Stephen King set the standard for child abduction horror with his 1986 novel, IT. Since that time, the premise of innocent children being thrust into the depths of depravity and despair has sent shivers down the spines of horror fans. In 2004, King’s son, author Joe Hill, had his short story The Black Phone published. Much like his father’s tale of childhood terror, the story became a horror hit. Director Scott Derrickson adapted the story to a full-length feature in 2021. With a fantastic retro style combined with terrifying performances and a no holds barred script, the film became a box office smash that just begged for a sequel. With the main villain meeting his demise at the end of the original, horror hounds are eager to see if this talented terror team can recapture the dread of The Grabber.
Four years after their horrific run-in with a local serial killer, Finney and his sister Gwen are attempting to return to some semblance of a normal life. Psychologically plagued by the past, Finney wants to reject Gwen’s new visions of murderous mayhem. Wanting to look after his sister, Finney joins Gwen for a winter job along with the brother of one of the children that fell victim to The Grabber. Shortly after arriving at the camp, the sibling’s past along with the origins of The Grabber descends upon the staff harder than the snow from the blizzard that has blanketed the area. Once again, Finney and Gwen must defeat the evil while unraveling the mystery of the man behind the mask.
Black Phone 2 is a sequel that should go straight to voice mail. This is a film that has zero clue what it wants to be. Director Scott Derrickson does another great job capturing not only the look but the feel of the early 1980’s, while putting together a few good sequences that will get the audience excited. That excitement drowns quicker than the bodies beneath the frozen lake in the film with ninety percent of the plot nearly putting any viewer to sleep. Derrickson along with co-writer C. Robert Cargill present a Hallmark version of a horror film that desperately attempts, and fails, to give a narrative that carries the film instead of simply giving the audience what it wants. The Grabber reigning terror on a camp! The performances are admirable with what the cast is given, with Madeleine McGraw putting in a great physical and emotional take. While the basic premise could have spawned a fantastic frighting franchise, this sequel will have horror fans trading in the black phone for an upgrade.
Scream Score: 6/10