Phantasm II
A released psychiatric patient reunites with an old ally to confront the corpse-stealing Tall Man in a surreal barrage of portals, killer dwarfs, and practical gore.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- grotesque
- nightmarish
- late night horror marathon
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the sequel entertaining and visually inventive in isolated moments but muddled, gratuitous, and dramatically thin overall.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mike's psychiatric dismissal of earlier events collides with renewed encounters involving the Tall Man, portals, dreams, and unexplained supernatural phenomena.
The Tall Man plunders graves, steals corpses, commands terrible dwarfs, and operates through powers that remain only partially explained.
Critical reception repeatedly highlights the film's explicit violence, special effects, grotesque imagery, and memorable supernatural creatures.
The film develops the Tall Man's corpse-stealing operation and portal imagery while retaining the series' deliberately obscure cosmology.
Films like Phantasm II, and why
Phantasm
surreal supernatural horror, practical gore effects, and an enigmatic recurring evil
The Beyond
dreamlike horror imagery, grotesque practical effects, and dark science fiction mythology
Night of the Demons
cult supernatural horror combining action set pieces, gore, and nightmarish atmosphere
The Gate
stylized body horror, occult menace, and visceral practical effects
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Coscarelli
- Release Date
- 1988-07-08
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (412)
Cast
- James Le Gros
- Reggie Bannister
- Angus Scrimm
- Paula Irvine
- Samantha Phillips
- Kenneth Tigar
- Ruth C. Engel
- Mark Anthony Major
- Rubin Kushner
- Stacey Travis
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Phantasm II about?
- A released psychiatric patient reunites with an old ally to confront the corpse-stealing Tall Man in a surreal barrage of portals, killer dwarfs, and practical gore.
- What is Phantasm II like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Phantasm II as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Phantasm II violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Phantasm II as graphic.
- What did critics think of Phantasm II?
- Critics generally found the sequel entertaining and visually inventive in isolated moments but muddled, gratuitous, and dramatically thin overall.
- Which films are like Phantasm II?
- Films with a similar feel include Phantasm, The Beyond, Night of the Demons, and The Gate.
- How long is Phantasm II?
- Phantasm II runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Phantasm II?
- In United States, Phantasm II is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
