It's rare that a sequel can be better than the original, and while I do not think _Ginger Snaps 2_ is better, it is as good as the original.
What makes this movie great is that it's not trying to be the previous film. Gone are the dark humor, and spooky Halloween fun, this movie is more mature, and subdued.
If you've seen the first movie - and I hope you have - you'll know that it follows two sisters, but it mostly about Ginger herself, whereas this one is all about Brigitte. Ginger does show up [spoiler]How can this be possible when she died? Well, she's not actually there, she appears in the imagination of Brigitte. Split personality? Nah, just a little sister who is coping with guilt/grief over the loss. A great way to still have Ginger in the movie.[/spoiler]
Much like the first movie, this is a story about transformation, only unlike with Ginger, B is fighting the change. In doing so, B has become dependent on wolfsbane. This would already set the movie down a unique enough path, but it goes further. The movie plays out more like a drama or thriller about insanity or a junkie struggling with addiction. Very apt, since B spends half the runtime in a care facility.
The other character who makes this work is Ghost. What can I say about her? [spoiler]First off, I can't say anything without going into spoilers. In fact, just mentioning that there is a spoiler to begin with ruins the effect. Only after seeing the movie do you know that she is out of her mind. This is what demands more than one viewing of _Ginger Snaps 2_: All of the hints are there, and they come across totally different upon a second watch.[/spoiler] I like how she was made an adorable weirdo, a misfit, like B, only the inverse in appearance.
If the first _Ginger Snaps_ was a playful horror movie for goth teens to watch on Halloween, this one is for the same people when they want a more serious watch. The full trilogy is gold, but this one made some bold choices, and stands out as one of the best werewolf movies ever - which is odd, because our werewolf only has a few minutes of screen time.
Truely a gem. I'd recommend this to fans of tense, restrained body horror