Alas, Lars von Trier seems to have run out of narrative in this second half of Joe the self-described nymphomaniac’s autobiography, and falls back on graphic S&M and a kind of homage to himself, goofing on his own oeuvre.

Hardcore unpleasantness and heavier provocations replace (mostly) the uncharacteristic humor of the first film, and while Vol. I could stand alone, this unfocused, over-plotted and more sinister second half could not.

Hated the ending. Still, while von Trier goes to great lengths to provoke, he is never less than compulsively watchable. See Nymphomaniac: Vol. I review in issue 1073. (122 min)