A few months after the events of 1000 Corpses, local Texas police raid the crazy family's farm house. What members of the family (dubbed "The Devil's Rejects" by the local police and media) that survive the raid then start traveling cross-state leaving a trail of bodies in their wake as they try to escape from the cops.
So far it sounds like the last movie right? Nothing but blood and violence, right? Well it's true that the first half of the movie is little more than a continuation of the first film. But after the halfway point, when one of the family's victim's relatives corners them and starts to give them a bit of their own medicine, the characters start to become more than just 2-dimensional evil for the sake of evil creatures and you start to see them as human. I was shocked when I realized I was rooting for the former bad guys and hoping they would escape.
I believe, of all of the horror movies I've seen, this is the first one where the would-be monsters had the tables turned on them in such a way that I actually wanted them to win. Looking back, there is no point in any of the Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th or Scream series that I started caring about the enemy (whether it be Freddy, Jason or some messed up teenager) when they lost the upper hand. It was truly an unusual and very different experience that left me stunned and thinking "Wow, this wasn't just a blood bath like 1000 Corpses and it was actually a good movie worth recommending to other people".
The Devil's Rejects is by far a better viewing experience than its predecessor. Though the filmography and musical style of House of 1000 Corpses will leave you uneasy from beginning to end, this movie has a less jarring overall feel.
Rob Zombie's second movie is definitely worth a watch. Thankfully, this movie can stand alone and doesn't require you to have seen the first flick in order to know what is going on. Normally I would say that watching the prequel would give you some insight into the mad-family's characters, but since there was no real character development in that movie -- you won't be missing much.
