B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping Lost Records: Bloom & Rage – Tape 2 into the ol’ VCR.

CW/TW: DV, mentions/depictions of cancer, and all like topics 

If you missed our piece last week about the first part of Lost Records, here’s a quick primer: 

Friends Nora, Swann, Kat, and Autumn bond during the summer of 1995 over their love of music and “outcast” status. 

However, 27 years later, the girls struggle to recall parts of that summer and meet up for the first time since they split up to open a mysterious package. 

As we switch between the past and present, we discover that there’s more to the story than the girls could’ve ever imagined. 

I also want to take a second because I forgot to put a CW/TW warning on the previous piece for DV and mentions/depictions of cancer. I plan to go back and add those warnings in, but I want to make sure you know these themes are prominent throughout the game. 

Moving on. 

I think Tape 2 gives us an extremely satisfying conclusion to the Rage & Bloom story while leaving the door open for another installment or spin-off. 

Part The Craft, part Color Out of Space, and part The Halloween Tree, Tape 2 strikes a perfect balance between supernatural and reality. 

Something I also love about both installments is that the story could still work without the supernatural element; if the story were just about these girls having the summer of their lives, I would still be enthralled. 

Do the paranormal elements add another level? Absolutely, but the plot isn’t dependent on it. 

I also love how it tells a queer love story without making it exploitative and while making it feel natural. 

Additionally, it’s incredible how little pieces from the ARG made their way into the game itself, giving those who cracked the puzzles a reward for all their hard work. 

I know I said this in our other piece, but I honestly need for this to be a series because I think it could do really, really well. 

It’s a big time commitment, but I highly recommend watching playthroughs of both tapes because it’s more like watching a movie than game play, I promise. 

I watched both parts on the Night Mind Live channel and enjoyed his commentary, but there are also other options across YouTube if you prefer a different experience. 

Bloom & Rage forever. 🖤