Ten years later, a demon hunter sequel drops Lisa Wilcox into an 80s summer camp slasher

If you like your movie sequels with a hefty dose of time-travel chaos, a slasher villain in the woods, and a good bit of irreverence, then Demon Hunter: Time 2 Kill is going to be right up your street. This is the long-awaited return of director Zoe Kavanagh, who made her debut a full decade ago with Taryn Barker: Demon Hunter—a scrappy, independent mix of Underworld, The Evil Dead, and, yes, a touch of Buffy thrown in for good measure. She’s now back for her second film, bringing along Niamh Hogan as Taryn Barker once again. Ten years might be a lifetime in the horror game, but Kavanagh and Hogan have clearly used that time well.

Demon Hunter: Time 2 Kill hit VOD, Blu-ray, and DVD after a decade-long wait between features.

The Upgrade

In the time since the original film, Kavanagh’s mostly stuck to short films, sharpening her skills, while Hogan has gathered acting and stunt credits on projects like The Marine 6, Vikings, and Viking: Valhalla. Both step up their game here: Hogan’s back as Taryn—a demon hunter with a bit of Ash Williams swagger, now even more seasoned and a bit more sarcastic than before. Kavanagh, meanwhile, has clearly benefited from the experience and a bit more money to spend—the effects are better, the action’s sharper, and the story moves along much more briskly than in her debut.

Time-Hopping Mayhem

The plot this time is barking mad in a good way: Taryn’s on a mission to gather the pieces of a fabled medallion that might finally break demons’ hold on Earth. Trouble is, she’s up against more than mere supernatural gribblies—her nemesis list now includes vampires (right from the off), slasher killers, and a time-travelling witch played by Lisa Wilcox (yes, that Lisa Wilcox, from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5). Wilcox chews through her scenes with genuine relish, playing a 'time witch' who zaps Taryn and some unlucky youths back to the late 1980s and drops them right in the middle of a summer camp slasher flick scenario, complete with the undead killer groundskeeper.

• Filming took place both in Ireland (as with the first film) and in Kentucky, Kavanagh deciding that if you’re going to have an ‘80s summer camp massacre, you might as well shoot it in the US for that properly authentic vibe.

Camp Slashers... and Beyond

The film is quick and never sits too long in any one genre, so while you get your lakeside bloodletting and a madman stalking the woods (Lucien Krull, former groundskeeper and now cultist, is your slasher of record), it never fully becomes a camp horror. Most of the campers are forgettable except for Angel Nichole Bradford’s Deborah, who ends up more or less as Taryn’s young apprentice. Honestly, the rest mainly exist to be picked off or to annoy the viewer.

Despite the genre-hopping, it’s entertaining watching Taryn wander through classic horror settings she’s probably never prepared for. It all builds to a genuinely energetic, time-skipping finale, which I won’t spoil but will say ends on the kind of note that makes you hope Kavanagh and Hogan don’t disappear for another decade before turning up with the next one. If they want to do more Taryn Barker—or move on, frankly—they’ve earned the right to get on with it sooner.

For anyone worried about continuity: you can absolutely jump in here without seeing the original. The back story helps, but Kavanagh makes sure new viewers aren’t lost. And if you want to catch this one, you’re looking at VOD, Blu-ray, or DVD—pick your poison.