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Scott Derrickson bestowed upon us the first installment, The Black Phone, in 2021. To this day, no matter how many times I’ve seen it, the film still leaves me with dread and reflection. And though it’s often difficult to live up to an original and craft a worthy sequel, Derrickson succeeds. Black Phone 2 is a strong sequel, blending slasher and paranormal horror into a solid, cohesive follow-up. Reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors and New Nightmare, the film explores lingering trauma, grief, and unresolved mysteries, with the cast delivering unforgettable performances.
It’s now 1982. Finn “Finney” Blake (Mason Thames) tries his best to return to normal life, but the trauma of his kidnapping by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) still has him in a vice grip. As a result, Finn gets into bloody fights and numbs his pain with cannabis; anything to stop remembering his time in the basement. Even though he’s hailed as a hero for killing The Grabber, Finn feels anything but. The only person who truly sees him is his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who worries deeply about her older brother. Soon, Gwen begins having harrowing visions of three boys being murdered at a remote Christian youth camp. Fearing that The Grabber might somehow be involved, Gwen, Finn (who keeps receiving paranormal phone calls), and Robin’s younger brother, Ernesto (Miguel Mora), travel to Alpine Lake Youth Camp to uncover what’s really happening.
What I like most about Black Phone 2 is its storyline. It takes us deeper into The Grabber’s past while giving insight into Finn and Gwen’s lives after the kidnapping. In a world that’s moved on from the killer, they remain stuck: Finn in his memories, and Gwen through her visions that grow more vivid with each passing day. It’s almost as if Hawke’s villain is still there, haunting them from another plane of existence.
The new installment ties tightly to its predecessor while delivering a different kind of scare, a supernatural, dreamlike, Freddy Krueger–esque terror. For some, it may feel familiar, but thanks to a fresh storyline, even the Nightmare on Elm Street-style elements feel elevated and just as frightening. It’s as if Derrickson knew how to give us something both familiar and new. He again uses his 35mm camera style to mark Gwen’s entry into the dream world, which beautifully contrasts with the crystal-clear depiction of reality.
So often, sequels feel disconnected due to new characters or a loss of continuity, but that’s not the case here. We see Finn coming to with what happened to him, Gwen trying to control her increasingly powerful visions and learn how to interpret them, and Ernesto still grieving his brother.
There’s also more to The Grabber’s story, now haunting the otherworldly realm and far from finished with the Blake family. Ethan Hawke continues to prove he was the perfect choice for this role. Even more terrifying now, The Grabber appears clad in frozen, tattered clothing, his iconic mask as chilling as ever, or perhaps even more so. The mask remains the franchise’s most haunting image, but what lies beneath it is truly horrifying.
Although Thames remains a central figure, McGraw takes the reins this time as Gwen leads the investigation into her visions, exploring the campgrounds with the help of Armando (Demián Bichir), Mustang (Arianna Rivas), and two holier-than-thou camp workers, Barbara-not-Barb (Maev Beaty) and Kenneth (Graham Abbey). Throughout the film, Gwen wrestles with the meaning of her visions, questioning whether they come from God or some higher power. In a way, she embodies the teenage part of us that once questioned everything. Initially, I worried the religious angle might be overdone, but Derrickson handles it carefully, keeping the focus on the supernatural and the blurred line between dreams and reality.
Thames doesn’t fall far behind McGraw. We now see Finn older, stronger, and more mature, but despite being labeled a hero, struggling with overwhelming trauma and anger: it’s all understandable, given that The Grabber is back from the dead, ice skates from hell, and all! It’s also great to see Mora return. Though he’s mostly known for playing Robin, we now get to witness a gentler side as Ernesto, who’s calm, rational, and quietly grieving. The addition of Bichir, Rivas, and Anna Lore (recently seen in Final Destination: Bloodlines) is spot-on. Even Beaty and Abbey, though secondary, provide effective comic and moral counterpoints, and yes, to Gwen’s sharp tongue and vulgarities as well (so happy she didn’t grow out of it!).
Atticus Derrickson’s score perfectly underscores the film’s dangerous, gore-filled atmosphere. The sequel isn’t afraid to get dirty, showcasing visceral violence that only deepens our hatred for The Grabber. There are even a few jump scares that genuinely got me.
In the end, Black Phone 2 explores many things: lingering trauma, grief, faith, and the inescapable presence of evil. It’s about family heritage, and whether it’s a blessing or a curse. All of this is wrapped in a sharp, emotionally resonant story filled with gore, action, and blurred lines between what’s real and what’s not.
While Black Phone 2 may not surpass its predecessor in cultural impact, it’s still a worthy sequel, one that makes sense, entertains, terrifies, and moves you. I cannot recommend it enough.
Grade: A
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Black Phone 2
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, 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.
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Mason Thames , Ethan Hawke , Madeleine McGraw
