INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film Black Phone 2. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: Four years after escaping The Grabber, Finney Blake is struggling with his life after captivity. When his sister Gwen 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, the siblings become determined to solve the mystery and confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
REVIEW
Based on Joe Hill’s short story, 2022’s The Black Phone stands alongside Nope as my favorite horror films of that year. It skillfully blends real-world horror centered on a child-killing abductor with supernatural intrigue, as the killer’s past victims reach out from beyond the grave to help the protagonist. Ethan Hawke’s villainous performance as “The Grabber” elevated the movie into one of the better overall entries from what I consider one of the greatest years for film in recent memory.
Following its strong box office run, decent critical reception, and positive audience scores, it’s no surprise that a sequel, Black Phone 2, is now on the way this weekend. The last film’s director, Scott Derrickson, who came out earlier this year with a movie that I found to be a decent watch on Apple TV, The Gorge, has returned to direct this sequel as well. This time, however, there’s no source material to draw from, and the villain is getting an upgrade - from a terrifyingly realistic serial killer to a full-on supernatural menace who now haunts the dreams of the previous film’s protagonist, once again played by Mason Thames, and his little sister played once again by Madeleine McGraw.
The film’s shift away from a more grounded story significantly affects its tone and overall vibe. So much so that Mason Thames feels less like the central lead this time, with Madeleine McGraw taking on a more prominent role as the one of the siblings who now grapples with “The Grabber” through her dreams. This change felt more jarring than expected, and I had a hard time seeing it as a smooth or natural transition from what the first film established.
The movie also expands the lore from the original, but in doing so introduces several forced contrivances that made me roll my eyes and struggle to suspend disbelief. It’s as if the writing tried too hard to connect the two films, ultimately losing focus and undercutting what made the first such an effective experience. On top of that, the dialogue often feels clunky and riddled with stereotypes for the roles of those saying it, especially among some of the supporting characters.
That said, Ethan Hawke is easily the MVP here, he single-handedly elevates the movie into barely positive territory for me with another chilling, villainous performance. Director Scott Derrickson clearly aims higher this time as a visionary storyteller, incorporating an eerie, VHS-like texture during the dream sequences that adds to the unsettling atmosphere. The mood of the film is strong, and the score complements it perfectly. The protagonists remain engaging enough that I cared about their struggle, and the movie manages to deliver a genuine jump scare or two. And on a personal note, it was refreshing to see Christianity portrayed in a non one-note way.
Ultimately, this sequel deserves credit for trying to differentiate itself from its predecessor, even if it overreaches at times. Despite its rough edges, I was still entertained enough to give it a very soft B-. It’s nowhere near as good as the first film, but it’s also far from a M3GAN 2.0 style misfire. As the only major spooky-season theatrical horror release this year, I think most genre fans won’t regret picking up the phone for this one.
“TL;DR”
Pros: Great spooky atmosphere in time for Halloween season movie-going; Incredible atmospheric score; Ensemble that tries their best with material given; Ethan Hawke shines as “The Grabber”
Cons: Shifts from more grounded terror to something supernatural and thus takes a complete different vibe than the previous film; Gets repetitive in middle; Features extremely clunky dialogue and tries to overfit new lore that starts to feel very contrived and made it hard for me to suspend my disbelief
GRADING
