It should be noted that I have not seen Jason Krawczyk’s 2015 film He Never Died. As a result, I cannot speak to the comparisons between Krawczyk’s original film and Audrey Cummings’ sequel She Never Died, which utilizes Krawczyk script.

What I can say is that the film does feel like a middle chapter in a much larger story. At its core is Lacey (Olunike Adeliyi), a socially detached loner who also is immortal. How did Lacey end up this way? The answers remain a mystery, but what it is clear is that she has an insatiable appetite for human flesh…and occasionally oatmeal. While most assume that she is just another one of the city’s homeless population, Lacey seeks to satisfy her thirst for bodies with those who do bad deeds…and the city is full of them.

Striking up an unlikely friendship with aging detective Godfrey (Peter MacNeill), Lacey finds herself getting closer to tracking down the mysterious Terrance (Noah Dalton Danby) who, along with his sister Meredith (Michelle Nolden), abducts women as part of a kidnapping ring with ties to the dark web. Unbeknownst to Lacey, Terrance has his own plans for the immortal creature, one that will make her the star of his latest torture show.

Cummings’ film may carry the trappings of a vampire tale, but if feels more like a Terminator film. One where Adeliyi’s Lacey is the seemingly indestructible machine. Just as she did with her previous film Darken, Cummings manages to take a high concept story and tell it in an accessible and entertaining way. Part of the reason for this is the strong casting choices.

The always wonderful Adeliyi, a Cummings regular, delivers another strong performance as the cold-blooded Lacey. She embodies the strength and ruthlessness needed for the role. While it would have been nice if Lacey’s glimmer of humanity, which is best shown in her scenes with would-be sidekick Suzzie (Kiana Madeira), was explore in greater depth, the film creates a hero that audiences can get behind. She Never Died may not provide many answers, but it offers plenty of thrills to satisfy one’s thirst for action.