Unnamed Footage Festival 2026: ‘Frogman Returns’ births outrageous world-building
Anthony Cousins has a franchise on his hands.
Throughout horror history, many sequels far surpass the original: Evil Dead II, Child’s Play 2, Aliens, and Friday the 13th Part II—to name a few. Now, we can add Anthony Cousins’ ribbeting sequel, Frogman Returns, to the growing pile. The film, playing this year’s Unnamed Footage Festival, goes bigger and bolder in every possible way. Cousins methodically builds onto what he forged with 2023’s breakout hit, Frogman, and takes cues from several iconic horror films, including Evil Dead II. Frogman Returns could have arrived as a pale imitation of the first film, but that’s not the case here. Cousins, who co-wrote the script with John Karsko, knocks it out of the park with a natural progression to the story while also offering up something fresh, exciting, and absolutely outrageous.
Several months have passed since Scotty’s (Benny Barrett) disappearance and the film’s high-profile release. Everyone in the world now knows about Frogman’s existence. Dallas (Nathan Tymoshuk) scores big and lands his own TV show exploring various legends about unseen cryptids. Meanwhile, Amy (Chelsey Grant) struggles to get work in LA, forever haunted (and probably cursed) by the past. Fate brings them back together when they both return to Loveland, Ohio, to confront and kill Frogman. Producer Bridget Sauer (Alexis Allotta) only sees dollar signs and pushes Dallas to the brink of sanity just to get the perfect intro.
But Dallas is far more concerned with Amy’s safety. As they head into the belly of the beast, what they encounter is far bigger than either of them could have anticipated. The world as they know it gets turned on its head in alarming ways. In a weakened state, Frogman must be hunted through a maze of underground tunnels. Along with camera-person Lucy (Natalie Tran), the group is not equipped to handle the horrors that await them far below Earth’s surface.
Cousins honors the Frogman lore outlined in his 2023 film and expands what we’ve come to expect in thrilling ways. He teases you with a slow build, relying on the character dynamics, before unleashing hell in the third act. It’s an ambitious take that will make your jaw drop. Frogman Returns isn’t your usual sequel. It reapplies foundational elements on a much grander scale. Dallas transforms into Ash, and Tymoshuk steps into the very large boots of Bruce Campbell. You just have to see it to believe it.
With Frogman Returns, unfathomable possibilities await. Anthony Cousins has a franchise on his hands, and he’s clearly ready for the challenge. I don’t know about anyone else, but I could use 100 more Frogman movies and be perfectly happy.
Frogman Returns screens at the Unnamed Footage Festival this Friday (March 27) at 7:20 p.m. at the Balboa Theater in San Francisco.
