Nerdly » HorRHIFFic 2024: ‘Remember Me 2: Forget Me Not’ Review

01st Mar2024

HorRHIFFic 2024: ‘Remember Me 2: Forget Me Not’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Hans Hernke, Tony Fadil, Louisa Warren, Bethany Williamson, Andrea Sandell, Simon Ellis, Lutricia Norris | Written by Steven M. Smith, Christopher Jolley | Directed by Steven M. Smith

Technically a sequel to 2022’s Remember Me, from this film’s co-writer Christopher Jolley, Remember Me 2: Forget Me Not sees a man, Joe, awake from a nightmare to discover he is in hospital, paralysed and has lost his memory. A Doctor explains he was in an accident and that his body is shutting down, so much so that without a kidney transplant he will die.

Only this doesn’t feel like a hospital, the staff all act strange, seemingly reading from a script and getting perplexed when they don’t have the answers to the questions Joe asks. One of the nurses looks like she’s trying to kill him, whilst a second – played by Louisa Warren, herself the director of numerous low-budget British horrors – treats him with kindness but still acts remarkably odd. Even Joe’s “girlfriend” seems off. Everyone, EVERYONE, seems like they’re actors trying to convince Joe of… something.

Then there are those visions – a ratman, a birdman and a man wearing a plague mask (as seen in the film’s artwork) all attacking Joe in a caravan, whilst he is strapped into a wheelchair… What does it all mean? And why the hell should we, the audience, care? Yes, Remember Me 2 has one HUGE problem. The film is all mystery, all oddity. We don’t know who Joe is, so why we should care about him? There’s not even the slightest hint as to what’s going on, no clues, nothing! The only thing that will keep anyone watching is waiting to see what the hell this film is all about?

At one point it looks like what we’ve seen isn’t in chronological order and the scenes in the caravan take place after what’s happened in the hospital. Then Smith and co. turn those scenes into metaphor – Joe’s fear of going under the knife wrought large as nightmares about vicious killers “stabbing” him (essentially him feeling himself going under the knife in his operation). The entire thing is a muddled mess.

Eventually, halfway through the film we get a small hint that Joe’s stay in hospital is for something… else. He’s been brought there against his will to pay for something he’s done. But still, the freakish visions of animal-faced killers continue…

Eventually, just over an hour into the film, the truth about Joe’s situation is revealed. FINALLY. For many it will be too little too late but if you’ve stuck with Remember Me 2 this far it does feel like something of a relief to be given some explanation. And the explanation? Turns out one of the oldest horror tropes in the book.

Oh, and you know earlier? When I said the film felt like it wasn’t in chronological order? Turns out I was right! Despite trying to throw the audience off the scent by having Joe’s creepy visions feel like a metaphor for having an operation – the fear of the doctors and nurses reflected in the masked killers, being stabbed by them in his dreams as Joe seemingly feels the pain of going under the knife in his operation – it turns out that it was me giving Steven M. Smith and Christopher Jolley far, FAR, too much credit for creativity!

Eventually we get, some 75-80 minutes in, the big villain exposition, the big “reveal” and – frankly – it’s the biggest load of bullsh*t I’ve ever seen in a horror, nay ANY, movie. For one, a part of it is the BIGGEST cliche you could possibly think of as to why people would kidnap someone and hold them in a drugged state in a “hospital.” The other part of it? Well, my repose as it happened was… what the actual f*ck! I didn’t realise I was watching right-wing elitist propaganda here! So take of that what you will. I’ll just say it made me wish I HADN’T stuck through Remember Me 2 in the slightest!