It's OK to be Scared Sometimes.

Kaleidoscope's latest is on STX Entertainment's & Lakeshore Entertainment's production of "Brahms: The Boy 2".  Directed by William Brent Bell, the movie stars Katie Holmes, Owain Yeoman, Christopher Convery, & Ralph Ineson.  Rated 'PG-13', it has a running time of 1 hr., 26 min.

The film's exposition details the violent invasion of Liza (Holmes), Sean's (Owain), & Jude's (Convery) home in London by 2 intruders.  During the assault, Liza suffers a head injury.  Having witnessed the assault on his mother, Jude suffers from PTSD.  As a result, Jude remains silent & only communicates by writing on a note pad.  In consultation with Jude's therapist, the 3 move to the country & buy the Heelshire's property (the same property that formed the setting of 2016's "The Boy").  While exploring the woods shortly after arrival, Jude comes upon a porcelain doll buried not far from their home.  Cleaning off some of the dirt, Jude brings the doll to the house.   Liza thoroughly cleans the doll; she & Sean hope that the doll, curiously named Brahms by Jude, will be therapeutic. Little do Liza & Sean know...

Bell (the director of "The Boy, also) has fashioned a sequel that is, essentially, the same as its predecessor.  Except for the exposition, the arc is very similar.  Screenwriter Stacey Menear, writer of "The Boy"--and nothing else, has regurgitated most of what is seen in the current iteration.  The thrills are mild, the plot points at which the audience is supposed to jump are telegraphed well ahead of time, & if one has seen "The Boy', one knows how it will end--despite an epilogue that portends sequel #2.  The acting is routine, at best.  Holmes is satisfactory as Liza--nothing more.  Yeoman is subdued and generic as the dad who does not quite 'get it' until halfway through the 3rd act.  Ineson is menacing, but one can get his 'secret' soon after seeing him.  Convery is bland throughout.  One cannot work up any real emotion toward him.  The only remarkable aspect is his uncanny resemblance to Brahms, the doll.  The score, cinematography, & editing are all professional but mediocre in concept.

I give "Brahms: The Boy 2" 5 out 10 nuggets.  If one has seen "The Boy', one has seen this film.  Wait for streaming or pay cable, if at all.