After 40 Years, Once-Dismissed Sequel to Horror Classic Proves More Valuable Than Initially Thought

(SeaPRwire) –   Back in 1982, viewers were introduced to the Freeling clan—your average American suburban family grappling with mysterious spirits and the shocking truth that their home sat atop a burial ground. Tobe Hooper’s directed, Steven Spielberg-produced Poltergeist was a massive hit both commercially and critically, raking in more than $75 million just in the U.S. and claiming the title of the year’s highest-grossing movie. Following up such a success was always going to be a tall order. Exactly four years later, Poltergeist II: The Other Side hit theaters; like many sequels, it was instantly pitted against the original and found lacking.

The reasons for this are clear. Though original scribes Michael Grais and Mark Victor came back, director Tobe Hooper did not—British filmmaker Brian Gibson took his place instead. And even though most of the original cast reprised their roles, the first film was shadowed by tragedy: Dominique Dunne, who portrayed oldest daughter Dana, was killed by a jealous partner just five months after the original’s premiere. So even though Poltergeist II: The Other Side earned $75 million at the box office (on a $19 million budget), reactions were split. Critics were somewhat favorable, but many argued the original didn’t require a follow-up.

That’s a pity, because Poltergeist II is in many respects equal to the original. The first Poltergeist tells of a domestic life upended by a breach into the supernatural, but Poltergeist II focuses on the Freelings’ explicit existential anxiety (after their trip to the other side and back) alongside the personal family struggle of having a child who stands apart from the rest. While the original explored the awe-inspiring realm between life and death, the sequel highlights universal human fears of mortality and the interconnectedness of spiritual beliefs overall.

Picking up right where the first Poltergeist ended, we catch up with the Freelings after they’ve been displaced—their home was swallowed by a vortex, and they’re struggling to explain that to their insurance company. Now staying with Diane’s (JoBeth Williams) mother, the family is trying to settle into a new routine. But the spirits that targeted young Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) refuse to let her be. A preacher in a black hat named Kane (Julian Beck) is dead set on claiming the “little angel” for his own, pushing the family to unite once more.

The first film’s horror largely came from the relentless haunting attacks on the Freelings, but in this sequel, that takes a backseat to a physical embodiment of Death (or the Devil, depending on your interpretation) in Reverend Kane. In the original movie, Diane at first finds the poltergeist activity amusing—until Carol Anne vanishes. Even after their daughter crosses to the other side, the Freelings and the scientists researching their home are struck by the presence of souls using the house as a temporary stop. They observe the loneliness and sorrow of these spirits who don’t know they’re dead, all while marveling at concrete proof of an afterlife.

In this sequel, mortality hits the Freelings close to home. Diane’s mother, Jess (Geraldine Fitzgerald), passes away early in the film, and she calls Carol Anne on a toy phone to reassure her everything will be fine. This moment is tender and moving, and it makes sense for the Freelings—they’ve already seen that life continues beyond death. Reverend Kane’s arrival not only gives mortality a face but also brings their own fear of dying to life. Beck, who died of stomach cancer before the film’s release, is not just physically menacing; his portrayal of Kane’s Southern charm is laced with a deep-seated evil. In one scene, he tries to manipulate family head Steve (Craig T. Nelson) by preying on his insecurities about being “strong enough” to protect his loved ones. Kane has twisted religion and spirituality into a scam, building a cult whose members’ souls he controls. It’s revealed that he had contact with Carol Anne in the first film and intends to use her life energy for his own purposes.

The afterlife here has no charm—only raw fear of its unavoidable nature. Steven is warned that Kane will stop at nothing to get into their house and take Carol Anne, breaking the family apart by exploiting their deepest fears. Thanks to Steven’s fragile sense of masculinity, which Kane has already eroded, Kane manages to physically invade him. Steven drinks a mezcal worm that becomes Kane’s way into their home. In a harrowing scene, Steven—possessed by the preacher—attacks Diane and airs unspoken, repressed thoughts the couple has, like whether Carol Anne should have been born and how much blame Diane bears for their situation.

A large part of Poltergeist II shows the Freelings trying to ignore the events of the first film, hoping to move forward and forget. But eventually, they’re forced to confront their conflicting feelings about those events, life, and death by returning to their old home in Cuesta Verde to fight Kane. There, the Freelings—both living and deceased (Gramma Jess aids from the other side)—defeat Kane with the help of their chosen family: spiritual medium Tangina (Zelda Rubenstein) and Native American shaman Taylor (Will Sampson). Taylor is especially noteworthy because both films take a largely agnostic stance on the afterlife; no specific deities or religions are mentioned. With Taylor’s involvement, it’s a true coming-together of diverse perspectives that takes down Kane. In the end, the afterlife is simply the afterlife—not a Christian version or any other specific faith’s interpretation.

Poltergeist II doesn’t just naturally expand on the original; it pushes its protagonists to face their innermost thoughts about life and death. It’s a much darker film, but one that grasps how inescapable mortality is. This hits even harder when you consider not just Dunne’s death, but the later passings of O’Rourke, Sampson, and Beck as the series progressed. Ultimately, it’s just as good as the original—regardless of what critics or audiences might have said.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side is available to stream on Tubi and Pluto TV.