The more I think about the Jonkler 2 the more I realize just how good it was. People say it’s done as a reaction to the first film, that it tries to back away from the type of people who related it to it. If anything, I thought it doubled down on its messaging, only that it actually spelled it out in this movie.
This movie is bleak, one of the most depressing films I’ve seen maybe ever, and it truly had a lasting, saddening effect on me. While the first was entertaining in its escapism, this one is relentless in pushing the idea of pure despair. Over and over again it tries to reminds you there is no virtue to mentall illness, there is no glamour, and there is zero hope for anything better for anyone afflicted with it in this country. It feels like whiplash to people, as if it’s completely disjointed from the first but damn, I think it makes duology a masterpiece.
The saddest thing is that the first had to make like a billion dollars, under the guise of cape shit, for this one to be made.
I recently listened to a review of the film on the Pod Damn America podcast which expressed somewhat similar sentiments.
I was surprised by the generally poor reviews coming out after hearing this review which praised it for portraying a more sober and somber depiction of mental illness than what audiences had expected.
I have yet to see either the original or this sequel, but I'll admit the more favorable reviews of this sequel make me want to set aside a few hours to give them some attention.
I think both movies are worth it. The second one appears to have less mass appeal, but I thought it was a great movie. I think in time this movie will be rehabilitated by the general public and you'll have people who are bashing it now saying they always liked it.
Didn't even know this movie had been announced until I'd heard it was bombing. I never watched the first one so odds were pretty slim I'd have seen it anyway.
That's okay. In a year or two they'll call it a "cult classic" and make another anyway.
