Hang up on the dreadful ‘Black Phone 2,’ a horror sequel that leaves you on hold

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The fact that a sequel, “Black Phone 2,” is being made shows Universal and Blumhouse were surprised by the success of 2021’s “The Black Phone.” If they’d anticipated the first movie would be a bigger hit, they wouldn’t have killed off the villain, known as the Grabber, at the end.

The first film was a success, so the sequel introduces supernatural themes and draws inspiration from classic 1980s slasher movies. It’s now 1982, four years later, and the masked killer known as The Grabber (played by Ethan Hawke, whose face remains hidden but whose voice is heard) continues to terrorize and harm children, even after they’ve been mortally wounded.

Both films were co-written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, with Derrickson directing. The first, “The Black Phone,” was inspired by a short story from Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son) and takes place in 1978 Denver. It follows Finney Blake (Mason Thames) as he tries to escape a kidnapper known as The Grabber, receiving help from the ghosts of previous victims through the phone. What stood out about the film was its surprisingly intense violence, especially considering the young characters—who all had a habit of swearing. While it wasn’t groundbreaking, the film’s clever use of the phone as a communication device worked well, and Mason Thames delivered a particularly strong performance.

In “Black Phone 2,” Finney is now in high school, struggling with the trauma he experienced by using drugs and getting into fights—sometimes even becoming the aggressor. He cares deeply for his sister, Gwen, who has psychic abilities, but mostly he’s trying to escape his own thoughts. This sequel focuses mainly on Gwen, who begins to have vivid dreams and sleepwalk, receiving mysterious phone calls, including one from their deceased mother as a young woman.

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When adapting Joe Hill’s short story, “The Black Phone,” Scott Derrickson and Robert Cargill, who co-wrote the screenplay, used real events from the 1970s as inspiration.

The mysterious messages lead Gwen, Finney, and Finney’s crush, Ernesto (played by Miguel Mora), to Camp Alpine, a winter retreat for Christian youth now managed by Mando (Demián Bichir) and his niece, Mustang (Arianna Rivas). But the camp is haunted by the spirits of young boys, and a phone continues to ring, relentlessly demanding that Finney answer it.

Look, I get that “The Black Phone” went to some really dark places, and it was tough to watch at times, especially with the harm done to kids. But honestly, “Black Phone 2” made a much bigger mistake – it was just… boring. It wasn’t just the subject matter, it was that *everything* happened in Gwen’s dreams, and it just didn’t grab me at all. A total snooze-fest, unfortunately.

The movie feels heavily influenced by “Stranger Things,” and even more so by “A Nightmare on Elm Street” – it essentially copies the premise of a killer haunting people’s dreams. While these dream sequences are exciting, they’re more engaging than the scenes where characters simply stand around and talk about their pasts. Overall, the film is consistently bleak and repetitive, with only occasional moments of accidental comedy.

You quickly figure out the mystery surrounding the ghost boys, but the movie reveals the explanation slowly. The story itself is straightforward, which explains why the director adds atmospheric touches like grainy dream scenes and shaky, old-fashioned flashbacks, all enhanced by a fantastic electronic score created by his son, Atticus Derrickson.

It’s unexpected that “Black Phone 2” is so religious and focused on Christian themes, which feels unusual for a horror film. While it explores ideas about Jesus and the power of prayer, it also contains very graphic violence, like a scene where a child is severely injured by glass. However, the recent popularity of religiously-themed horror, as seen with the successful “Conjuring” movies, makes this trend less surprising.

It feels like this could be the last time we see the Grabber. You’ll likely want him defeated simply because you’re tired of the repetitive and boring storyline. Perhaps if this installment is successful, they’ll find a way to make this uninteresting villain scary again. Honestly, I’m done with the Grabber and his antics.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

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2025-10-17 00:01