Fifty Shades Darker (2017)

Most people think so. 73% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics scored it lower at 22%, but audiences disagreed.

When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together. Wikipedia ↗

Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama directed by James Foley, the second installment in the trilogy. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan return as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, who attempt to rebuild their relationship on Anastasia's terms following their breakup in the first film. Their reconciliation is complicated by threats from Christian's troubled past — including Leila, a former submissive who stalks Ana with a gun, the ghost of Christian's abusive childhood, and his former dominant Elena Lincoln played by Kim Basinger, whose manipulative influence over Christian continues to poison his ability to have a healthy relationship.

The sequel addressed criticisms of the original by giving Anastasia significantly more agency and establishing clearer boundaries within the relationship. The masked ball sequence at Christian's family estate and a helicopter crash over the Pacific Northwest provided the film's dramatic set pieces. Jamie Dornan was given more room to explore Christian's vulnerability beneath the controlling exterior.

The film earned $381 million worldwide on a $55 million budget, maintaining the franchise's commercial viability despite continued critical disdain.