The follow-up to Omar Rogers’ The Bad Visitor, The Bad Visitor 2, demonstrates the full range of advantages and disadvantages of making a movie all by yourself. You see, gentle reader, Omar Rogers is credited as writing and directing this film. He also stars in it as David as well as serving as the cinematographer and editor. This DIY aesthetic is made possible by the affordability of equipment these days. This is an entirely laudable means to create your films. I would not be surprised if Omar Rogers has prepared most, if not all, of his 12 features all by himself. So with that information in mind, how was The Bad Visitor 2?
In the first film, The Bad Visitor Vanessa (Angielethia Carter) and her husband David (Omar Rogers) play host to Gloria (Tamia Naomi). Things go from bad to worse when it’s discovered that Gloria came for a visit to settle some old scores she had with both Vanessa and David. That story is concluded with the cold open here. In the cold open, Reese (Jazmine Craib) kills Gloria after she stabs David three times in the gut. Having learned her dear cousin Gloria was shot dead, Mila (Katrina Edwards) vows revenge. And this is when both the plot starts, and the bodies start piling up.
The Bad Visitor 2 works as an exploration of life in ATL, and a revenge plot that an urbanite would concoct. As is the case with most tales of revenge, the road to achieving the ultimate goal is long and messy. It’s in the killings that we see the disadvantages of crafting such a film by yourself.
“Having learned her dear cousin Gloria was shot dead, Mila vows revenge.”
While Rogers is good at framing a shot, directing the actors, and writing a script in the manner people down in Atlanta talk, he is not so great at practical visual effects. The Bad Visitor 2 would have benefited greatly from some plasticine molds of people’s faces that could have been horrifically disfigured so as to demonstrate the ferocity of the beat-downs inflicted. While Rogers does his best with stage blood and make-up, some plastic molds to shred would have enhanced the reveal shots of the damaged victims significantly.
Also, the audio effects for the stabbings and beatdowns are fast and perfunctory. While that has been demonstrated to work in productions like Breaking Bad, it works there because music covers up the sound cue for the violent use of shivs. Here, we are treated to the actual sounds of violence, and the picture is slightly diminished by that. I’d prefer, gentle reader, that there exists a Foley soundtrack for the violence.
Apart from those disadvantages, the story is absolutely plausible. The Bad Visitor 2 explores a black American story that happens all too frequently. I found the plot and story beats both compelling and well done. The dialogue is the correct blend of everyday life, interspersed with stress and drama. The word choices frame it in Black Atlanta.
So, if you like urban dramas, The Bad Visitor 2 is for you. I would encourage you to stream this when it finds its way onto a streaming platform, and enjoy it with a plate of Lemon-Pepper wings and a big cup of sweet tea. That is the sort of film this is.
For screening information, visit the The Bad Visitor 2 page at Breaking Glass Pictures.
"…compelling and well done."
