Ten years after the psychological horror thriller Death Curve (2015) sent chills down the spines of genre fans, a bold new sequel emerges—Death Curve: Reckoning. This follow-up dives deeper into the trauma, guilt, and grim survival instincts that defined the original, while delivering a more complex narrative and a few clever surprises.
In the 2015 original, we followed Mallory, a young woman who veered off course into a nightmare when a charming hitchhiker revealed himself to be a sadistic killer. After crashing her car on a remote curve, she became trapped inside the vehicle, forced into a claustrophobic battle of wits and willpower.
Reckoning picks up years later. Mallory, now played by a more mature and battle-hardened Julianne Hough, has rebuilt her life—barely. Suffering from PTSD and recurring visions of her near-death experience, she joins a support group for trauma survivors. But when other group members begin to go missing under eerily familiar circumstances, Mallory suspects the nightmare isn't over.
This time, the game is more elaborate. The killer—or a copycat—has turned the trauma itself into a weapon, targeting survivors who once “escaped the curve.” Mallory must confront her past, revisit the site of her crash, and uncover whether the evil she faced was truly left behind... or just waiting for a second act.
Director Jennifer Reeder, known for her atmospheric feminist horror, brings a more psychological and symbolic edge to the sequel. Flashbacks are interwoven with dreamlike sequences, making viewers question what’s real and what’s part of Mallory’s fractured mind. The tension isn’t just physical—it’s emotional, internal, and existential.
While the original film thrived on minimalism and confinement, Reckoning expands the scope while keeping the dread tight and personal. The result is a film that honors its predecessor without repeating it.
Critics may debate whether the mystery fully holds up, and some may find the symbolism a bit heavy-handed. But there’s no denying the impact of a film that dares to turn survival into something more than escape—it becomes a reckoning.
