It would be fair to say that I wasn't expecting much from this Canadian straight-to-video follow-up to the 2005 Michael Keaton film. PG-13 horror fare isn't really my cup of tea, and I reasoned that the first film covered the subject in sufficient depth to negate the need for a sequel. I was wrong, and how so! Despite a few missteps, WHITE NOISE 2 is actually a wonderful little film that manages to better the one that came before.
This time around, TV actor Nathan Fillion is the guy who undergoes a near-death experience and comes out with the ability to see, not just ghosts, but electrical surges on TV sets as well – the so-called 'EVP' or 'white noise' phenomenon. This doesn't actually have a great deal to do with the actual plot, which is all about the protagonist's abilities to see eerie auras on those about to die. Of course, he sets about becoming a hero to save those apparently doomed, until a big twist throws the plot on its head.
The film this is most like is UNBREAKABLE. It's cheesier than the Bruce Willis film, with lots of unnecessary grey ghosts and unwanted CGI effects, including the nadir where we see Fillion floating up a CGI tunnel towards, presumably, heaven. A fumbled, unsatisfying ending doesn't really work either. But until then we have a surprisingly taut and suspenseful thriller with lots of unusual and unexpected stuff going on. The direction is strong, with director Patrick Lussier providing atmosphere along with compelling story, and the cast isn't too shabby either. After five minutes, I was expecting Fillion to be a bland, everyman type and indeed he is, but with this type of role he provides a strong focus for the rest of the supernatural antics. Katee Sackhoff is the strong-willed heroine, and good old Craig Fairbrass is the villain of the piece, replete with some quite ghastly prosthetics. There are many decent set-pieces on offer here, from the bridge fight to the car park showdown and the bit in the hotel, and even with a few plot holes and loose ends here and there, I was never not enjoying it. One of those little films that's far better than you could ever expect it to be.