Scott Derrickson’s original film, The Black Phone (2021), based on a Joe Hill short story, was a critical and commercial hit. It cleverly told the story of young Finney (Mason Thames) escaping the serial killer known as Grabber (Ethan Hawke) with the help of a mysterious old rotary phone, all while captivating audiences with its nostalgic retro aesthetic.
Now, the sequel, Black Phone 2, also directed by Derrickson, proves to be a fantastic follow-up. It successfully expands upon the beloved elements of the first film while delivering an entirely fresh and engaging narrative.
The story begins in the late 1950s, with a young girl named Hope (Anna Lore) making a call from a deserted booth at the remote Alpine Lake Camp in Colorado. The fierce wind and heavy snow create a static-filled, unsettling connection.
Fast forward to 1982, four years after Finney’s harrowing escape from the Grabber. Finney, visibly traumatized, channels his struggles into fights and smoking. His sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), is also plagued by unsettling dreams that lead to sleepwalking. Despite her troubles, she’s excited when Ernesto (Miguel Mora), the younger brother of Finney’s deceased friend Robin (also played by Mora, who was a victim of the Grabber), offers to buy tickets to a Duran Duran concert.
When Gwen realizes her mother is calling from the very Alpine Lake Camp where she once worked before meeting their father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies), she insists they visit. Soon, Ernesto, Finney, and Gwen find themselves driving to the isolated mountain camp, only to become snowbound in a blizzard. With the camp officially canceled, only a skeleton crew remains.
This staff includes the supervisor, Armando (Demián Bichir), his niece, Mustang (Arianna Rivas), and two rather gloomy camp employees, Kenneth (Graham Abbey) and Barbara (Maev Beaty), who are far from a pleasant duo.
Armando is burdened by the guilt of three vanished children and has vowed to their parents that he will never stop searching. Meanwhile, Gwen’s nightmares intensify and become more vivid, while Finney is tormented by the Grabber’s voice, who threatens him with a horrific fate and chillingly states that hell holds no fire.
Black Phone 2 delivers genuine scares and deeply moving moments as both the young protagonists and adults come to startling realizations about themselves. The on-screen bond between Thames (who is having a remarkable year with this being his third film release) and McGraw is truly captivating.
The film’s score, composed by director Derrickson’s son Atticus Derrickson, is rich and atmospheric, featuring some excellent music choices, including Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Pt. 1)’. The sequence of their drive through the blinding snow, set to the slow, heavy beat of that iconic psychedelic rock track, is incredibly unsettling. Pär M. Ekberg’s cinematography masterfully captures the breathtaking beauty, oppressive isolation, and sheer terror of the snow and ice-covered landscape.
With dreams that are as revealing as they are horrifying, Black Phone 2 delves into the profound fears lurking in our subconscious, brought to the surface by the chilling mysteries of frozen lakes and past traumas that refuse to stay buried.
Black Phone 2 is currently showing in theaters.
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