GREENSBORO, N.C. — You know that feeling when the phone rings… and you already know who’s on the other end? It’s not just a call. It’s a warning. The black phone is ringing again — and this time, the past isn’t just haunting… it’s hunting.
Years following the events of the first film, Gwen is still haunted by visions that cloud the lines between dream and wake. One night, she sees three boys being stalked and killed at a winter camp. Through the visions, she uncovers a connection to her deceased mother with that same camp, so accompanied by her brother, Finn, they head to the camp to uncover the mystery that leads back to The Grabber.
Scott Derrickson returns to his twisted director’s chair, and his cold touch is all over the film. Derrickson smartly keeps the focus tight, choosing chilling atmosphere over full-blown spectacle. The camera jostling between dream and reality creates one of the best visual displays of unnerving claustrophobia — like you’re trapped inside the dream, unable to wake up. Black Phone 2 leans more heavily into its supernatural tendencies than its more serial-killer focus in the first film, but it opens the door to a more interesting discussion on faith and the afterlife that reflects the maturity of its growing characters…