**WARNING: Spoilers ahead**

“You of all people, Finney, know that dead is just a word.” – The Grabber

Horror fans (including myself) were highly anticipating the release of Black Phone 2 this October after the success of the original film in 2021. Premiering on Friday, October 17th, the movie features returning actors Mason Thames as Finney Blake, Madeline McGraw as Gwen Blake, and Ethan Hawke as The Grabber. The film has also made $36 million in the U.S. box office since its release, gathering positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

The plot of Black Phone 2 takes a different direction with its characters and story than the first one, while still keeping the same elements and vibes that made the original so thrilling. In this sequel, Mason Thames’ character, Finney, is struggling to cope with the aftermath of the events of the first movie. After surviving his kidnapping and defeating The Grabber with the help of The Grabber’s past victims, he has chosen to numb himself to the pain of his memories rather than face his feelings and truly heal from his past. His sister, Gwen, also begins suffering vivid, violent visions in the form of dreams – which originally helped police find Finney in the first movie. This time around, her visions are leading her and Finney to Camp Alpine Lake, a Christian youth camp in the heart of the Colorado mountains. It is later revealed that The Grabber himself used to be a counselor at the camp – where he began his murderous rampage – and brutally killed three young campers: Felix, Spike, and Cal. The Grabber has been torturing Gwen in her dreams with the ultimate goal of killing her to get revenge upon Finney. With the help of their family, Gwen’s boyfriend, and camp staff, Finney and Gwen are able to finally defeat The Grabber by finding the young boys’ bodies and freeing their spirits, rendering The Grabber powerless.

I went into this movie having seen no spoilers at all, which is a first for me. Being a fan of the first movie, I had high expectations, and the movie (mostly) did not disappoint. For one, the score of this movie was genuinely bone-chilling. In combination with the Super 8-style film used during Gwen’s dream sequences, I felt on edge for the entire duration of the movie. The sounds and music in each scene are perfectly tailored to the wintry setting, and I have to admit – a lot of the jumpscares got me, simply because of the sound. The sequel was also much gorier than the first, and the first half hour of the film was particularly hard to watch. Although, after the plot was established, it became a much more enjoyable experience. Each of the actors’ performances in the movie were genuine and raw, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from them. For a movie that would seem to have no viable sequel after the original, Black Phone 2 was an interesting experience that fused the use of creative cinematography with a slightly-better-than-average plotline to create something different than the original. My only complaint with this film is that some of the events are pretty predictable, but for the most part, it was an exciting and new story. I also wish the movie had focused more on Finney himself rather than his sister, Gwen. His largely unresolved trauma was a huge part of the second movie, but remained untouched until the very end of the film. Gwen’s story was interesting, sure, but it felt like a sloppy replacement rather than adequately tackling Finney’s trauma. 

If Blumhouse Productions were to make another Black Phone movie, I would want to see the origins of The Grabber himself, since that hasn’t yet been touched upon in the franchise. Or, a movie featuring Finney and Gwen’s mother, since she also had the same psychic powers Gwen inherited. Otherwise, I can’t see how else Finn and Gwen’s stories could be expanded – The Grabber has already been defeated twice. Making another movie with the same antagonist would be a stretch and a recipe for high disappointment, in my opinion. I would personally rate Black Phone 2 a 7/10 stars and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of horror. And isn’t afraid of a little gore.