Hi all! 

Today I am reviewing new-release, horror: Black Phone 2. It hit cinemas this month, allowing me the opportunity of seeing it on the big screen. Bad dreams haunt 15-year-old Gwen, as she sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, Finn, they head to the camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber – a killer who’s grown even more powerful in death. If you would like to read my review of the first film, click here. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

WHAT WORKED:

Summer camps are common in horror movies, but snow camps aren’t. The Black Phone 2 provided a fantastic setting that should be utilised more often. I’m so glad the same kids from the original were featured in the sequel. They both gave excellent performances, especially Gwen. Overall, I was quite attached to the limited cast of characters present at the camp. I also enjoyed the droning, grainy footage when Gwen was dreaming. It was very signature Scott Derrickson. As was the case in my Black Phone review, the best part was The Grabber. Ethan Hawke is so captivating in this role. There was a Nightmare on Elm Street vibe to this instalment that worked really well. The Grabber could easily rival Freddy as a modern horror icon. 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

I’m not sure if the Black Phone needed a sequel. I was hoping to learn more about The Grabber – especially what makes him supernatural. However, just like the original movie, we weren’t given nearly enough screentime with him. I don’t understand why the writers want to gatekeep him so much. We sit down to watch these films for him. I also felt the runtime was too long. The nightmare sequences became so repetitive, some of them could have been edited out. Additionally, not a single person was killed by the end (aside from those already murdered in the past). The body count was severely lacking. There was also something off about the dialogue and tone. It got quite cringy in parts, taking me out of the terror. 

OVERALL STAR RATING: 

I gave it 3.5/5 stars. I was hoping I would prefer it over the original but I did not. 

Have you seen Black Phone 2? What did you think of it?

Peace & Love xoxo