More often than not, horror sequels are weak imitations of the original, a cheap, quick, cash grab that hits the same beats in a slightly different way. Black Phone 2 is not that. It’s a sequel that changes and elevates the original in ways you’d never expect. You learn more about the world, the characters, the killer, and by the end, it’s almost as if the original was merely a table setting for the horrors of its follow-up.
Once again directed by Scott Derrickson, based on a script by him and C. Robert Cargill, Black Phone 2 picks up four years after the original. In that film, Finney (Mason Thames) was kidnapped by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), whom he eventually killed with the help of the ghosts of The Grabber’s other victims, and the paranormal abilities of his little sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). Gwen’s bravery and plucky personality were highlights of that movie, but she was largely relegated to the sidelines. Here, not only do we get more of her, Black Phone 2 is basically her movie, and it’s better off for it.
The original film also killed The Grabber pretty definitively, so when Gwen starts dreaming about an old set of murders, and Finney starts getting phone calls from him, things instantly change. They’re no longer dealing with a real-life person in their neighborhood—it’s now something scarier, and with a history that goes back decades.
Black Phone 2 has a lot to establish at the start, and, for that reason, it takes a while to get going. We spend time with Finney and Gwen in their high school, which is more violent, but also more romantic. We see what the events of the first movie have done to them and the world around them. There’s also the whole new story, which centers on a winter camp that Gwen keeps dreaming of. The film has to clearly establish why this brother and sister would willingly go to this camp, knowing the horror that might await. Eventually, there’s a very good hook, but that then requires even more exposition to flesh out.
Once Black Phone 2 does get to the camp, though, everything changes. Not just in the story, but in the nature of the film itself. The first Black Phone was largely a supernatural thriller where we chewed at our fingernails hoping Finney and the ghosts could outsmart The Grabber. Now, The Grabber is dead, so his contacting the siblings constitutes a whole new brand of horror. And when you filter that through Gwen’s dreams, there are more than a few shades of Freddy Krueger along the way.
Beyond that, the film borrows quite liberally (but never distractingly) from other classic horror films of the 1970s and 1980s. The snowy setting brings to mind The Shining; that it’s a camp near a lake brings to mind Friday the 13th. (In addition to Nightmare on Elm Street, there are other winks and nods throughout.) This all works in tandem to make Black Phone 2’s transformation from a thriller like the original into a more of a slasher movie feel seamless. It works beautifully, and lets the gore start flowing in ways that go well beyond the original film.
Most importantly, the best thing about Black Phone 2 is Finney and Gwen. Their relationship was the best part of the original, and here they’re together for the entire film. Thames is excellent as the hardened Finney, a boy completely changed by everything he’s gone through. But the true star is McGraw, whose potty-mouthed, religious-leaning dream warrior is funny, heartbreaking, heroic, and delightful all at once. Every time we’re with either of them (or preferably both), the film shines that much brighter. Throw in Demián Bichir as the head of the camp, Jeremy Davies returning as the father, and the original film’s star Miguel Mora—who played the kick-ass Robin in that film and returns here as his brother Ernesto—and you’ve got more than enough to bring Black Phone 2 to entirely new levels.
And it does go to all new levels. Without spoiling too much, Black Phone 2 not only evolves the nature of the franchise, but it also adds more mythology and depth to it. We learn things here that recontextualize everything we saw in the original, which yes, largely has to do with how and why The Grabber became so incredibly evil. In that aim, Ethan Hawke is as terrifying as ever, even as we mostly see him in the mask.
Black Phone 2 may take a while to get going, but its lead performances, primary relationship, and twists make it well worth the trip. It’s filled with great horror moments, a few laughs, and even a nice shot of emotion to tie everything together. The first film was certainly solid, but this one is excellent. The rare sequel that outshines its predecessor.
Black Phone 2 had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 and opens everywhere on October 17.
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