While the ending of Brahms: the Boy II may ruin the rest of the movie for you, at least you can make it to the end, because The Assistant will put you to sleep faster than Ambien. Much like with the first The Boy, this one also has a fantastic setup, but the outlandish, from-out-of-left-field, bizarre showdown will undo any and everything done well in the first two acts. The scariest part of the movie is the very beginning when the catalyst for the entire story occurs. Even though horror sequels do not tend to be as strong or as appealing as the original–and that’s assuming the original IS good, which The Boy is not–there are surprises such as Ouija: Origin of Evil and Annabelle: Creation, both of which were far superior to the original. The aforementioned are excellent horror films! This is important to know because that is why I was cautiously optimistic for Brahms: the Boy II. Even though the first one was bad, there was hope that the sequel would be good, especially after the trailer wasn’t half bad. Needless to say, I was completely wrong. The same problems that plagued the first one, plague this one too. The writer certainly knows how to setup a story, even deliver some tension-filled conflict, but then drops the ball and get lazy in the third act. I don’t think anyone truly went into this movie wanting a compelling story, thoughtful social commentary, or anything along those lines, but it billed itself as a fun movie. And it was not. If your movie isn’t going to be “good,” then it at least needs to be entertaining all the way through. Although, this movie was far more entertaining and engaging than The Assistant. And that’s not saying much.

The Assistant is one of those intimate dramas that undoubtedly began with the intention to explore the sexist nature of office culture, the film industry, and why whistle blowers are afraid to come forward. There is a thoughtful, relevant, timely topic in this film that needs to be dramatized more, but instead this one seeks to put you to sleep instead because the screenplay gives these characters nothing to do, no goals, or any meaning behind the action plot. Not much of a plot to begin with. With such an opportunity to craft a thought-provoking film WITH a compelling plot, I wonder why it wound up just feeling like a “day in the life of” and that’s pretty well it. As I tell my student, “a day int he life of” is not a plot in and of itself. Interestingly, the trailer made this one look like Office Killer, but it’s definitely not horror nor even horror-adjacent, in the conventional sense. This same story would have worked so much better had it gone the horror route to comment on office culture like the neo cult classic Office Killer. Thankfully, I watched The Lodge before these two movies the week they all released, and that film helps to make up for the time spent with these two.

Ryan teaches screenwriting at the University of Tampa. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter or email him at RLTerry1@gmail.com! You can catch Ryan most weeks at Studio Movie Grill Tampa, so if you’re in the area, feel free to catch a movie with him!

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