Plot Summary: As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.

Director: Scott Derrickson

Writers: Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Runtime: 1 hour 54 mins

• Ethan Hawke as Grabber
• Mason Thames as Finn
• Madeleine McGraw as Gwen
• Demian Bichir as Mando
• Miguel as Mora as Ernesto

Review by: Samuel

Black Phone 2 serves as a high-stakes, bigger-budget sequel to the 2021 horror hit, following Finn and Gwen as they face the spectral return of The Grabber. A few key plot decisions kept it from reaching the (surprising) heights of the original. But overall this is still a satisfyingly chilling sequel.

What I Liked:

We have to start with Ethan Hawke as his return as the ghost of The Grabber is a major standout. The performance, done entirely behind a mask, relies on expert body language to convey a wide range of emotions. I remember thinking in the first one how humble an actor you’ve got to be to accept a role where you know your face won’t be shown, and I commend Hawke for doing it twice. He emotes energy that you can feel, whether it be gleeful malice or genuine anger. Additionally, I appreciate that his character didn’t rely on jump scares to relay how dangerous he was. He was in full sight before he committed his atrocities and was still able to maintain a steady atmosphere of terror. Adding to that is the use of practical effects. Very little CGI is used in the film, to its benefit. It really helped add to the realism of this world and served to balance the more supernatural aspects that creeped in.

On that note, the film overall had a masterful atmosphere and style. In particular, there are several dream sequences throughout and the visual distinction between reality and the spectral plane is astounding. Those dream sequences, in particular, utilize a grainy, film-like aesthetic to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere that takes you back to the horror thrills of the 70s and 80s. It also helps that the director frames these dreams to deliver a creeping sense of dread and the feeling that something’s watching you while you are watching the screen.

The one having those dreams, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) is another thing I liked. She steps into the role of main character in this sequel while Finn is supporting, and she is excellent to say the least. Her courage and conviction to stop The Grabber make her easy to root for, but it’s really the trauma she fights to overcome that made me fall in love with her character. Both her and Finn are suffering from the events of the first film, however Finn decides to bury his pain while Gwen decides to confront it. She is the anchor that brings and holds everyone together. It also helps that her foul mouth is really (really) funny.

What I Didn’t Like:

Those dream sequences I mentioned above- there are quite a few of them early on and they can get in the way pf the film’s pacing. While these sequences were artistically stunning, they may cause some viewers to become somewhat annoyed at their repetition.

Another thing is the quickness at which characters were willing to aide in the hunt and destruction of this poltergeist Grabber. He had done some things that were downright diabolical in full sight of our entire cast, and they all joined in Gwen’s quest to end him pretty easily after that. It’s not the biggest deal in the world, but you would think there would be a bit more pushback than there was, especially since The Grabber’s brutality was on full display.

Finally, there was a slight narrative issue. It involved one character gaining a new, powerful ability. Because of this, you as the viewer knew they weren’t in any real danger from that point on, so it kind of diminished the stakes as it related to them.

Images Courtesy of IMDB