Frogman Returns (Frightfest 2026)

Frogman Returns joins a select group of horror sequels that improves on its predecessor, even reckoning on the original’s barking mad hypnosis-impregnation final act. Cousins’ second entry in the Frogman series, however, takes the formula in a welcome new direction, with significantly better effects, a media satire subplot and some excellent character work to make a superior piece of cryptid horror.

Cryptid horror has become something of a fashion in the past few years, a tantalising reminder of the joys of the unknown in an era when whimsy seems to be far from people’s minds. In a world that seems to have mapped all human knowledge centuries ago, where we are taught to believe that everything exciting has already been discovered, the cryptid reminds us of what we might not know of the world. These can be blood-curdling reminders of human frailty (think of the clips of people reacting to the massive Subnautica 2 creatures) or something more comical, such as the constantly weeping squonk that camerawoman Lucy so desperately wants to see in Frogman Returns. One thing is constant, however; the cryptid is a thrill, and that is what Frogman Returns understands.

The sequel kicks off two years after the end of the first film, where Dallas’s efforts to unmask the Frogman have resulted in a certain modicum of fame he very much resents. Far from the loudmouthed braggart we once knew, this Dallas is conflicted, clearly still dealing with the disappearance of his friend and estrangement from the girl he loved while reckoning with the exploitative nature of the Cryptid TV show he is hosting. It has given him a level of compassion previously unseen, such as when he calms a Fresno nightcrawler after it attacks members of his crew. But it has also left him deeply uncomfortable with the spotlight, especially when paired with pushy reality TV producer Bridget. With a frizzy ginger mane and an eye watering taste in shirts, Bridget is the archetypal parody of self-obsessed TV types, right down to the obsession with always getting the best shot even if it means invading people’s privacy. Much of the film’s tension comes from their mutual antipathy, Dallas regarding her as the scum of the Earth and Bridget unable to see Dallas as anything more than a commodity to be exploited.

FOR MORE ON FROGMAN RETURNS AND FRIGHTFEST, CLICK THE POSTER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

And that includes following Dallas back to Loveland in search of his beloved Amy. But the Loveland he returns to is no longer the kitschy tourist trap he arrogantly breezed through two years prior. Denizens of the town have been forced underground by Dallas’s film, forced to live on rats and trash out of the public eye. Amy, still hearing Frogman’s voice in her head, has become embittered by the stigma around her participation in the film and has returned for revenge against it and Dallas, who she understandably blames for her situation. The gradual reveal of the damage he caused mirrors his own blinkered understanding of his actions; we’re so aligned with his vision that we start the film understanding only the guilt he feels for a very limited series of actions. His journey is recognising his responsibility for the wider chain of events he started and the lives he damaged by revealing the existence of cryptids to the world. 

A cryptid is only as good as the effects used to make him, and here Cousins and his team have done an excellent job. Even before we get to the Shirashi-esque nightmare dimension of cryptids, this is a real cut above the prior film. The design of the Frogman allows him a level of mobility previously unseen beyond a few strategic editing choices, but particularly impressive is the Fresno nightcrawler and the mass of wriggling tendrils that make up its body. A mixture of what appears to be CGI and practical effects, the combination never seems less than believable, which is necessary in conveying something so patently absurd. Cousins’ film commits to the strangeness of his premise with admirable dedication; no winks to the cameras here about the impossibility of making a cryptid in a low-budget horror film. That gravity anchors the film and helps the character development feel believable and earned. Special praise must be given to Nathan Tymoshuk for playing someone so utterly different to his original role and yet making that change feel entirely in keeping with the film’s universe, even when he’s having to interact with a spectral pair of floating legs. 

A delightful surprise of a film that takes the original story and improves on it in every way, Frogman Returns understands the importance of developing its characters and not merely amping up the gore. The question now is: what will happen to Dallas next?

ETHAN’S ARCHIVE – FROGMAN RETURNS