Poltergeist II: The Other Side

After the terror that tore their home apart, the Freeling family tries to put their lives back together by moving in with Diane's mother. The young Carol Anne still seems linked to forces nobody can explain, and strange phenomena keep surfacing around her. As the family seeks safety, a sinister presence begins to take shape in the form of a charismatic, zealous figure who claims spiritual authority and sets his sights on Carol Anne. The film follows the Freelings as they confront recurring hauntings, unsettling visions, and a threat that mixes religious fanaticism with otherworldly menace, all while trying to protect a child who may be more important than anyone imagined.

Released in 1986, the sequel was directed by Brian Gibson and draws on characters created by Mark Victor and Michael Grais. It continues the story begun in the 1982 original and brings back several principal cast members, keeping the franchise's focus on the Freeling family.

Commercially the picture did okay but didn't reach the cultural or box office heights of its predecessor. It earned a moderate audience on release, enough to justify the sequel but not enough to dominate headlines, and it remains seen as a middle entry in an otherwise influential horror series.

The movie helped cement certain franchise images, from the eerie vulnerability of Carol Anne to the presence of a human antagonist cloaked in religious rhetoric. Zelda Rubinstein's Tangina remains a memorable touch, and the film's spectral effects and cult-leader antagonist added to 1980s horror iconography, keeping the series alive in popular memory.

Critical reaction was mixed, reflected in a user rating just under 6 out of 10 on aggregate polls. Reviewers and viewers pointed to strong performances and striking visuals while criticizing plot cohesion and tonal shifts. Major themes include family trauma, faith versus fanaticism, the exploitation of innocence, and how grief can open doors to dangerous beliefs.