Devil in the Flesh was a negligible PG-13 erotic thriller that culled all gratuitous nudity and violence but used suggestive methods to keep the implied dark and sexual proceedings rolling. Devil in the Flesh 2 on the other hand throws almost everything into the mix, resulting in something which comes pretty close to violent softcore pornography but without the Basic Instinct excess.

If you haven’t yet digested my review of Devil in the Flesh starring Rose McGowan (Jawbreaker), where I pick up the sequel’s premise may confuse you, but stay with me. Devil in the Flesh 2 begins shortly after the events of the 1998 original. Debbie Strand is now under psychiatric care and after repeated sexual and verbal abuse from Nurse Bates (Wendy Worthington) she fights back and manages to escape, leaving death and destruction in her wake.

She eventually hitches a ride with a local oil tycoon’s daughter, Tracy Carlay (Sarah Lancaster), but once again the ride doesn’t go as Debbie planned and ends in Carlay’s unexpected death. Debbie thinks fast and steals both her victim’s identity and her car and heads off to the college that Carlay was supposed to attend. There, Debbie quickly develops another psychotic crush, this time on her dashing professor, Dr. Sam Deckner (Jsu Garcia), but high jinks strikes again and Debbie is forced to seduce her way into her new suitor’s heart by any means.

However, her scheme starts to fall apart when her roommate, Laney (Jeanette Brox), unravels Debbie’s lies and discovers the truth about her past, thanks to the Internet. Knowing that she is in danger of being exposed, Debbie makes plans to bolt out of town, but during a heated confrontation her roommate Laney ends up dead, leaving Debbie free to continue her seductive agenda to steal Dr. Sam Deckner’s heart.

Directed by Marcus Spiegel (Undressed), Devil in the Flesh 2, like its source material, has some of the faults that usually plague seduction cinema, but Spiegel impeccably strikes a cohesive balance between the sequel being a thriller and a skin flick, with some opulent cinematography by M. David Mullen (Jennifer’s Body). Returning writer Richard Brandes (Jeepers Creepers 3) flawlessly moves Debbie’s story forward, but he additionally treats the follow up as a retooling, which works well for viewers that are unfamiliar with the first film. Returning viewers like me are treated to a few nice Easter eggs including Alex McArthur, who played the first film’s love interest Peter Rinaldi, turning up as Dr. John Sims before Debbie gives him what for.