Film Review: The Black Phone 2

The Black Phone came out four years and it seemed like an interesting take on the horror genre. Based off a short story by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King, the film had to add new elements and new stories to help flesh out the idea into a feature film. Enter filmmaker Scott Derrickson. Derrickson is a fan of the horror genre and some of his films in his filmography just prove that, just check out Deliver Us From Evil or Sinister and you know a horror film is in good hands. He teamed up with actor Ethan Hawke again and the result was the creation of a new sinister icon with the Grabber, with a performance that Hawke has not done before while acting behind a very creepy mask. An icon was born and now we’re at the point where the team have crafted a sequel, The Black Phone 2.

Instead of going bigger and bolder the film instead has a sense of nostalgia and love for old school horrors. One of the biggest influences appears to be A Nightmare on Elm Street. The Grabber is dead after the events of the first film, but some dreams and nightmares from Gwen, the younger sister of Finney, have seemed to lure him out of the dead and into her dreams and back into reality. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw return as siblings Finney and Gwen and seeing the original cast back again just makes the film feel like a natural progression in terms of the trauma and events that they went through in the first film. Gwen’s dreams are linked to their late mother and a mysterious religious camp in the snowy mountains, and it is here where the horrors are unleashed.

Having a broken phone booth at this religious camp is a great way for the title to remain relevant, and even though the Grabber and Finney’s relationship is explored a little more here the depth and character development is now focused on Gwen. She is becoming a young woman and she is developing feelings for her friend Ernesto who is played by Miguel Mora. Their innocence and warmth perfectly balance the horror elements of the story and makes you care and root for them as characters. Finney is overly protective but has a small role to play in helping her understand her gift of seeing dead children in her dreams.

There are visuals and moments in the film that is truly haunting. Having the Grabber skating across the ice while holding onto an axe feels truly terrifying and will give you literal chills as you sit there awaiting what he’s planning. The choice to have a film grain effect when Gwen is dreaming is also a smart idea to help distinguish reality from dreams. Not only does it help audiences understand what is happening but the nostalgia feel gives the film an old school feel and feels more authentic than anything CGI could do. The props, the setting and the special effects all help to remind us just how horror should be felt. The Black Phone 2 is a rare sequel that expands and adds depth to a film that already felt complete. You will not have an easy nights sleep after watching this film.

★★★★☆

4/5

Final Verdict:

The Black Phone 2 succeeds in every way from the original film. The horror elements are genuinely unnerving with grainy film images and simplistic decisions that elevate these frightening moments. The Grabber has quickly become a new horror icon and Ethan Hawke is partly to thank for that with a chilling performance that proves just how sinister the actor has become in the role since the first film. Scott Derrickson has a careful hand at horror, his Stephen King influences are felt throughout the film but his callbacks to other horror films such as The Nightmare on Elm Street are a bit on the nose, it is where he uses his originality which is when the story truly shines and it may not be the end of the story for the Grabber either. It is 

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions