Review: Black Phone 2
Ethan Hawke returns in Scott Derrickson's horror sequel, alongside Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, to fight The Grabber.
Set in 1982, the film takes place four years after the events of The Black Phone (2021) and moves from a dingy Denver basement to a snowy Christian holiday camp in rural Colorado.
The narrative stays tightly focused on the elements that worked so well in the first film; the unsettling menace of a child killer and a beyond-the-grave plotline augmented with gooey special effects.
Despite the expanded setting, the story remains a superficial exercise in creepy fun, but 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: Ethan Hawke returns in Black Phone 2 horror sequel.
- Director: Scott Derrickson
- Release date: October 15
- Runtime: 114 minutes