Most people know that horror isn’t really my jam. While I have an appreciation for the classic slashers, the genre doesn’t truly get me unless it’s attempting something new, or mixes violence with a splash of comedy. The one exception was 2021’s The Black Phone, which I don’t think did anything especially novel, but holy crap did it offer up the best new masked murderer in ages. The Grabber, with his fearsome devil mask and malevolent portrayal by Ethan Hawke of all people, instantly took a place among the best horror villains ever. That also made his return from the grave in Black Phone 2 a bit dicey because the risk of ruining a good thing was so high. But not only is the sequel just as terrifying as the original, The Grabber leaves an even greater impression despite having much less screen time.
Once again directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill, Black Phone 2 is set four years after Finn, played by a much bulkier Mason Thames, killed The Grabber and escaped his clutches. Finn is angry, defensive, combative, and HE SMOKES (!!!), clearly still dealing with the trauma of his experiences. Unfortunately for him, the black phone is still ringing, and this time the calls are coming from Hell itself. The Grabber is back, and now he’s coming after Finn’s younger sister, Gwen, played by a returning Madeleine McGraw, who is seeing disturbing visions of three murdered boys at the same Christian winter camp that her mother attended decades earlier.
The concern with doing Black Phone 2 is that you’ll simply rehash what was done before, and diminish the immense, terrifying power of The Grabber as a one-off baddie. Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son and the writer of the novel that inspired the first movie, pitched Derrickson a clever idea for a sequel, and it skirts around this potential by shifting the focus to Gwen. This is her movie more than it is Finn’s, and her journey is different from his. She has seen what her brother went through and the impact it’s had on him, turning Finn into a sullen, angry wreck. But Gwen has also seen how her father (Jeremy Davies, also back for another go) has fallen apart after her mother’s death. Speaking of which, Gwen is fearful that her newfound psychic abilities will be her downfall, too. She brings all of this into her decision to return to the camp and confront The Grabber once and for all, for the other people in her life just as much as herself.
Black Phone 2 isn’t for the faint of heart, either. While the pacing is slower than most modern horrors, the deliberate pacing is such a master stroke. There’s no escaping the way this film sinks into your bones with haunting, sometimes gruesome imagery. The Grabber is merciless in the way he butchers children, and this movie confronts you with every disturbing act. Other indelible shots, such as a demonic face emerging from a thrown snowball against a window, catch you unawares and leave you shaken. This isn’t the kind of movie you can just passively sit through; it pulls you in deeper and deeper.
The film benefits from a cast that has only grown better in the years since. Thames is fresh off the hit How to Train Your Dragon remake, and you can feel the confidence he’s gained from being in the spotlight. He captures the PTSD that Finn is experiencing, his fear and outrage, but also his protective nature. He’s constantly in a tug of war between being afraid and the need to keep Gwen safe, and it’s a fight he has throughout the movie. McGraw is fantastic, as well, with Gwen coping with her nightmarish visions, terrible revelations about her mother’s connection to The Grabber, and even new love with Ernesto, played once more by Miguel Mora. Ernesto, the brother of Finn’s murdered friend Robin, brings a bit of levity, heart, and geekiness that this grim story needs. Oscar nominee Demian Bichir is also excellent as Armando, the grizzled camp supervisor who has long been dealing with The Grabber’s legacy. And while her role is small, I also liked Arianna Rivas as the confident cowgirl Mustang. When it appears she’s only in the movie to be a love interest for Finn, she instead becomes a reliable, take-no-bullshit ally in the fight against The Grabber.
So let’s keep it real: The Grabber does sort of become Freddy Krueger, haunting Gwen’s nightmares with murderous intent. It’s unavoidable the comparisons, and there are plenty of times when Black Phone 2 resembles A Nightmare on Elm Street in execution. But I don’t actually have a problem with that, and most horror fans probably won’t, either. Horror franchises always steal from one another to survive, and this one, a clear attempt to build a franchise, is no different. The exception is that The Grabber has yet to be turned into a joke the way Krueger has. He’s barely on screen more than ten minutes this time but his presence looms like a dark storm cloud. Having been to literal Hell, he’s now nothing but pure evil, stripped down to all of his worst aspects, and you can feel it in every horrific line delivery. Hawke has maybe found the role he was always born to play and that’s crazy when you consider all of the fantastic performances he’s had as pretty nice dudes. He’s way too good at being bad.
As unflinching in its violence as Black Phone 2 is, moments of kindness break through the darkness. As horrible as it is that The Grabber can cheat death, it also suggests that there’s an afterlife for our loved ones who are good and kind, and they are worth fighting for, too. While the religious themes and sweet heart-to-heart moments make for a preachy final act, it’s not enough to disrupt a sequel that hasn’t missed a beat. There’s a pretty good chance The Grabber will dial up a comeback in a few years, and when that happens horror fans will be eager to answer the call. And so will I.
Black Phone 2 hits theaters on October 17th from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse.
