REVIEW: ‘The Addams Family 2’ Dives into Nostalgia

The Addams Family has been a childhood constant for multiple generations now, and The Addams Family 2 continues the creepy and cooky family for this gen. Directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, The Addams Family 2 features a screenplay by Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit and Ben Queen and Susanna Fogel, and a story by Hernandez & Samit. It also features a stellar voice cast with Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Kroll, Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Wallace Shawn, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Bill Hader.

Everyone’s favorite spooky family is back with The Addams Family 2. Not only does this sequel build on the last installment but it also brings out nostalgic elements from Addams Family Values that will make fans of the 90s film embrace this film as well. In this one, Morticia and Gomez (well, mostly Gomez) are distraught that Wednesday is growing up. She’s skipping family dinners, and totally consumed with “scream time.” To reclaim their bond, they decide to cram Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, and the crew into their haunted camper and hit the road as they travel across the country. On the way, they encounter a new crew of characters that puts the Addams family bond into question. Which pushes the film to the same focus as its predecessor: what makes an Addams?

Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve been hesitant about jumping into this series. With the 90s films taking a place on my formative films list, seeing the characters look drastically different caused hesitation. With the first movie, we got an animated film that made its own path for a new generation. In The Addams Family 2 we see a reimagining of themes from Addams Family Values that stand the test of time.

When it comes to family, sure the Addams family is weird and creepy and cooky and spooky, but they’re also loving and caring. That’s the important part of the franchise that has carried over well and with Wednesday taking center stage in this film, it’s easy to see how it will serve a younger audience.

Beyond the message of family being more than blood, the film offers up jokes that land with kids and adults alike. There is of course the toilet humor that makes kids giggle, but there are also more adult elements that lean hard into the macabre and dance with double entendre.

The biggest drawback of the film is its pacing that feels like two different ideas pulled into one without a strong tether between them. And well, the fact that if you lived in or even visited any of the cities mentioned (especially San Antonio) suspension of disbelief is pushed way too far. Despite hyper-stylized visuals, it just doesn’t fit. Like, I promise you, you won’t see just white people in San Antonio… it’s majority Latinx. Locations aside, The Addams Family 2 tries its best to keep humor and heart at the center and it mostly ends up sticking the landing.

That said, to really fall in love with The Addams Family 2, you have to have a strong love of the core of the spooky family. While the film is more strange than spooky it hits its notes well with a cast of voice actors that throw themselves into every line of dialogue. Overall, it’s not the perfect Addams Family film, but it does capture the heart and nostalgia of the ones that came before it. Plus, when your theme song features Megan Thee Stallion, it’s easy to get excited.

The Addams Family 2 is available on-demand and in theaters nationwide.

Kate Sánchez

Kate is co-founder, EIC, and CCO of BWT. She’s also a Certified Rotten Tomatoes Critic, host, and creator of our flagship podcast, But Why Tho?. She also manages all PR relationships for comics, manga, film, TV, and anime.