The Black Phone 2 (2025): A Haunting Return to Terror
The Black Phone 2 (2025) marks a chilling continuation of the original 2021 horror hit, The Black Phone, directed once again by Scott Derrickson. Building upon the eerie atmosphere and psychological tension that made its predecessor a standout in modern horror, the sequel dives deeper into the supernatural and emotional scars left behind by the notorious child abductor, “The Grabber.” While the first film centered on Finney Blake’s terrifying ordeal and miraculous escape, The Black Phone 2 shifts focus to the aftermath, trauma, and a new wave of disappearances that suggest the evil may not be as buried as everyone hoped.
Set two years after the events of the first film, the story follows a now-teenage Finney who is trying to move on from his nightmarish experience. Despite counseling and the loving support of his sister Gwen, who still struggles with psychic visions, Finney remains haunted by memories and the mysterious black phone that once connected him to the spirits of The Grabber’s previous victims. The town of North Denver has seemingly returned to normal, but when children start vanishing again under eerily similar circumstances, Finney is drawn back into a horrifying reality he thought he’d escaped.
Ethan Hawke reprises his terrifying role as The Grabber in a surprising and sinister fashion. Though presumed dead at the end of the first film, his presence looms large—whether through supernatural means or through the lingering echoes of his evil deeds. The sequel cleverly toys with the idea that evil is not so easily defeated and explores the terrifying concept of trauma as a gateway to the supernatural. Gwen, whose psychic abilities have grown stronger, begins receiving disturbing visions that suggest a deeper, darker force at play—possibly one that goes beyond even The Grabber.
Visually, The Black Phone 2 maintains the gritty, vintage 1970s aesthetic of the original while adding more surreal, dreamlike sequences that blur the line between the real and the otherworldly. Derrickson’s direction skillfully balances suspense, emotional depth, and jump-scare horror, aided by an eerie, minimalist score and haunting cinematography. The performances—especially by Mason Thames (Finney) and Madeleine McGraw (Gwen)—anchor the film with emotional weight, showcasing how trauma continues to shape their characters’ lives.
While some may argue that the sequel lacks the freshness of the original, The Black Phone 2 makes up for it by expanding the mythology and deepening its emotional core. The concept of the black phone itself becomes more central, hinting at a network of spirits and lost souls still trapped between worlds. The film ends on a cryptic and unsettling note, leaving room for further installments or, at the very least, encouraging viewers to reflect on the cost of survival and the persistence of evil.
In all, The Black Phone 2 is a worthy sequel that retains the spirit of the original while venturing into darker, more psychologically complex territory. It is not just a story about survival, but about the lasting impact of fear, the bonds between the living and the dead, and the idea that sometimes, the past never truly stays buried.
