The Next Dramatic and Violent R-Rated Supernatural Is Your Worst Nightmare
Written by Robert Scucci | Published
in 2021 Black Phone is one of my favorite recent horror films because it seamlessly weaves supernatural events into its murderous plot. Now that its 2025 sequel, Black Phone 2is available to stream, I’m happy to report that it’s one of the best horror sequels I’ve seen in a hot minute. Stylistically, it wouldn’t be too far off from its predecessor, but not outrageously so. All the elements that made the first film special with its less than claustrophobic setting are explored here, but the world it builds has the potential to continue as a long-term enterprise unlike Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or the Friday the 13th films.
Picking up four years after the film’s 2021 drop, Black Phone 2 it’s dangerous because of its setting and cinematography, and Ethan Hawke’s performance as the mysterious and supernaturally dangerous Grabber is the stuff of nightmares. The film’s influences are clear, but its determination to stay in its own lane makes for an engaging watch that doesn’t feel like a cheap carbon copy of what inspired its world-building.
Grabber and Freddy are cut from the same cloth
Black Phone 2 takes place four years after the events depicted in the first film. We are also introduced to Finney (Mason Thames), who escaped the capture of Grabber (Ethan Hawke) during his 1978 crime spree. Finney heals himself to deal with the trauma of being the only Grabber known, but his problems aren’t the main point here. Instead, the spotlight shifts to her younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who is now experiencing sleep episodes punctuated by disturbing visions of the Grabber.
Those ideas lead Gwen, Finney, and their friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora) to Alpine Lake Camp, where Grabber began kidnapping and killing children back in 1957. Ernesto’s connection to Grabber goes deeper than simple intimacy, as his brother Robin was one of the killer’s victims in 1978. their unresolved trauma and the continued presence of the Grabber, whose soul appears to haunt the grounds after his death in the first film.
Channeling the serious powers of Freddy Krueger, the Grabber targets Gwen in her dreams, where any physical damage she receives while unconscious carries over into the real world. Realizing the danger they are in, Gwen, Finney, and Ernesto reach out to Armando (Demian Bichir) and Barbara (Maev Beaty), the camp’s managers, who reveal their own unexpected connection to three missing children tied to the camp’s dark history. As the Grabber’s grip on the area tightens, the children are forced to take it upon themselves to return him to the afterlife in the hell he refuses to live in.
Brilliantly shot from a very beautiful location
However Black Phone 2 technically a period piece, it benefits greatly from being set primarily in a small room in the wilderness. You don’t need a lot of vintage cars to sell in an era when trees, snow, and individual cabins are out of date. The only important anchor in the area is the pay phone by the lake, which is how Mbambi continues to communicate with his victims from beyond the grave.
What is really uplifting Black Phone 2 its use of different cameras and image quality as a visual snapshot. Gwen’s dream sequences appear distorted and distorted, while the scenes in the waking world are depicted with greater clarity. This approach removes any ambiguity and makes the film unique A Nightmare on Elm Street. Grainy images mean a nightmare. Clean pictures tell the truth. Establishing this language early allows for a sharp, effective cut between areas that clearly shows how Grabber’s influence transcends the planes of life.
What Gwen sees in her dreams is higher than the world around her, even when the people around her don’t see the danger. He sees the Grabber approaching his dreams but has no way to warn anyone in real time. The tension comes not only from the nightmares, but from the gap between what Gwen knows and what everyone else can’t.
This Is The Ultimate Horror To Watch
While there is no real mystery driving Black Phone 2its deliberate composition, wide shots of the brutal wilderness, and the frenetic juxtaposition between the dreamscape and waking life create many poignant sequences that linger long after the credits roll. Ethan Hawke is a monster as Grabber, fully committed to playing the modern analog to Freddy Krueger while still making the character his own. There are a few quick throwaways, but they feel earned, clearly motivated by pacing rather than a lack of trust in the audience.
Most importantly, the brother and sister dynamic between Finney and Gwen feels grounded and believable. Finney is still clearly traumatized by her encounter with the Catcher, but she’s smart enough to see that Gwen shouldn’t have to face this alone as they work to end this nightmare once and for all.
Having earned $132 million at the box office against its reported production budget of $30 million, it seems inevitable that the film series will continue. Everyone involved has expressed interest in returning, but only if quality remains a priority. Until a story worthy of an expansion begins to take shape, we’re left waiting to see how, and when, Grabber finds a way to return for more violence.
As of this writing, Black Phone 2 broadcast on the Peacock.
