White Noise was not a film that begged for a sequel. Unless, of course, that sequel was going to explain what the hell happened in the first film. (I’m still scratching my head over what it was supposed to be about.) Nevertheless, White Noise 2: The Light has been released and, while it doesn’t answer any of the questions raised by the first movie, it makes for a pretty good film on its own.
Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) sits down to eat dinner with his wife and son at a local diner. Without any provocation, a man walks in and shoots Abe’s wife and son and then kills himself. Understandably stunned, Abe tries to deal with the situation but, immediately following their double funeral, he decides to take an entire bottle of pills to join them in the afterlife. His friend, Marty (Adrian Holmes), finds him in the nick of time and he’s rushed to the hospital, where he’s resuscitated.
Following his near death experience, Abe begins to see strange things and hear odd voices. His doctor (William MacDonald) just happens to be working on research into Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), where the dead try to communicate with the living through recorded media. The doctor theorizes that Abe might be able to hear these voices directly instead of needing the usually required electronic devices. But before Abe can ask too many questions, the doctor dies of a heart attack, leaving Abe to research his mysterious gift on his own.
White Noise 2 is one of those direct-to-DVD sequels that has a tenuous connection to the first movie. Aside from the subject of EVP, there is no connection between the two films.
Nathan Fillion, who is best known for his work on TV’s Firefly and Desperate Housewives, is, by far, the best thing about White Noise 2. He gives Abe a likable quality that makes the viewer care about his plight no matter how outlandish the plot eventually gets. Katee Sackhoff, of TV’s Battlestar Galactica, is suitably attractive as Abe’s nurse, Sherry, who tries to ease his loss.
Although the religious overtones are a bit much and the Ghost-like conclusion is heavy on the schmaltz, White Noise 2 bests the original by staying focused, producing some effective jump scares, and never taking itself too seriously.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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