Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever (2023) User Reviews

Stunning

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 7/10 · 21 December 2023]

It has been almost 30 years since the events of the original. Martin is kind of a wreck; he doesn't work, doesn't receive welfare and takes too many pills. His daughter Emma is trying to help, but he's very resistant to it. Neither of them have properly processed the suicide of Kalinka. So one day she does something she feels is definitely going to make it better. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

A major theme here is the way that trauma has a ripple effect. And how something intended to improve things can actually worsen them. The terror is in part derived from this, thus making it more effective than if it truly was something as banal (at this point in genre fiction) as merely a serial killer. The mystery is compelling, and though I applied myself, I did not deduce the identity of the murderer. This has amazing cinematography and editing, which truly do hold you in a vice grip in the scariest scenes. Movies like this can get a significant boost out of credible characterization. Maria feels like a real person; she is not confined by stereotypical femininity. The acting and the chemistry is all convincing.

This features brief sexuality, a little strong bloody violence and gore, and some swearing. I recommend this to fans of Horror. 7/10.

A fine followup, that doesn't justify its existence

[Seb_3 · 6/10 · 7 January 2024]

It is extremely smart to make a follow up to a danish cult classic almost 30 years later. You manage you capture a new audience, while reintroducing and appealing to the ones who watched it on release back in 1994.

Now this new installment feels and looks like a modernization of the first one and delves into the story years later. It manages to keep the creepyness from the first one, despite lacking the humor and the "out-there-ness" the first movie brought in its delivery and script.

The performances are great all around, but it doesn't do anything new in terms of the genre. To be honest, I personally didn't like the ending, as I felt it lacked a sense place as a lot of the problems the movie explored through its runtime, is resolved with a cliche ending.

It's a good enough movie, even if it doesn't justify its existence because of the sense of conclusion we got in the original.

Does a pretty good job considering the limitations of a 30 year later sequel

[jtindahouse · 7/10 · 21 May 2024]

A 30 year later sequel is a strange thing, but probably what's even more strange is that it took 30 years at all considering how successful the original was. I didn't even have to check if 'Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever' was made by the same writer/director as the original. I could tell by the chaotic structuring that both films possess. If you enjoyed the original then I'm sure you can at least find some enjoyment in this film.

Again, just like the first, for the first 40-50 minutes of the film I really had no idea where it was headed or what it was even about. Then out of nowhere, just like the first, it straightens the wheel and puts itself on course for a pretty entertaining and well done final hour or so.

Most of the original cast are back, which is a great effort all this time later. Considering the success Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has had in the meantime I'm a little surprised they were able to entice him, particularly considering they made his character a shell of his former self. There is one scene where he interrupts his daughter at the school that really should've been left on the cutting room floor.

In a lot of ways this is going to come across as a strange sequel. But considering how much later it is and that they were able to work the entire original cast into and still make a somewhat creepy and coherent story out of it, I think it is an impressive effort. 7/10.

Okay... no more and no less

[RThyrring · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

Just watched the movie tonight with a friend after rewatching the first movie.

The movie takes place about 30 years after the first one and we follow Emma (played by Fanny Leander Bornedal) who is the daughter of Martin (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the former nightwatch at the Forensic Institute where he and his girlfriend survived the attacks of the crazed serial killer, Inspector Wörmer (played by Ulf Pilgaard). However, the family never got over the trauma of that fateful night; Kalinka committed suicide when Emma was younger and Martin is now a broken man who don't speak of the events.

Emma, not a medical student, wants to break free from the trauma that has haunted her family, thus she starts by taking her father's previous job as the nightwatch. There she learns that Wörmer didn't die but has remained in a come-like state for the past decades at the Sct. Hans Hospital, the largest psychiatric hospital in Denmark. Emma makes an unauthorized visit to confront Wörmer, only that results in a new chain of fateful events in a bloody revenge scheme against those who sealed Wörmer's fate.

In general, I thought the movie was... okay! No more, no less!

It's an interesting rendezvous so many years later which could work on paper, however, there were a multitude of elements that didn't worked for me personally; although we get a lot of neat callbacks and a few intense moments, the new movie wasn't as scary as the first one, a lot of the characters felt more like charicatures (especially the new ones), and I guessed the big plot twist too soon to be taken completelly out of the whole movie watching experience.

Therefore, 'Nightwatch - Demons Are Forever' gets a 7 out of 10 from me!

Horrible work

[rohde-rohde · 2/10 · 20 January 2024]

To be totally honest.. Its a stinker. And i have a hard time figuring out why people can actually give it a good rating. A film made at this 'level' have to perfom better. It solely lives on the name.

Which sucks, because the first one is so good. Already in the beginning there is some of the worst dubbing work I've ever seen in a film, ever. The whole setup is just so bad. The pacing is off and in general the work takes you away from the movies. Not that the plot is good. The story is in general thin as paper, and you sit with that feeling that the protagonist's action is so unreal. In know we talk about a film here, but come on. Its not good, and a real disappointment.

Cant recommend.

Its worst crime- It murdered the classic original

[kqyxxp · 4/10 · 23 May 2024]

I watched the original Night Watch immediately prior to watching this sequel. I had not seen the original for many years so it was a good refresher.

However, it was bad for the sequel as it is nowhere near as good. At best, its a mediocre serial killer movie. And as i said, its worst crime was murdering the original.

Lets go back to the end of the original, we have Lotte and Jens getting married. Martin and Kalinka were the best man and maid of honor with their relationship being stronger after their near murder. A well earned happy ending to a great horror movie. Well within 5 minutes of this sequel starting, we find out Martin is a pill popping wrecked loser. Kalinka hung herself 15 years ago and was a bad mother. Jens left Lotte and ran to Thailand to take drugs and sleep around. Lotte fares the best as she is still a Vicar but I guess she lost her husband. Wow, i can never look at the original again and think that was a happy ending as all the characters will have horrible lives. There were member berries but at what cost. I realize their would be some trauma but come on and 30 years later.

Back to the movie itself. I guessed the main killer in their first scene due to some ridiculous dialogue that made no sense unless they were a bad person. Characters do all sorts of stupid things that real people wouldnt do. To boot, Lotte and Jens die in this one to further murder the original. There were ways to do a sequel without crapping all over the original.

Finally, Movie was sort of a slog to get through and was not very memorable. It also lacked the scariness and creepiness of the original. I do not recommend anyways but I definitely would not if you want to keep your good memories of the original.

Fantastic Stand-Alone flick

[zao923 · 8/10 · 18 May 2024]

I absolutely cannot understand the low ratings. This is well filmed, well acted, and keeps the heart pumping. To give it a 2 or a 1 is not sincere and that makes it akin to a D-Grade basement exploitation flick. I'm sorry you didn't like the story, but give me a break- a 2/10 for the movie as a whole? Ridiculous. If all of your ratings on IMDb are to the extreme, then maybe no more reviews for you?

The feeling of watching an over-confident protagonist let their guard down and you're filled with dread? The feeling of relief when life is put on pause and you're living in the moment? A semi-plot twist that makes you question yourself? All here.

If you don't mind subtitles, this is a good movie if you're into horror thrillers with suspense.

Bodnia and Waldau are BACK !

[itriatay995 · 8/10 · 20 May 2024]

First Nightwatch was released in 1994 and a sequel was announced in 2022. I was surprised to hear that news because usually, it does not take that long for a horror movie sequel to arrive. Well now the year is 2024 and I could finally watch Nightwatch 2. I can tell you the atmosphere is not as eerie and scary as in the first movie. However, this does not mean that this movie is not worth watching but it is worth it. This movie is based on revenge and it is a rematch. I loved the duo of Bodnia and Waldau in the first movie and again we have the duo in the second. I liked the ending of this movie and I advise everyone to watch the first movie before watching this to remember the details. I give 8 over 10! Good job Mr. Bornedal!

More night(s) to watch

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 8 February 2024]

No pun intended - it has been a while since I watched the original movie. Yes this is a sequel! Even has the same actors (the surviving ones that is of course) ... but older! This was 30 years ago or something so there is that. But the movie takes its time to tell a new and kind of old story.

The movie tries to conjure the feeling the first movie gave to many. I will do a rewatch - and I would recommend to anyone to watch it before they watch this. Even if I was told it is not necessary. And I suppose that is true - you can enjoy this without having seen the other one. But why wouldn't you do that? Especially because this movie will sort of tell you what happens in front of your eyes - or rather happened. The trailer seems to be giving away a lot ... but not everything.

Have to admit I feel for one particular thing too. So the guessing game is quite good - try to go into this with as little knowledge as possible. And remember this is a slow burn ... and more a character piece than a slasher.

8 stars

[lovebcute · 8/10 · 2 February 2024]

Previous reviews I've read had very mixed reactions to this movie and I had the idea that most people thought it was bad.

I honestly thought it was a very good follow up of the first movie. Also felt good to see the original cast, but of course older. Great acting and funny characters.

It did have some cringe moments where they used some odd language that didn't feel like it had a place in the movie. Also the ending was very sudden, after everything had went down they just seem to live "happily ever after".

Otherwise very entertaining with a lot of suspense and a plot twist. I enjoyed it a lot.

Totally worth the long wait for the sequel!

[ninanorlund · 10/10 · 18 March 2024]

I loved the first film and when I heard that a sequel was in the making I got very excited. The excitement only grew when it was announced that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kim Bodnia and Ulf Pilgaard would return as Martin, Jens and Wörmer. After watching the trailer I looked forward to see what the new characters would bring to the story. The film did not disappoint me once. Brilliant cast, great writer, great storyline, great director, amazing soundtrack, amazing makeup team, fantastic cinematography, and they had picked great locations to film it, that added to the dark and twisted tone of the film.

Fanny Bornedal was amazing as Emma, the daughter of Martin and Kalinka. I especially loved her scenes together with Nikolaj, Kim, Sonja, and Ulf. Casper Kjaer Jensen's performance as Bent is absolutely fantastic, Sonja Richter plays Gunver perfectly and I love Nina Rask's Maria so much. It was wonderful to see Ulf play the creepy Wörmer once again, just as it was seeing Kim back as Jens. Nikolaj brought his A game playing the broken Martin, his performance was very believable in every way. His acting with only facial expressions and body language is one of the best that you'll ever see, that's how good they are!

I really liked the little subtle nods to the first film, it made me a little nostalgic but overall I think they fitted well into this new story being told. Just like in the first film, I really liked the twist and turns of it, that you thought you knew who the killer was and then something happened that made you question it and begin to suspect someone else. I know some don't like the scene where Jens and Martin sneak into a football stadium but I liked it, for me it showed two old friends having a good time together after not seeing each other for a very long time. The scenes in the psychiatric wards corridors were not as claustrophobic as in the first film but they still added to the suspense feeling.

I thought the ending was believable and fitted the story told well. Also liked that the final scene was some time after the events had taken place, just as in the first film, so we got to leave some of the characters in a little better place than they had previous been this time as well.

The very long wait for a sequel was totally worth it in my opinion and I hope if you ever get a chance to watch this film that you'll love it as much as I do! I watched it on dvd and with Danish subs, just like with the first film.