Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When a vintage Jack-in-the-box is opened by a dying woman, she enters into a deal with the demon within that would see her illness cured in return for helping it claim six innocent victims.
A formulaic horror sequel built around an evil clown demon, The Jack in the Box: Awakening recycles the premise of its predecessor with a serviceable but uninspired deal-with-the-devil plot. Acting is passable but unremarkable, and the film leans on genre conventions without bringing much fresh to the table. Cinematography shows some craft in its gothic atmosphere and creature presentation, lifting it slightly above its peers in the low-budget horror space. The ending resolves predictably without much surprise or resonance, consistent with the by-the-numbers approach throughout.