When The Black Phone hit screens in 2022 I was stunned with how Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill were able to adapt Joe Hill‘s short story (included in 20th Century Ghosts) onto the big screen in such an amazing way. However, when word spread of a sequel I won’t lie…I had my doubts. What I just witnessed on screen with Black Phone 2 quickly dispelled those feelings.
Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death… and the phone is ringing again. The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen. As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old 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.
Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
Blumhouse’s team takes the original film and expands on the story in such meaningful ways. Rather than simply repeating the first movies, which was my original fear, it shifts the focus and explores trauma, survival, and the aftermath of horror. Of course Finn is ever present, but including his sister Gwen along for the ride was a smart move which added more to the overall tale. While Ethan Hawke‘s The Grabber is present, the focus truly lies within the roles of Mason Thames as Finney and Madeleine McGraw as Gwen.
Black Phone 2 turns up the horror intensity and gore compared to the first film, making for an even bloodier and unrelenting film. Additionally, adding into the story more dream sequences, which were clear homages to films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, made for a different but amazing viewing experience compared to the first film. Derrickson and Cargill craft a film that is a sequel but also stands on its own as a fantastic horror film, not an easy feat these days.
While I had my reservations about what this second film would be, but they were slightly dampened after reading Horror’s New Wave: 15 Years of Blumhouse as Derrickson explained he had his own reservations about filming a sequel after his work with Sinister 2. However, after figuring out what this second film would be, he was full force ahead. My original feelings were put to bed after seeing what they accomplished with this special sequel.
Black Phone 2 was one of the best sequels I have seen in recent years. Derrickson and Cargill take Hill’s characters and craft a horrifying film that contends with the original film for which is better. The Black Phone edges out the sequel, it’s not by much. Black Phone 2 is a work of art and does everything to make me recommend this film. While I will say that I am once again holding back a bit about what a third film could be, if this team is once again at the helm I have more hopes now having seen the sequel and am excited to see what they can do to make this a trilogy.
Black Phone 2 was directed by Derrickson who co-wrote it with Cargill, and produced by Jason Blum. The film stars Hawke as The Grabber, Thames as Finney, McGraw as Gwen, Jeremy Davies as Terrence, and Demián Bichir as Armando.
Black Phone 2 hit theaters on October 17, 2025 and is now in theaters.
