Black Phone 2 (2025)

Black Phone 2

• Seeing as ‘The Black Phone’ is my fourth favorite horror film of all time (and that’s out of around 330), I had very high hopes and also very nervous feelings about this. Why? Because the first film absolutely never needed a sequel. It’s such a great concept and perfectly executed, and nothing about it warrants a sequel. That being said, this is a sequel that absolutely rocks in pretty much every sense, despite not being necessary. It’s easy to ruin a good thing, but this film doesn’t. It continues the story in a Wes Craven fashion, to which I’m obviously referencing ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’. But it doesn’t feel like an Elm Street film, this is its own thing. The story picks up a few years after the first film, and basically leads into the same events, just different territory, some new characters, and a new objective. It’s extremely character driven, which I ALWAYS love. Even though it starts out being about Finn, it ultimately ends up being about Gwen, and how the family relationships are dealt with. There’s so many great scenes that are extremely heartfelt and emotional, and give you a chance to truly learn who everyone is and how they deal with emotions in their own way. Especially the scene with the kids and their dad in the snow, and then the final scene with the phone call. Absolute gut punches in the best way. The writing was truly fantastic. The performances were all pretty good, though there were definitely a couple moments that felt a little stale or forced. But Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw bring their A game, and Ethan Hawke is great as always. I wish The Grabber would’ve been a little more prominent and had more screentime, but that’s what helps make him so scary. The buildup and tension was awesome. The entire third act was insanely amazing, and a true pay off to the first two acts. All the dream sequences were perfect, with the use of Super 8 adding the perfect look and vibe. I don’t think this film is better than the first, but in many aspects, especially with the dreams, it is. Lastly, the sound design was booming and horrifying, and it was the cherry on top. Overall, this is one of the best horror sequels ever made, and as a super fan of the first one, I can say that it’s certainly worth your time, and it was worth the effort. I would recommend this to all horror fans, just obviously watch the first one. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!