‘Demonic Plastic Surgeon M.D.’ Review
Stars: Danielle Scott, Aimee Marie Higham, Sofia Lacey, Chrissie Wunna, Jo Barker, Ricardo Freitas, Alessia Pontiero, Stephen Staley | Written by Scott Jeffrey | Directed by Louisa Warren
Doctor Carver 2, Conjuring the Plastic Surgeon 2, Demonic Plastic Surgeon M.D., can we make our mind up just what this film is actually called please? Yes, like the original movie, it seems our sequel is going by numerous mockers depending on where you look! No matter though, the plot is still the same whatever the name – at an elderly people’s home, the demonic plastic surgeon has been summoned once again, to give its elderly residents makeovers they won’t forget… Or live to enjoy!
If you’ve seen the first film, what initially strikes you about this film is how the lines are blurred between what happened in the original film and this sequel – with not only Aimee Marie Higham playing Tonya (taking over the role originated by Chelsea Greenwood) but also Sofia Lacey returning as Pepper – who was apparently NOT killed in the first film – and Andrea Richardson appearing as Donna, the woman who legged it away from the events of the first film, leaving Tonya and her boyfriend to die at the hands of the titular killer surgeon.
Of course we can’t have a killer plastic surgeon without a nurse to assist and so Danielle Scott returns as Alexa, the sadistic angel of death who relishes in the brutality and destruction wrought on the surgeon’s victims more than the doctor does! Weirdly Alexa always refers to the titular “surgeon” Balthagore as “he” but when they appear, and more importantly talk, it’s clearly a female under the grotesque, if cheap-looking, surgeon’s mask!
Speaking of cheap, I get these films are low-budget but when you have to take shortcuts on effects you really shouldn’t show them in close up! This is especially appropriate in the film’s prologue, as another woman falls victim to our killer surgeon – her lip-filler literally killing her – but you can clearly see the needle has been cut short and it’s blunt. Which would work fine if we were only shown the needle IN the skin but no, we see it in the doc’s hand too, spoiling the effect! To be fair though, the film’s low-budget effects do redeem themselves later on in the film as the resident’s plastic surgery starts to fail… To say more would spoil a particularly grim sex scene…
Unlike its predecessor, there’s some real humour to Demonic Plastic Surgeon M.D. From the brilliant dead-pan delivery of Alessia Pontiero as head of the nursing home Connie; to Pepper, a survivor of the events of the first movie, living under the pseudonym of Salt! Plus, once Alexa takes over the old folk’s home, Tonya and Pepper are given new sluttier uniforms – replete with “naughty nurse” name tags – it’s ridiculous but feels right at home in the weird mix of horror and comedy this film has.
Unfortunately, like the recent sequel to The Curse of Humpty Dumpty, the metaphorical nature of the first film is dropped. Gone is the diatribe on society’s focus on beauty and appearance and how that can affect one’s self-esteem, body image and overall mental health and in comes a bunch of old women in the pursuit of youth; and in come more straightforward horror tropes. What we also get is a retread of the end of Doctor Carver, with the victims all sat around a table as Alexa uses their blood to appease the surgeon and bring her sister back from the dead. And let’s be clear, by saying that I’m not spoiling the ending of the film at all as it is a TOTAL rehash of the same scene in the original film, right down to Tonya and Pepper strapped in their chairs, witnessing what’s happening.
It’s not all a rehash of the first film however, Demonic Plastic Surgeon M.D. actually ADDS to the lore of the first film and builds on the backstory of Alexa and her sister, giving the series some much-needed extra substance.
*** 3/5
Demonic Plastic Surgeon M.D. is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime You can also stream it for free (with a TON of ads) on the V Horror YouTube channel.
