Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Director: Cathy Yan
Writer: Walter McKnight
Based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer media franchise and characters created by Joss Whedon
Cast: Meg Donnelly, Dacre Montgomery, Max Irons, Annalise Basso, Kira Kosarin, Teagan Croft, Elisabeth Shue, Nick Frost, Sophie Lowe, Bailey Bass, Elena Kampouris
Plot: In Victorian London, William Pratt (Max Irons) wanders a lonely street after being humiliated by London’s elite. Drusilla (Sophie Lowe) emerges from the fog, speaking to him with unnerving interest. She circles him and suddenly presses him against a wall with inhuman strength. She bites him, and later, William rises pale and trembling. Drusilla smiles with satisfaction, guiding him deeper into the night as her new vampire companion, Spike.
Present Day. During a crowded vampire movie night at the Sunnydale drive-in, Spike and Drusilla slip through parked cars. A woman screams as Drusilla lunges onto a car roof, and chaos erupts when Spike tears open a passenger door. People flee between rows of vehicles while engines start and cars scatter across the lot.
At lunch the next day, Buffy Summers (Meg Donnelly) recounts to her best friend Willow Rosenberg (Annalise Basso) how Oliver died in a vampire attack soon after prom. The memory is still raw, but she explains she didn’t want the news defining her at school. Willow reminds her she doesn’t have to carry everything alone, but Buffy is clearly struggling with the loss.
That evening, Buffy sits at the kitchen table while Joyce (Elisabeth Shue) prepares dinner and Dawn (Teagan Croft) complains about school. Joyce notices Buffy is distracted and asks if something is wrong. Buffy brushes it off, saying she’s just tired. Dawn snaps that Buffy is “always tired lately” and never around anymore.
Buffy is in the school library when she finds Giles (Nick Frost) buried under a mound of fallen books he accidentally knocked over. He enthusiastically explains he is her new Watcher and immediately launches into a rundown of Sunnydale’s growing vampire problems. Buffy is skeptical until he details Spike and Drusilla’s recent movements - showing he's knowledgeable in addition to clumsy.
Joyce comes to the school to drop off paperwork and runs into Giles in the library. He introduces himself as the librarian and immediately knocks over a rolling cart while shaking her hand. Joyce laughs politely, but becomes uneasy when Giles asks pointed questions about Buffy’s adjustment to Sunnydale and whether she’s been acting differently at home with everything that's happened. Joyce leaves confused.
Amber Grove (Bailey Bass), from rival Ridgecrest High, marches into Sunnydale's cheer practice with her cheer squad in tow.She criticizes the routines planned by Cordelia Chase (Kira Kosarin). Buffy watches the rivalry escalate. Willow mutters from the stands, questioning if Amber's bitchy attitude might require supernatural explanation.
Buffy, Willow, Cordelia, and Giles examine the drive-in aftermath. Giles identifies the culprits as Spike and Drusilla based on past Watcher reports. He warns that wherever they appear, destruction follows. Buffy says that they need to find them before they hurt more innocent people. Cordelia however insists that it should be second priority following the regional cheer competition.
While investigating, Buffy encounters Spike, who taunts her before launching into a fast, brutal fight. Buffy blocks his swings, landing kicks to his chest, but Spike is able to corner her until Angel (Dacre Montgomery) suddenly appears and drives him back violently. Spike retreats with a smirk, while Angel warns Buffy that she's in over her head. Buffy asks who Angel is, but he vanishes.
Convinced Amber is secretly supernatural, Willow confronts her outside of Ridgecrest High School holding a cross and a bottle of holy water. Amber shrieks from the water splashing onto her cheer uniform. Willow realizes that Amber is fully human - just mean, and runs away.
Giles attempts to dig through the library's archives, finally finding a thick old volume. He hands it to Buffy. The text details Angel's past. Giles explains that Angel was long ago a human named Liam before becoming a violent vampire known as Angelus.
18th Century Ireland. Liam is lured into becoming a vampire by Darla (Elena Kampouris). He travels across Europe with Darla, even crossing paths and teaming up with Drusilla and Spike to wreak havoc. After slaughtering and feeding on a Romani clan, he is cursed with the return of his human soul, leaving him anguished over the harm and violence he has caused.
Dawn excitedly tells Buffy about a school event she wants her to attend the night before the competition. Buffy promises she’ll try, but later cancels at the last minute due to patrol. Dawn lashes out, accusing Buffy of caring more about cheer and strangers than her own family. Buffy starts to explain, stops herself, and apologizes without giving a reason. Dawn storms off.
Buffy is able to track down Angel and questions him. Angel admits that everything she read was true and that he regrets every life he took. Buffy listens intently, but wants to know if they are truly on the same side. Angel tells her that he wants to stop Spike and Drusilla's chaos.
Sunnydale High hosts the regional cheer competition, bringing crowds and rival teams into their gymnasium. Buffy alternates between cheer routines and scanning the area for vampires.
Backstage, a vampire grabs Amber while she is adjusting her uniform. Willow tackles the creature. Her bottle of holy water spills open, burning the flesh of the vampire. Amber trembles in shock.
As Sunnydale's routine begins, the gym lights shut off. Drusilla appears on the rafters. Spike blocks the exit. Drusilla descends to the cheer mat, eyes fixed on Buffy. Buffy clashes with Drusilla across the mat while Willow and Cordelia try to guide the civilians away from the violence. Giles tries to help as well, but it trampled by the crowd.
Buffy grabs a large cheer trophy and drives it forward, staking Drusilla in the heart with it. Drusilla crumbles into ash. Spike watches from above. He then retreats into the shadows.
The rest of the cheer competition is cancelled. Buffy is happy that she was able to destroy Drusilla before she took any more lives, but Angel warns her that Spike is bound to seek revenge.
Amber finds Willow and thanks her awkwardly for saving her life. Willow tries to downplay it, but accidentally suggests she’ll keep monitoring Amber just to be sure.
Late that night, Buffy returns home bruised and exhausted. Joyce is awake, having heard about the chaos at the competition on the news. She asks if Buffy is okay and gently touches a bruise on her arm. Buffy insists it was just an accident. Joyce doesn’t fully believe her but pulls her into a hug anyway.
Buffy, Giles, Willow, Cordelia, and Angel meet in the library to discuss what's next. Giles warns that other powerful forces may be stirred by recent events. Buffy accepts that Sunnydale will always attract trouble, but at least she isn’t facing it alone.
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