Is The Black Phone 2 really worth all its hype?
Black Phone 2 movie poster displaying the score 2.5/5 stars (Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
By Ruby Costa, Co-Executive Editor
Whether you're a horror fanatic or only a casual movie fan, you’ve probably heard of The Black Phone. Grossing $161,440,742 worldwide, this mysterious horror has seen astonishing success since its release in 2021. This horror film garnered much attention for both its cast–with Ethan Hawke, iconic in the horror genre, playing the main antagonist–and its completely unique plot. It was refreshingly different from many of the unoriginal remakes that have plagued this genre within the past few years.
On Oct. 17, 2025, the long-awaited sequel The Black Phone 2 hit theaters, and I was able to score a ticket for opening night. With a similar run time, near identical cast, and a direct, linear continuation of the first movie, The Black Phone 2 seemed set up for success. Unfortunately, it almost completely missed the mark.
The worst thing about this movie is that I walked out of the theaters disappointed. It wasn’t horrible by any means, and, for a horror movie, it actually went pretty deep into the story rather than just relying on cheap scares. But, it didn’t live up to my expectations, and it certainly didn’t have the same impact as the first one. I’ve seen many positive reviews online, and while there were certainly good parts to this movie, it had too many issues to give it my full stamp of approval.
The Black Phone 2 strayed too far from what made the first movie scary, or at least slightly disturbing. The first film held mystery, and what the viewer didn’t see was what made it scary. The Grabber, which is Hawke’s antagonistic role, was a frightening villain who effectively conveyed raw emotion. In contrast, protagonist Finney Blake, played by Mason Thames, was a likable, smart character to root for. The dynamic between the two, and the sense of unease about what The Grabbers’ true intentions might be, made this movie feel beyond just horror. It tapped into the deep, instinctual fears that many people, especially those of vulnerable demographics, like women or children, have when facing the world. The Black Phone 2 felt like a more shallow attempt to do the same.
Finney was neglected, and his sister Gwen Blake, who had an important but slightly smaller role in the first movie, was pushed into the spotlight. This was her movie, and I would have no issue with that if her performance had been better, and the movie had been pointed in a different direction. Madeleine McGraw is the actress portraying Gwen, and though I think her performance in the first movie was stellar, especially for someone so young, it wasn’t at all the same quality in this film. Watching this movie felt like watching actors act, not like characters actually living through this story. Though Hawke and Thames, and some others in the supporting cast, were as amazing as I could have hoped for, the main character herself felt stiff, her line delivery was awkward, and I didn’t find myself particularly connected to her.
That could have also been a fault of the writing, however, which certainly had some glaring flaws. This movie was set in the early 80s, and therefore the film used various 80s slang terms. This is usually done well in movies, but it felt very unnatural here. Also, some of the dialogue was just outright cringey (like the teasing names siblings Finney and Gwen would call each other, supposedly mimicking common taunts and jokes from the 80s), and though it wasn’t as in your face as some other films I’ve seen, it made me roll my eyes quite a few times in the theater.
I also believe this movie went in the wrong direction. They explore the dreams that Gwen has–which essentially let her see the future, see locations she hasn’t ever been to before, or interact with the world while asleep–but fail to actually explain why she has them, even though I was under the assumption that was the whole purpose of this movie. They add more and more aspects to her dreams, to the universe in its entirety, but the movie ends with the viewer knowing just about as much as they came into the film with, just slightly more confused.
Don’t get me wrong, this movie certainly had good aspects. The few short scenes with Finney and the Grabber–who I’m still angry were in this movie so little, despite being the most interesting characters–were perfectly executed, and their dynamic was the most enjoyable in the entire Black Phone universe. The general atmosphere of the movie, which is set mostly in a dark, snow covered youth camp in the Rockies, was genuinely scary, and the cinematography was just as good as in the first film. Some scenes, particularly the flashbacks involving Finney and Gwen’s deceased mother, were scary and uneasy, and, overall, there were some really solid scares.
I simply wish that more care was given to Finney and The Grabber, and I would have appreciated better performances from some of the other cast members. Ideally, I think the directors would have fared better by making a prequel instead of this sequel, maybe involving Finney and Gwen's mother, or ᴉuɔlnpᴉuƃ ʇɥǝ origin story of The Grabber. There is, of course, more time for that in the future, and though not confirmed, there have been comments from director Scott Derrickson saying that a third film could hypothetically happen.
If one does, despite my qualms with this movie, I plan to watch it. Flaws are natural in things made by humans, and, of course, not everyone can be pleased by every single thing they see. The Black Phone movies are still really solid pieces of fiction, delving into topics like PTSD, drug addiction, and suicide, and I think horror films with important topics like these woven in are so, so important in a society that has become increasingly interested in only making the bloodiest, most shocking things they can think of. I’m still undeniably excited to see what comes next for both these films and the horror franchise as a whole. I’d give The Black Phone 2 a 2.5/5.