The Black Phone 2 calls back—but the line’s gone dead.

The Black Phone 2 Tries to Go Full Freddy — But Forgets the Fun

The Black Phone 2 promised nightmares and nostalgia but delivered more drag than dread. Despite strong performances from Ethan Hawke and Madeleine McGraw, the sequel loses its spark in a tangle of over-serious supernatural twists. It’s a spooky call worth answering—just don’t expect the same chill as the first ring.

Remembering Why the First Call Worked

The Black Phone 2 released this month and after the success of part 1, this was a highly anticipated film, for me. The months leading up to the film, upon seeing trailer after trailer each week at the theaters, my excitement only grew.

The trailers promised a Nightmare on Elm Street-esque (my fave horror villain!!) dream horror film, switching to a girl protagonist focus. I was 110% in! Come release day, however, what I got was a drawn out, ill paced, convoluted slog. It wasn’t all bad but there isn’t much to love.

The first film followed Finney, who is taken by the villain of the series, aptly named The Grabber. The Grabber is played by Ethan Hawke and he is a big part of why the first film works. He plays the perfect horror villain: he’s creepy, he’s evil and he’s got some solid one liners. While Finn is in the Grabber’s clutches, he gets phone calls on a basement payphone from previous victims who eventually help him escape. He’s traumatized but he’s alive. There is a lot that works in the first installment: the cast, the story, the cinematography. It all comes together to a cohesive, propulsive and genuinely scary movie.

Exploring the Film's Core Elements

Black Phone 2 Review: This Sequel Is Dream Warriors Good [Fantastic Fest]

Resurrecting The Grabber: A Sequel Searching for Purpose

Unfortunately, The Black Phone 2 loses a lot of what makes part 1 so good. This new premise is centered around Finney’s sister, Gwen, who is now receiving calls from “the black phone” and on the other end there are multiple kids, including their dead mother. This leads them to an old camp, and they end up stranded by a storm, prompted to discover the secrets of the camp. Oh, and The Grabber is haunting them from beyond, in some sort of Freddy Krueger version of himself.

The Black Phone 2': Horror Sequel Coming From Blumhouse, Universal

From Grit to Ghosts: A Shift Too Far Into the Supernatural

This is a huge shift from the original’s very real and grounded version, and it doesn’t entirely work. The first film felt raw and gritty, like something of this world even while having some supernatural elements. The second film goes full on supernatural; it leads me to think the huge success of the first film wasn’t expected but they’d written it to end so they needed to think fast on how to get The Grabber back in play.

Black Phone 2' Review: Ethan Hawke Is Back Behind the Mask - The New York Times

Losing the Fun: When Horror Forgets to Play

The second film, for such an absurd premise, lacks mirth. It takes itself extremely serious and that hurts it. It feels like the team forgot that the best part about Nightmare on Elm Street films is how campy, fun and silly they are.

Performances That Answer the Call

The best aspects of the film are the performances. Ethan Hawke is a true menace behind the mask and is so believable as a terrifying serial killer. Mason Thames as Finney gives a beautifully haunted portrayal of “boy who is maybe going to be okay.” I really loved Madeleine McGraw as Gwen, she was my standout for this film! She stepped up to be the lead and did not disappoint me.

I really enjoyed the strength she brought to the scenes she was in and how she was able to defend herself throughout. Sometimes, it felt like overacting, but I can look over that. I would’ve liked to see more of the aftermath with Finney and Gwen back home and how they’re now dealing with the added traumas or maybe even how they are overcoming and healing.

A Slow Ring: Where the Story Loses Its Pulse

My biggest gripe with the film stems from two things: plot and execution. For a movie that is less than 2 hours long, it D R A G S. I felt every second of the story and a horror film should never feel that way. There were some very well-done aspects such as a particular dream sequence but otherwise, I think the film could’ve used a good final edit to trim maybe another 15 minutes off.

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The Black Phone 2: Scott Derrickson & Joe Hill are talking sequel

When Style Overpowers the Scare

The execution of certain aspects felt overdone such as the change from grainy film to symbolize a dream to the stark contrast of the real world; it was nightmarish but not in the way they wanted.