Never Hike Alone 2 (Video 2023) Poster

(2023 Video)

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6/10
Never Hike Alone 2: Somewhere between the first and Never Hike in the Snow
Platypuschow25 November 2023
Plot

20 years after the last sighting of Jason Voorhees, Crystal Lake resident and former victim Tommy Jarvis still lives with the haunting notion that Jason will one day return.

Cast

Vincente DiSanti returns to direct and Thom Mathews takes the lead this time around.

Verdict

Let me be clear, Never Hike Alone was an incredible fan film! A love letter to the fans from DiSanti and I was suitably impressed. However, after watching his very disappointing Never Hike in the Snow (2020) and the non-DiSanti two Friday the 13th Vengeance movies I was not only burned out but also very much doubting that Never Hike Alone 2 would deliver.

Was I right? Meh, kind of on the fence.

The first thing that hits you about Never Hike Alone 2 are the production values and the cinematography, from the opening shot by the lake it's stupendous and the latter puts most Hollywood movies to shame.

The trouble is unlike the first movie the sequel lacks consistency. Inconsistent cast, inconsistent visuals (Some in the light look quite bad), inconsistent writing and even the finale raised an eyebrow.

Jason himself didn't look quite right, in the dark great but in the light he looked hokey and what's with the creators obsession with Voorhees using a bow and arrow!? Seriously, it looks stupid stop it. It'd be like Michael Myers using a shotgun, it just doesn't sit right.

Never Hike Alone is a valiant effort but based on this and Never Hike in the Snow perhaps the first movie should have been a stand alone.

Rants

You know what bugged me the most about Friday the 13th Vengeance & its sequel? The shilling, the ridiculous amount of same worded reviews from one hit activity profiles. If your movie is good then let it speak for itself, people aren't stupid..........well not all of them and we can see straight through your desperate efforts at telling the world what you've made is good.

Why do I bring that up on here? Because DiSanti or those close to him have done the same thing here. At time of writing every single review bar one is fake, from a profile with only that review as activity. Don't be fooled, you're being lied to. Weird, the wordings are very similar to the Vengeance ones as well.....

Breakdown

Stunning visuals in places Feels loyal to the subject matter Actors seem to be phoning it in Ropey finale Shilled badly.
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8/10
Couldn't ask for anything more
brunedogg15 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
One of the very few fan films worth watching! Not only this being the 3rd installment it's just as good as the other two! Womp stomp films coming for heads in the industry! Vincente is talented beyond our control! Well done! The acting and cinematography was outstanding and the story was really 👌! Thank you to the cast and crew for really putting forth the effort and making this great and not a disappointment unlike others! The story played well with the other movies plus the original films which was a breath of fresh air! Can not wait to see what womp stomp films will do next! Bravo sir thank you!
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7/10
Fandom the 13th Strikes Back
thesar-22 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I really did enjoy this fan-made slasher sequel/prequel/Alternative Friday the 13th...But I enjoyed the other two in this series more. (Never Hike Alone (2017) and Never Hike in the Snow (2020))

Never Hike Alone 2 combines the other two into one complete film with a huge budget...though I didn't notice the low budget on the other films. In fact, I thought for being fan-made, these were pretty well made and a VERY honorable addition to the Friday the 13th franchise.

Basically, Tommy Jarvis has yet another way to kill the unkillable Jason Voorhees, *this time fer sure!* He'll need a little help and a lot of close calls.

I've been told this is it for the Fan/Director/Creator and if it ends here, so be it. It was a nice ending and overall great/short tribute. Plus, it's free on YouTube, looks great and has some killer special effects/gore.

***

Final Thoughts: Honestly, though, Jason was weak here. Reminded me of the Jason from Freddy vs. Jason, my least favorite Jason of the entire series. I liked the Doctor character the most even though we barely focused on her. Also, it was nice to see the many cameos (voice or onscreen) including an actor who appears in my favorite YouTube channel: Dead Meat. (He plays one of the FBI agents.)
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10/10
The Jason we need
dwlthend-8150515 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Another great Friday film from Womp Stomp. Jason is scary and intimidating. He's brutal and he is used perfectly. You care about the fate of the characters. I was very impressed with the production value. Production value is top notch. Great shots and really cool edits and transitions.

Thom Matthews reprises his iconic role as Tommy Jarvis and soaks up the screen. The connection to Never Hike Alone and Never Hike in the Snow is perfect. Kills are awesome. Practical effects are great. Acting is above average for a fan film. I was highly impressed. If you want to watch a Friday film, this is one of the best Friday films there is.
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7/10
Really enjoyable movie
landona-9908622 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I absolutely love how this movie intertwined with the first film. Very clever writing in that sense, especially the remake of the first film's ending scene when Jason attacks the paramedics. The production value, especially the editing, is immaculate. Just perfect. I would say my biggest criticism is I think Jason is shown too much in the beginning. What made the first movie great is the slow burn to his reveal. Maybe that's just me. Of course, it's a fan film, so it's not going to be like a Hollywood movie. The acting is spotty here and there, but it doesn't take away from the movie. Other than that, it's a really good finale to a great trilogy.
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10/10
Jason lives again!!
clint-jarvis1315 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is head and shoulders and torso and legs and feet above all other fan films. Not only of the Friday franchise but all fans films in general. Such care was obviously put into this being a love letter to the past and to all the fans who love this iconic horror villain. What an amazing job they did. So many call backs to moments from the original series and also new moments that had me saying "Holy $h1t!" Outstanding makeup effects and superb production quality. The film looks fantastic and the sound was always on point. The director needs to helm the next studio movie. Plain and simple. 10/10.
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10/10
Excellence.
griffjohnjr12 March 2024
This film can easily be placed in the Friday the 13th franchise as an official film. It plays that well. The Kills are fantastic, plenty of gore. You can tell the filmmakers are fans and not just putting out a cheap slasher. They care for the characters, they care for the story and they care about continuing Jason, who has been in limbo since the lawsuits. I can't speak highly enough about these NHA films. I am a huge F13 fan and these films have supplied the entertainment I crave in seeing Jason back on screen. A well-done slasher with good acting, an alumni cast and a great story. The gore is plenty and Jason is intimidating and scary once again. Jason is back and it is thanks to these filmmakers who are fans first.
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9/10
Fan films done right
christinabergling17 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Never Hike Alone 2 takes the threads from Never Hike Alone and Never Hike in the Snow and ties them up in a gruesome little bow, delivering the splatter we want with added depth. The franchise gives a great Ghost Jason while layering in community trauma, family ramifications, all the things that would happen with a slasher but are seldom touched on. Tommy Jarvis returns to have a "final" battle with Jason, continuing on the franchise canon while blazing a new trail. The cinematography and filmmaking are great. The actors are talented. And the story strikes the right balance between violence and substance. It is the rendition of Jason and Camp Crystal Lake that we have needed for a long time.
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8/10
Amazing!
danielcereto6 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This second part is even better than the first part. Fan film? No way. This movie is far better than 80% of nowadays slashers. Keeping in mind the budget, it's a piece of art for fans like me that love Jason and Friday the 13th.

First, the Fx's are quite good. It doesn't look cheap or bad. They really used some old tricks to show some blood here and there and almost no use of CGI what is great keeping in mind nowadays horror movies look terrible because the excessive use of computer even for blood.

Second, I really loved the acting. I mean it's an slasher , so don't expect an Oscar winning interpretation and you'll be fine. Great cast in general, but even better Jason.

So, overall a great Friday the 13th tribute. Thank you guys. Keep it up!
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9/10
Much More than just a Fan Film!
Retro_Ave20 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly This doesn't feel or look like a Fan Film at all. Some of the best cinematography in the entire franchise. Vincente Visanti and the teams passion for Friday the 13th comes out in every scene. Your getting Studio Quality here but with a cohesive storyline that pulls off a great ending to the Tommy Jarvis plotline we never got. There is fan service if your looking for it, but its not overdone it fits and works perfectly. Vincente steps up the kills and carnage from previous installments which means more screentime for Jason and he's never looked better. Honestly this may be best Score of series as well in my humble opinion. The way the movie ties everything up makes sense. I didn't give it a perfect rating, i could nitpick a few negatives but with the budget and what they had to work with that would be a disservice to what the team has accomplished here.

Vincente Thank You Good Sir i know you have sacrificed a lot to give us these movies. Look forward to seeing you do big things in future.
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