected by Zosia. The final third of the film takes a surprising turn, becoming a mutant love story between Zosia and Adas. The pair return to the police station to free the original killers, the mutant twins, but Zosia is killed by special forces, and the twins blow up the police station. The film ends with scientists studying Adas, who finally lets out a monster roar.

The film has been described as "hilarious", "weird", "bizarre", "batshit insane", and "the worst movie in Netflix for 2021".

Horror movie cliches

The horror film "Don't Sleep in the Woods Tonight 2" contains several clichés common to the genre. Firstly, the film centres around a rookie cop, a character type that often appears in horror movies. The protagonist must overcome his fears to stop a killer and prevent further bloodshed. This trope of an unlikely or insecure hero is a well-worn path in horror films, as it allows the character to develop and become stronger as the film progresses.

The film also employs the cliché of a group of teenagers in peril, a trope popularised in late 20th-century horror films. The first film in the series, "Don't Sleep in the Woods Tonight", focuses on a group of technology-dependent teens who attend an offline camp and face a deadly threat in the woods. This sequel, while centred on the rookie cop, likely continues the theme of young people in danger, as the first film's protagonist is mentioned as being a lead female character.

Another common horror movie cliché is the presence of a basement or uninhabited place, which serves as a hiding place for evil entities or psychopaths. Basements are typically dark, damp, and accessed by a narrow staircase, creating a sense of dread and claustrophobia. Similarly, abandoned hospitals, empty houses, or ghost towns evoke a sense of loneliness and mystery, making them ideal settings for horror films.

In terms of plot, horror films often feature a character who is unable to call for help due to a lack of phone coverage or a dying phone battery. This trope adds suspense and isolates the characters, making them more vulnerable to the threat they face.

Finally, horror films often rely on the element of surprise, with an unexpected twist or revelation in the third act that catches the audience off guard. "Don't Sleep in the Woods Tonight 2" appears to utilise this technique, as viewers mention that the ending reveals a surprise worth sitting through the first two acts for.

While these clichés are common in horror films, they can be effective in building suspense and frightening the audience. However, when overused, they may become predictable and detract from the overall enjoyment of the film.

Inconsistent character development

One of the most glaring inconsistencies is the portrayal of the monsters. In the first film, the monsters are shown to be uncontainable and capable of rising from the dead after being killed. They are also depicted as eating their victims. However, in the second film, these same monsters are jailed and shown to be meek and docile. This sudden change in their nature and abilities is not adequately explained, creating a jarring disconnect between the two films.

Another inconsistency lies in the behaviour of the new monsters. While they exhibit similar physical characteristics to the old monsters, such as being pustulous, grotesque, and snarling, their abilities and motivations differ. The new monsters do not eat their victims, suggesting a different set of instincts or dietary preferences. This deviation from the established behaviour of the monsters in the first film creates a sense of dissonance and raises unanswered questions about their nature.

Additionally, the character development of Zosia, the "final girl" from the first film, is inconsistent with her previous portrayal. In "Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight", Zosia is courageous and optimistic, having survived a traumatic event. However, in the sequel, she undergoes a transformation and becomes a killer herself. While the infection by the meteorite could explain her change in behaviour, the abrupt shift from a sympathetic survivor to a ruthless killer lacks the necessary depth to make it convincing.

Furthermore, the theme of empathy, which is central to the film series, is not effectively conveyed through the character development. Adam, the rookie cop, is meant to embody the importance of empathy as a counterpoint to the killers' lack of it. However, his transformation into a monster and subsequent struggle with his newfound instincts fall flat due to the rushed nature of the film. The audience is expected to understand his internal conflict, but the rushed pacing and inconsistent characterisation make it challenging to invest in his journey.

In conclusion, "Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight 2" suffers from inconsistent character development, particularly in its portrayal of monsters and central characters. The shifts in behaviour and motivations between the two films create a dissonant viewing experience, detracting from the overall effectiveness of the horror sequel.

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