“Who would wanna do that? Sequels suck! Oh, please, please! By definition alone, sequels are inferior films!”
Randy-Scream 2
Urban Legends: Final Cut may not be a genre-defining classic, but it manages to deliver a satisfying mix of thrills and meta-horror that is more clever than it’s often given credit for. This sequel to the 1998 slasher Urban Legend leans into its film-school setting to craft a more self-aware and playful story with its premise than many of its late-90s/early-2000s contemporaries.
The film follows Amy Mayfield (Jennifer Morrison), a student at Alpine University, trying to win a prestigious Hitchcock Award for her thesis film. As Amy crafts her movie, inspired by a series of urban legends, her fellow students begin to die in ways eerily similar to those depicted in her script. What makes Urban Legends: Final Cut stand out is the way it cleverly blurs the lines between film and reality, constantly winking at its audience while still delivering the tension and bloodshed you’d expect from a slasher.
While adhering to familiar genre tropes, the script has enough wit and twists to keep things interesting. The film-student setting isn’t just window dressing—it’s a key element that allows for a more self-referential take on the slasher formula. From discussions about filmmaking theory to moments of horror staged like scenes from a movie, Final Cut revels in its ability to toy with the audience’s expectations. The murders, many of them inspired by urban legends (again), are as much about spectacle as they are about scares, fitting the film-within-a-film vibe the script nails down.
One of the film’s strongest assets is its cast, led by the likable and determined Jennifer Morrison. Morrison brings a grounded performance as Amy, and her journey from a wide-eyed student to a more hardened final girl is convincing enough to keep you invested. Supporting roles by Matthew Davis, such as the charming-yet-suspicious Travis Stark and Eva Mendes, who shine in one of her early roles as the cynical and tough Vanessa, bring energy to the film. Meanwhile, Anthony Anderson and Joseph Lawrence add a bit of comic relief, helping to lighten the mood in between the carnage.
Though Urban Legends: Final Cut is undeniably more polished than the first film, its playful script and a solid ensemble cast elevate it beyond being just another slasher sequel. It leans heavily into its meta-conceit without becoming overbearing, and while it may not be groundbreaking, it’s certainly fun.
Yes, there are occasional lapses in logic and some predictable moments—this is still a slasher film, but the movie makes the most of its premise and doesn’t shy away from embracing the absurd. And for that, it’s worth watching. In the world of turn-of-the-millennium horror sequels, Urban Legends: Final Cut might not be the flashiest, but it proves that with a sharp enough script and a cast that’s willing to lean into the fun, there’s still plenty of life (and death) in the urban legends that haunt us.
Rating: 6.5/10
