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Black Phone 2: a sequel that divides critics
Scott Derrickson's Black Phone 2 arrives as one of 2025's most talked-about horror sequels. The film follows 17-year-old Finney grappling with life after captivity, while 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving sinister calls from the supernatural black phone in her dreams. Gwen's visions show three boys hunted at a remote winter camp called Alpine Lake. Desperate to end the nightmares, Gwen persuades Finney to join her at the camp. Caught in a winter storm, they uncover a shocking family link to The Grabber — the masked killer whose presence has become more powerful, deadlier, and hungrier for revenge.
Derrickson (who co-wrote with C. Robert Cargill) returns to the material that made the original film notable: a collision of supernatural horror and real-world evil. The cast reunites and expands with Mason Thames and Madeline McGraw leading, and Ethan Hawke returning in a key role alongside Damían Bichir, Ariana Reaves, Miguel Muñoz, Jeremy Davies, Maude Beatty, and Graham Abbey. Universal Pictures releases the film on October 17, 2025.
Critical reaction: mixed to mostly positive
Reviews so far show a spectrum. High marks from SlashFilm (90/100) and Variety (90/100) praise Derrickson's ability to revive The Grabber in a way that feels both plausible and deeper. SlashFilm highlights the film's effective expansion of the kidnapper's backstory, arguing that the sequel manages to deepen character motives rather than merely handing out plot answers. Variety applauds the tonal balance — the movie applies internal logic and even finds moments of levity amid tension, delivering a pulsey genre hybrid where ghosts and a serial killer converge.
RogerEbert.com lands a solid 75/100, noting the film can over-explain at times and runs long, but succeeds best when it leans on surreal, nightmare logic. On the other hand, IndieWire (67/100) observes that many of Black Phone 2’s strongest beats feel borrowed from earlier works by Derrickson and classic horror titles, and ScreenCrush (40/100) and The Seattle Times (38/100) criticize the sequel for failing to match the emotional and thematic power of the first film — with Seattle Times calling it oddly soporific despite its dreamscape setting.
How it compares and why reactions vary
If you loved The Black Phone (2021) for its raw tension and the way Ethan Hawke’s performance anchored a terrifying presence, this sequel is a different beast. Derrickson leans further into mythology and atmosphere, favoring a chilly, classic ghost-story mood over the original's claustrophobic immediacy. For fans of Derrickson’s earlier work like Sinister, the film will feel familiar: a director comfortable blending supernatural dread with procedural clues.
Critics split often because Black Phone 2 asks two things at once: it wants to satisfy franchise-minded scares while also deepening lore. For some reviewers, that expansion enriches The Grabber and the series’ emotional stakes. For others, it dilutes the tight, visceral terror that made the first film memorable and substitutes introspection for chills.
Behind the scenes & fan notes
Production stories circulating among fans note the challenges of shooting a winter-set story: the Alpine Lake sequences reportedly demanded night shoots, artificial snow, and carefully controlled sound design to keep the phone’s eerie ring distinct. The decision to frame much of the film through Gwen's dream logic is a creative risk that helps explain why responses are polarized — dreamscapes can enchant or alienate depending on viewer appetite for ambiguity.
Cinema historian Marko Jensen offers a concise take: 'Black Phone 2 is a bold attempt to turn a slasher archetype into a myth. It won't satisfy everyone, but it rewards viewers willing to follow its darker, more atmospheric detours.'
Where this sequel fits in modern horror
The film mirrors a current trend in horror: sequels that try to expand a single iconic villain into a broader metaphysical system (think recent franchises that graft folklore onto serial-killer narratives). That approach can create richer narrative payoff but risks losing the lean terror of the original. Black Phone 2 sits squarely in that tug-of-war.
Whether the film becomes a cult favorite or a divisive footnote will depend on audience reaction after release. For viewers seeking atmosphere, myth-building, and a deeper look at The Grabber, there’s a lot to appreciate. For those wanting pure, sustained terror in the vein of the first installment, the sequel may feel like a detour.
Ultimately, Black Phone 2 is a serious, stylistically ambitious follow-up: sometimes revelatory, sometimes overreaching — and almost certain to spark debate among horror fans this fall.
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