Freeway II: Confessions Of A Trickbaby (1999) ***1/2 [Trash Cinema Double Feature Pt. 1]

Matthew Bright’s direct-to-video in-name-only sequel, Freeway II: Confessions Of A Trickbaby (1999), offers up another trash odyssey, dabbling in the same genre-mashing as its 1996 predecessor (review). You have a bit of the women’s prison picture, the serial killer psychological horror, and the road movie—all laced throughout with Bright's blackly comic sense of humor. 

As with the first film, the story concerns a troubled young girl—whom the system has failed—on a dark journey to redemption. Bright again taps into Brothers Grimm folk tale lore—while Freeway was a take on Little Red Riding Hood, for FWII it's Hansel And Gretel. This time around, we follow a duo (one of which is a serial killer and a lesbian) so there's more of a Natural Born Killers (1994) (review) (if it were made by John Waters) or Thelma & Louise (1991) (if it were made by Gregg Araki) feel to the film. (Coincidentally Oliver Stone executive produced the first Freeway.)

I wasn't as enamored with Natasha Lyonne's character in the sequel as Reese Witherspoon's in the first film but that's not to say she doesn't give a great performance. María Celedonio is very committed to her role and particularly impressive. Vincent Gallo, in an appropriately bizarro portrayal, is also a highlight. 

FWII isn't as strong a film as the original—and really it's not fair to compare them; they're different enough that the sequel stands on its own—but it's still a very entertaining movie for adventurous audiences who enjoy subversive cinema. To quote the director: "Vulgarity is timeless."

Recommended for fans of Kalifornia (1993) (review), Perdita Durango (1997), and Wild Things (1998) (review).