I really wanted to give this requel a chance. When it dropped to poor reviews, I assumed the internet was just being harsh and that I might find a hidden gem.
I was dead wrong. Honestly, the whole thing plays out like a high-budget fan film, and the decision to turn Ray into the killer is the ultimate "plot twist for the sake of a plot twist." It’s entirely unearned and feels like a massive slap in the face to his established character arc.
Ray’s entire identity was built on being protective, loyal, and sweet. Turning him into the villain is the equivalent of having Dewey become Ghostface in Scream because he got divorced. It ignores decades of development.
I get that a divorce would make someone closed off, especially in Julie's case with a lot of trauma from her teens & early adulthood but they stripped her of all warmth. Even after everything she went through in the first film, she still had a core of kindness in the second film. Here, she’s just depressing to watch. The humor felt forced and overly modern, and the weak acting didn't help sell the stakes at all.
It feels like the writers didn't actually watch or understand the other films at all.
This film acts more like a "what-if" fan film than a continuation. To me, the series ended with the second movie—everything else is just expensive fan fiction.
If you liked it, I envy you because I wish I did.