Black Phone 2 – Film Review
by Craig Doyle

Director: Scott Derrickson
Writers: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Starring: Madeleine McGraw, Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke

As the caped crusaders and crime-fighting vigilantes have seemingly lost their once iron-clad grip on the box office, there’s a new hero on the scene for the global box office – the horror genre. With the likes of “Get Out”, “Talk to Me”, and the resurgence of the Scream franchise, leading the charge on the critical and commercial rejuvenation of the horror genre, Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone”, released in 2021, has withstood stellar competition and stands as a modern horror classic. Derrickson’s return to the genre after a brief stint in the MCU with “Doctor Strange” created a terrifying, horrific antagonist – worthy of a place amongst the pantheon of horror villains – with Ethan Hawke’s incredible performance as “The Grabber”.

Despite the seemingly closed-off and self-contained nature of the original, “Black Phone 2” has us return to the familiar set of characters, four years after the events of the last film. The film is slower than its predecessor to get into the action, and the characters are not the same as we left them. The trauma from four years prior hasn’t been easily brushed off yet, becoming a central theme – how can we move on? This is powerfully explored by siblings Finn and Gwen, excellently portrayed by Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, respectively. The maturity in their performances, along with a carefully crafted balance between the supernatural elements of the story and real human emotions, leads to a gripping dynamic that is uniquely dealt with over the film’s two-hour runtime.

McGraw, in particular, gets her time to truly shine in this sequel – taking on the mantle of the leading role. Whilst Gwen was primarily used as the comedic relief in the original, the “Black Phone 2” explores her abilities and her complex connection to her deceased mother, whilst maintaining her charm, wit, and foul mouth, which made her a stand-out in the original. A testament to humour’s place in dealing with grief.

Mason Thames, of recent ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ fame, the star of the original, delivers a more nuanced performance here, his talent maturing with age. His experience being kidnapped by “The Grabber” looms over him, not able to move on, as he has become somewhat of a legend in his small hometown. This legend allows him to hide, using violence and newfound ‘maturity’ to avoid confronting the horror of the original – the opening fight scene of this film, a roles-reversed callback to the opening of the original, a testament to that. Finn’s relationship with the returning “Grabber” has evolved, with the power dynamics having switched, which provides for a greater interrogation of “ The Grabber” as a character as opposed to a looming harbinger, which is one of the stronger aspects of this film, warranting its right to exist amongst a plethora of unnecessary cash grab sequels.

“Black Phone 2” fully leans into gore, with bloody, bashful, body horror taking centre stage, as “The Grabber” takes on a Krueger-esque role. The dream sequences throughout were shot excellently, with a grainy, home-video quality, which makes the demonising figure of “The Grabber” feel real and imminent. Although those sequences were often long-winded, particularly in the beginning, they provided for incredible, surreal action and horror. The concluding sequence on the lake is bold and big, a satisfying payoff to the overarching story branching across the two films.

Derrickson’s follow-up to his modern horror classic expands its scope and scale – without losing what made the original such a special film in the genre. Although the script loses itself sometimes, and certain story beats feel janky and uncertain, “Black Phone 2” is a successful follow-up, with incredible highs concluding a stellar duology of horrific excellence.