When Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was announced last year, it caused quite a stir. Never before had audiences seen a beloved childhood character get the horror treatment quite like that. While the film was generally not well received by critics and audiences alike, that didn’t stop them from making Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2!

I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, although there’s no denying it’s certainly a memorable viewing experience. When I first heard about Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, I initially brushed it off as just another cheesy b-horror movie sequel. That is until I learned Matt Leslie (Summer of 84) had signed on to write the screenplay along with co-writer and director Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, The Area 51 Incident). Taking place some time after the events of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 follows Christopher Robin as he tries to return to his normal life after the horrific massacre he witnessed. But when there’s a horror movie made about the incident, returning to normal is a difficult task. Most people believe he’s either nuts, a murderer, or both. At the same time, Pooh, Owl, Piglet, and Tigger are sick of hiding in the Hundred Acre Wood, and they plan to leave a trail of carnage in their wake.

What immediately struck me with this sequel is its focus on plot. The previous film focused more on the gore, leaving the story rather bare-bones. This time, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 has a complex, interesting, and at times even touching story, but still with the outrageous kills horror fans will expect. Leslie and Frake-Waterfield formatted this story almost like Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Much like that film, the first movie audiences saw also exists within this reality. In this film, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was a film made based on the real horrors Christopher Robin experienced. It gives the plot a meta quality that acknowledges the shortcomings of the first film while also giving room for Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 to have a bit of a tonal shift as it dives deeper into Christopher Robin’s past and the origins of the creatures he grew up with. This shift was a risky move, but ultimately it paid off with better character development, an expansion of the lore, and a more compelling story to draw audiences in.

Because Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey exists as a film in the world of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2, that means the film has a new actor portraying Christopher Robin. Taking on that role for the sequel is Scott Chambers (Malevolent, The Area 51 Incident). Chambers embodies everything one would expect of the character Christopher Robin. He portrays the character in a way that is kind and endearing, but he’s also clearly still haunted by Pooh’s violence and feels isolated because no one believes him. Tallulah Evans (Son of Rambow, Penelope) plays Christopher’s childhood friend, Lexy. Evans brings a lightness to the otherwise dark film. Lexy is one of the few people who treats Christopher like a normal person, even if she doesn’t necessarily believe Winnie-the-Pooh is real. Most of the performances in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 are quite good, but it’s important to give a special shoutout to the monster actors. This includes Ryan Oliva (The Convent) as Pooh, Lewis Santer as Tigger, and Marcus Massey (Bunny the Killer Thing) as Owl, the latter giving a nightmare-inducing performance.

Much like the plot, the visuals are quite different in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2. The first thing audiences will likely notice is the different look for Pooh and the other creatures in the Hundred Acre Wood. The design this time is much more feral, each animal hybrid looking like lean, mean, killing machines. With Pooh, the makeup design is at least reminiscent of the previous film, but it moves away from the almost cute, frozen-faced bear and instead has a more dangerous and emotive look. The design for Owl is especially terrifying and definitely leaves an impression. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 has a lot of other elements of visual interest. This includes beautifully creepy animation during the opening credits, striking lighting choices, and of course lots and lots of practical effects blood and guts. There is one instance of CGI flames, which doesn’t quite live up to the practical effects work, but luckily that is the only noticeable instance of CGI work. Tying the film together and helping to add drama or terror at the right moments is a fantastic musical score by Andrew Scott Bell (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey).

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is a grizzly piece of meta horror that is sure to surprise audiences. Leslie and Frake-Waterfield made a sequel that surpasses its predecessor in almost every way, especially in terms of plot and lore. They also created something that honors the first installment of this new franchise, but can also act as a standalone film. Chambers is a fantastic Christopher Robin, and he makes a fantastic juxtaposition to the sinister characters of Pooh, Owl, and Tigger. There’s no denying Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 is a low-budget, slightly cheesy horror flick, but it certainly exceeded all of my expectations. This is the film that will get audiences excited for the newly announced “Poohniverse.”

OVERALL RATING: 7/10