It’s been a long time since a movie gave me goosebumps. The last real time I can remember it happened is when I first watched Nightmare on Elm Street, which is pretty ironic, as there are some pretty clear parallels between that film and Black Phone 2. Taking place at a summer camp, the film clearly also draws inspiration from the Jason Voorhies franchise as well. However, despite these parallels. Black Phone 2 is still a very entertaining and engaging horror sequel. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Jeremy Davies reprising their roles, while Demián Bichir joined the cast. Interestingly, Miguel Mora also returns. However, while he played Robin Arellano in the first movie, in the second movie he plays Ernesto, his brother. I was initially skeptical about this sequel because of the demise of Hawke’s character in the first film. I found myself asking, “How are you going to have a sequel when the villain was killed in the first film?” However, it appears that Joe Hill, the author of the short story that the first film was based on, had the answer:
“A phone rings, Finney answers, and it’s the Grabber calling from hell.”
Though the sequel was not based on a specific Joe Hill story, he still provided the initial concept to the filmmakers. In this iteration, Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity despite how the last film ended, with him coming out of his shell and introducing himself to a girl he liked. Finn has essentially withdrawn from the world and is quick to anger. Meanwhile, his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. Accompanied by her brother, they head to the camp to solve the mystery, only to confront the Grabber — a killer who’s grown even more powerful in death.
While the themes of the story aren’t exactly original, I wouldn’t label it a carbon copy. There is enough variation in the story for the sequel to differentiate itself, such as the Grabber’s ability to affect the physical world despite technically operating in a different plane of existence. Also there is a healthy infusion of levity into the story, usually from McGraw’s Gwen. Gwen pulls no punches and doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind, which was very entertaining. McGraw really stood out for me in this sequel, with her being the target of Hawke’s the Grabber this go around. Thames’ Finney is hardly ignored, but McGraw’s Gwen is without question the heroine of the story. McGraw is up to the challenge and delivers a memorable performance. She balances the vulnerability of the character as well as finding her inner strength for her confrontation with the infamous and deceased serial killer.
Thames’ role this go around focus primarily on introspection. He is very much still dealing with the emotional scars of his kidnapping and attempted murder. This introspective comes to a head in two very pivotal scenes, where the character is encouraged to look past his anger to the root of why he is unable to deal with his trauma. In the second confrontation, Thames showed real emotional resonance, as he gave voice to what he was really feeling.
I would say that Mora was given the most difficult challenge. It’s one thing to come back, but to have to do it as a completely difference person, that is an uphill battle. You have to establish yourself as completely different character, but because the characters are siblings, you also have to also establish a convincing connection between the two characters. And on top of that, his character is introduced as a possible romantic interest for McGraw’s character. Mora had a lot to balance. To my eye, he proved himself up to the task, especially given that the limited scene time he had to do so.
And we can’t forget good ole Ethan Hawke. He established the Grabber as a very intimidating and enigmatic character in the first film. The character was nominated for a Saturn Award, as well as a playable character on Fortnite. This time, the story delves into the character’s origins as well as a familial connection between him and the Blake family. As expected, Hawke brings that same presence into the sequel. I vividly remember my goosebumps when he emerged from the shadows. This re-emergence fully took advantage of the suspense-building that led to that moment, especially the vivid and violent flashbacks of the Grabber’s first crimes.
Black Phone 2 really is worth seeing in my opinion, especially if you are a fan of the Nightmare franchise. I’m sure the parallel will be obvious to you as well, but I also have faith that, like me, you will be able to see the ways that the film distinguishes itself without being a carbon copy. This I attribute to the returning writer and director crew, as well as the film having the benefit of the original short story writer in its corner.
