Change is the name of the game for this sequel. Prey at Night ditches it's predecessor's slower, more methodical approach in order to go all-out '80s slasher throwback on us. It's a darn good one too. While callbacks to the first film show that many of this masked, serial killing family's rituals are still very much alive, it's clear that they've been up to a lot in the 10 years since we last saw them. They've evolved. They're bolder, more experienced, and even a little sloppier as a result. One of the interesting things about the first movie was finding out that Dollface was a beginner who maybe even struggled a little with the act of taking lives. To see her now as a seasoned murderer without a single speck of hesitation or remorse is haunting. All three of them have a greater level of confidence. Gone are most of the mind games. These psychopaths are ready for the chase. The location fits their new approach well. A wide open trailer park replaces the more confined setting of the earlier remote vacation home. It's got a Camp Crystal Lake vibe (sans lake) and allows for bigger set pieces to alongside the increased amount of gore. I love how the "Strangers" are still making great use of shadows to eerily watch their prey from a distance. It was one of the defining aspects of the first film for me and it's just as creepy as ever. The soundtrack is once again a notable part of the experience. Just not as frequently as before. '80s pop replaces the country music and delivers some great moments. Kim Wilde's "Kids in America" is used to make one of my favorite openings to any movie ever. Did I mention it's gorgeous too? Johannes Roberts loves showing off each killer's creepy mask with beautiful cinematography. The colorful lights and underwater shots of the pool scene are stunning in their everyday nature. This definitely feels like a real place families would go on vacation and the movie makes every average inch of it look great. So what didn't work for me? Only two things really. The expositional family drama is rather cliché and doesn't do anything more than focus on the antagonistic side of the protagonists' relationship with one another until they reach their (final) destination. At which point the action ramps up. Nothing too bad, but kind of "eh" overall. Then there's the ending scene which I hated. I get that this is part love letter to the slasher classics from back in the day. Shoot, one of my favorite scenes is a clear homage to the ending of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. But right before the credits roll it kind of goes a bit too far and steps on the fact that these killers are supposed to be average people. It's part of what made the previous Strangers so special. I think watching this in close proximity with it's predecessor is the best way to do it. Doing so increased my enjoyment a lot as it provided some nice catharsis after the events of that film. You'll also get the full picture of just how strongly the antagonists have grown into their career of senseless violence. This is an almost entirely different kind of horror movie than the one it serves as a follow-up to, but the way it handles the killers makes it feel like the next logical step. The way it borrows from it's inspirations makes it more than just a good emulation, but a slasher strong enough to maybe even stand beside those greats it so clearly looks up to.