This is not the general opinion, but I like Poltergeist II: The Other Side just as much as I do the first one! This is a super fun sequel that greatly expands on what the first movie did and it has some awesome and creepy scenes. While Spielberg and Hooper would not return for this sequel, most of the cast did as did Michael Grais and Mark Victor who helped with the story in the first movie.
How to Download Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Poltergeist II: The Other Side was released on May 23, 1986. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
Tragedy Behind the Scenes
The behind the scenes stuff is pretty dark here as the Freeling’s eldest daughter, Dana is the only main character not to return as the actress, Dominique Dunne was tragically murdered after the completion of the first movie. This would also be the last movie that young Heather O’Rourke would see released in her lifetime as she tragically passed away way too young before the third Poltergeist movie would hit theatres. Also, Julain Beck who plays the villain Kane, would pass away not too long after the movie was released.
The Plot of Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Poltergeist II: The Other Side takes place just a year after the events of the first movie. The Freeling family are trying to move on and just live their lives, but the location of their old home is now an archeological site as a cave was discovered under their house. The medium from the first movie, Tangina along with her friend, a Native American Shaman called Taylor knows what was causing all the trouble in the first movie.
It turns out that The Beast was a far more evil and dangerous spirit than anyone could have imagined. The Beast is actually an old demented and crazy preacher called Kane who was the leader of a doomsday cult that saw all his followers die in this cave under the Freeling home! Kane wants the life force of Carol Anne and he is willing to do anything to get it back.
Kane: The Creepiest Villain
I get that some may not like that they kind of twist the events of the first movie to fit the narrative here, but I think that it works really well. Kane is such an awesome and creepy villain and Julian Beck is creepy as hell in this role! Kane will stop at nothing to get Carol Anne, he even possesses Steven in one of the most epic scenes in the movie thanks to this creepy worm creature that he uses.
The Final Confrontation in the Ghost Dimension
Despite the best efforts of the Freeling family along with Tangina and Taylor, Kane manages to get his way into the family and they have to head back to where their old home was and fight Kane on his own turf! Seeing them in the ghost dimension is so cool and the monster design of ghost dimension Kane truly is something else. While I do think that the original Poltergeist is arguably creepier, Poltergeist II: The Other Side is certainly more of a visual spectacle.
Final Thoughts on Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Poltergeist II: The Other Side is a ton of fun and while I would never argue with someone who says that they think the original Poltergeist is so much better, I have just as much fun with this as I do that original movie. I think that Poltergeist and this movie make for a great double feature…. But I will forgive you if you decide to skip the third movie as that is certainly the weakest in the series.
