Shudder Secrets: Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever

To be honest, when Shudder announced a sequel to the obscure 1994 Danish cult film Nightwatch, I wondered if there was a demand for such a movie 30 years after the original. In fact, after watching Nightwatch, I didn’t quite understand the appeal. It’s a very weird movie with doses of black humor and a whodunit plot about a serial killer who scalps his victims. It’s also a coming-of-age movie about a group of law students caught in the killer’s path.

While Nightwatch didn’t fully click for me, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the sequel, Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever. This is very much a movie about trauma and how the grisly events of the first film impact the group of core characters decades later. It also updates the whodunit plot, creating several riveting and nail-biting scenes in the process. Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever is a strong sequel by the same writer/director, Ole Bornedal.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever’s Exploration of Trauma

The sequel brings back the key characters from the original. This includes Nightwatch’s protagonist Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). He, along with his girlfriend, Kalinka (Sofie Gråbøl), barely survived the first time. That trauma weighed on them to the point that Martin became a recluse and went into hiding. As fans of the original know, he wed Kalinka, but due to their near-death experience, she killed herself and is only in the sequel in name and memory. She left Martin with their daughter, Emma (Fanny Leander Bornedal).

This is very much Martin and Emma’s film, showing how they each deal with trauma. Emma specifically wants to uncover the events of 30 years ago, so she lands a job working as a night watch at the same place her dad did 30 years ago, to his horror and dismay. This is where he and Kalinka were nearly murdered after all. Yet, her own way of processing grief is by confronting and unmasking the truth. This includes a harrowing confrontation with the killer from the first film, who’s locked up in a psych ward and blind. Bornedal certainly makes a compelling lead and one heck of a final girl. I’d love to see her in more horror movies. She’s tough and resilient as heck.

Lotte (Vibeke Hastrup), another character from the original, also makes an appearance, though she feels terribly underutilized. Meanwhile, fan favorite Jens (Kim Bodnia) returns, though instead of playing the dark humored goofball, his story is sobering. He barely jokes and instead split with Lotte, ran off to Thailand, and nearly killed himself. In fact, he and his old bestie Martin haven’t spoken in nearly 30 years and instead of joking back and forth, they discuss whether or not suicide is the best option. This is after someone they both knew well is scalped by what appears to be a copycat killer. Indeed, this is a very different film in tone with far less jokes. It’s bleak as heck at times.

Still, the scenes between Jens and Martin, after they reunite, are some of the best. The two actors certainly didn’t miss a beat or lose their chemistry. It’s just that their conversations in this film are much darker, focused on suicide and survival, as opposed to studying for law exams and chasing women.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever’s Whodunit Plot

Even if the original film didn’t quite work for me, I did really enjoy its whodunit plot. The sequel very much follows that formula, with plenty of red herrings along the way. This is also a film about legacy, and the whodunit narrative plays into that. The killer’s reveal will make sense and feel earned come the last act.

Yet, this film also varies from the original because it introduces a copycat killer/follower fairly early, a young, red-haired man named Bent (Casper Kjær Jensen). He’s all kinds of creepy and has some pretty gnarly kills. Yet, it’s unclear why exactly he’s doing this, and that’s one of the only flaws in the script. His motivation is lacking, and to say he’s simply crazed is too easy.

I do suspect that Nightwatch has a cult following, in part, because of the gore and kills. There’s one in particular near the halfway point that’s quite a tough watch. The sequel has plenty of bloodshed and nerve-jangling scenes, though it never feels quite as unsettling as some of the sequences in the original. Still, it’s a gripping thriller regardless.

Overall, while Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever probably wasn’t necessary, but it’s one heck of a jolting sequel. Dare I say, I like it even more than the original. It’s especially great to see Bodnia and Coster-Waldau on screen again together, even if Jens and Martin have such tragic stories 30 years on. Meanwhile, Bornedal gives a commanding performance as Emma and really deserves more horror roles as a lead actress. Ole Bornedal’s writing and directing has matured, offering a film that’s a riveting exploration of trauma and grief, while still having enough kills and splatter to satisfy the horror hounds.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever hits Shudder on May 17, along with the original film. I highly suggest watching the first before diving into the sequel. It’ll make you appreciate it more. Keep updated on Shudder’s newest releases by following my Shudder Secrets column.