Black Phone 2 Review | Flickreel

Scott Derrickson turned in one of the creepiest commercial horror films of recent memory with The Black Phone, which played like an adaptation of an overlooked Stephen King story. Actually, King’s son, Joe Hill, wrote the source material. Where the first film called the Kings to mind, Black Phone 2 plays like the best A Nightmare on Elm Street movie since Wes Craven was running the show. This isn’t out of the blue, as bad dreams also played an integral role last time. Black Phone 2 is a natural evolution of its predecessor, expanding upon the lore in ways that feel carefully planned out. Four years doesn’t seem like a long time, but Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw certainly sprouted up since 2021. Finney and Gwen are now teenagers, although they’re still grappling with their trauma. Gwen’s lucid dreams have been taken to the next level, causing her to sleepwalk. Finney has been getting mysterious phone calls from beyond, yet he resists answering. In a bit of clever casting, Miguel Mora, who played Finney’s late friend Robin in the first film, returns as his nerdy brother Ernesto. You wouldn’t guess it’s the same kid, as Mora has also grown up.
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