Black Phone 2 (2025) Universal/Horror RT: 114 minutes Rated R (strong violent content, gore, teen drug use, language) Director: Scott Derrickson Screenplay: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill Music: Atticus Derrickson Cinematography: Par M. Ekberg Release date: October 17, 2025 (US) Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Demian Bichir, Ethan Hawke, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Anna Lore, Graham Abbey, Maev Beatty.
Rating: *** ½
The Black Phone is one of the best horror films of the decade. It’s a genuinely scary movie that still lingers in the nightmares of many. I was afraid that the sequel Black Phone 2 would futz it all up. It doesn’t. In fact, it’s almost (but not quite) as great as its predecessor. It has a minor glitch or two, but it still delivers the thrills and chills in an effective manner.
The problem with most horror sequels is that they’re content to simply rehash the original, give audiences more of the same. Scott Derrickson, back for the follow-up call, doesn’t something different with Black Phone 2, It’s quite brilliant actually. Given the finality of the ending of the first movie, it was difficult to imagine how he’d bring back The Grabber (Hawke, Training Day), the creepy child killer terrorizing a suburban Colorado town. He was killed by the movie’s young hero Finney (Thames, How to Train Your Dragon) at the end. How do you come back from that without causing viewers to call BS? I’m about to tell you.
It’s 1982, four years after the events of the first movie. Finney is still traumatized by his ordeal, but he refuses to deal with it choosing instead to numb his pain by getting into fights and smoking weed. But here’s the thing. Finney is NOT the focus of Black Phone 2. His sister Gwen (McGraw, Secrets of Sulphur Springs) is. As you may recall, she has psychic abilities, a gift (or curse) she inherited from her late mother. Lately, she’s been having nightmares about this Christian youth camp, Alpine Lake, where three boys were murdered many years earlier. It’s also the same camp where her mother worked as a counselor when she was a teen.
Gwen decides to investigate Alpine Lake after receiving a call from her dead mother (yes, on a black phone!). She convinces Finney and their friend Ernesto (Mora) to join her on her very dangerous mission. They drive there through a raging blizzard only to discover that they’re the only ones who made it there. Turning around and going home is not possible so they’re stranded there with camp owner Armando (Bichir, The Nun), his niece Mustang (Rivas, A Working Man) and two other staff members. Then things get really freaky.
This is when the Grabber returns…. via Gwen’s dreams. Yes, just like Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. He starts to terrorize the girl in her sleep, attacking her violently and causing some to believe she’s possessed by a demon. As you can probably surmise, the Grabber is somehow connected to Alpine Lake and doesn’t want Gwen to uncover the truth. Being the plucky girl that she is, Gwen refuses to back down.
I love a lot about Black Phone 2, but I think I love its visual sense most of all. Gwen exists in two worlds; the physical one and her dream world. The latter scenes are shot with a grainy quality that recalls 1985-era home movies on video tape. It gives the film a palpable eerie vibe, especially when the Grabber appears to torment and maul Gwen. In one memorable scene, he attacks her in the camp kitchen in front of witnesses who only see the screaming girl thrashing and spinning in midair like she’s possessed. It’s almost like Tina’s bedroom scene in the first NOES film. And I’m perfectly at ease putting Black Phone 2 on the same level as a Wes Craven horror.
Acting isn’t normally a consideration in the horror genre. The only real qualifying factor for being cast in one is the ability to scream good and loud. McGraw can certainly do that, but there’s so much more to the 16YO actress’ performance. She imbues her character with strength and emotional vulnerability as she fights both literal and psychological demons (e.g. grief, loneliness). She’s still trying to cope with her psychic abilities, something she sees as a curse as it alienates her from her peers. She’s also looking for closure with regard to her mother’s death which may not be what it seems.
Thames is also great as Finney, an angry teen who keeps himself closed off even though his pain is obvious to everybody around him. If he doesn’t deal with it soon, he could end up like his father (Davies, Saving Private Ryan), now a recovering alcoholic struggling with his sobriety while attempting to repair his relationship with his children. Davies’ role isn’t huge here, but he does a good job with his character. As for Hawke, he is scary as hell as The Grabber, a truly evil being dripping with malice. He’s as dangerous in death as he was in life.
Black Phone 2 has some good gore effects. Derrickson doesn’t overdo it with the CGI which makes it look even more like a movie from the 80s. It’s legitimately scary and creepy. Alas, it’s not perfect. There’s a development that stretches credulity. I won’t say what one; you’ll know it when it happens. Other than that, it’s great! This is the horror flick to see this Halloween.
