Black Phone 2 Review
Ethan Hawke returns in Scott Derrickson's horror sequel, along with Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, to fight The Grabber in the Universal chiller.
Set in 1982, four years after the events of The Black Phone (2021), the story takes place in a snowy Christian holiday camp in rural Colorado, with the same characters and elements that worked well in the first film.
The narrative focuses on the elements that worked so well in the first film, including the unsettling menace of a child killer and a beyond-the-grave plotline with special effects.
It remains a superficial exercise in creepy fun, but – like so many horror sequels – retreading familiar ground proves an exercise in diminishing returns.
Black Phone 2, which premiered at Fantastic Fest, will be released globally from October 15.
Author's summary: Horror sequel with familiar elements.