"Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever" presents a contemporary sequel to the 1994 Danish thriller, yet fails to hold true to the eerie charm of its predecessor. Drawing parallels with recent American horror sequels like “Halloween Ends” and “Scream VI”, its storyline is brought to the present day as a young woman, Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal), steps into her father's shoes to work at the Saint Hans Psychiatric Hospital, aiming to stop a newly emerged murder spree.
Emma's character suffers, being deployed more as a plot tool rather than a nuanced figure. She is continuously engaged in dissecting her family’s traumatic history without presenting a believable emotional depth. Similarly, her father, Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a pill-addict post his partner's suicide, seems to exist solely in the support of Emma's journey.
The younger characters mimic their predecessors' behaviors; reckless, self-absorbed and full of sophomoric humor. Yet, they lack the authentic, youthful spontaneity that added a genuine feel to the original. Whether acting as the comic relief or an emotional cue, these characters seldom develop beyond their generic placements within the narrative.
The movie's best moments are when the original characters overshadow their youthful counterparts, stirring emotions more powerfully than the main plot. Nevertheless, director Ole Bornedal's attempts at crafting deep, character-driven emotions fall short of offering closure or satisfying emotional outcomes. The film ends on a lukewarm note, touting the importance of living in the present rather than dwelling on the past. However, the simplistic resolution and lack of character baggage unpacking make the violent plot advancements less impactful.
In essence, while "Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever" captures elements of the original thriller, its weak narrative and underdeveloped characters result in a sequel struggling to maintain its intriguing legacy.
