“Sequel” is a bit of a dirty word when it comes to films because they're rarely better than the films they follow. A sequel to a profitable film is a safer investment than a film based on an original script though, so more tend to get made than are needed. That said, two films in this year's Midnight Madness program ([REC]2 and Ong Bak 2: The Beginning) are sequels, and both in my opinion are needed. If you haven't seen the original Ong Bak or [REC] films, don't worry. They're both sort of special sequels in that you don't necessarily need to have seen the first films before seeing them.

Ong Bak 2 has no connection whatsoever to Ong Bak aside from it starring Tony Jaa. So if you haven't seen Ong Bak yet, you can wait until TIFF is over to rent it.

[REC]2's a slightly stranger case. [REC]2 takes place fifteen minutes after the end of [REC], so it's ideal if you've seen the original film but if you haven't... Have you seen Quarantine? Quarantine is an American remake of [REC] (and a pretty faithful one at that) so if you've seen it, you're set. Be the envy of all your Quarantine-loving friends and find out what happens next. Hint: A badass SWAT team with big guns enter the building to evict the building's remaining tenants.

[Rec]2 screenings:

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning screenings: 

Saturday September 19	09:45AM	SCOTIABANK THEATRE 2
Saturday September 19	11:59PM	RYERSON