Black Phone 2 Fantastic Fest Review: A Chilling Sequel That Doubles the Scares

Supernatural scares supreme in a worthy sequel in Black Phone 2.

‘The Black Phone’ premiered at Fantastic Fest back in 2021 before eventually releasing wide in 2022, so it’s only fitting that director Scott Derrickson returned to Fantastic Fest 2025 to introduce the premiere of the sequel, ‘Black Phone 2.’ I’m excited to report that ‘Black Phone 2’ is a satisfying successor that ups the scares of the first film and doubles down on the supernatural elements.

‘The Black Phone’ introduced a fantastic villain in “The Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), a terrifying child abductor in an even more horrifying mask. But (spoilers for the first film), “The Grabber” is eventually bested by Finn (Mason Thames), his final abductee, who receives assistance from the ghosts of child victims past as well as his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who has psychic visions.

Where the Story Picks Up

‘Black Phone 2’ picks up a few years after the original, where Finn struggles to adapt to a normal school life since he’s now branded as the kid who killed a serial killer. This is further complicated by the fact that Gwen’s dreams and visions are only becoming more frequent and potent. Gwen’s recent disturbing visions of three young boys at a camp called Alpine Lake lead them to investigate further, while Finn receives calls from “The Grabber” beyond the grave.

I’ll say this outright: the plot of the movie is notably convoluted and has to jump through some hoops to make it work. There’s even a scene in the middle of the film where the action comes to a halt so the backstory can be thoroughly explained to the audience. That being said, the film comes together in an extremely satisfying way, even tying up some loose threads from the first film. The narrative leaps are easy to forgive in a film that’s oozing with atmosphere and thrills. The snowy camp provides a great landscape for this new mystery, and the use of film grain effects helps to differentiate just how much of this movie takes place in a dream world.

The nature of the world that has been set up in ‘Black Phone 2’ allows for a neat blending of horror subgenres within this story. We still get ghost scares like the first film, but in the sequel, some of the spirits are able to have a direct effect on the real world, resulting in characters being physically thrown around in ways that we typically only see in possession-style horror.

The Grabber’s Return

I feared that “The Grabber” would be shoehorned into a story where he doesn’t really fit, but those fears have been alleviated. “The Grabber” remains as scary and menacing as ever, and Ethan Hawke is chewing scenery despite being undead behind an iconic mask. Mason Thames has grown up quite a bit in a few short years since the first film, and he’s turning into a fine young actor whom I look forward to seeing in more films. Madeleine McGraw shines as Gwen and manages to successfully step into an impressive leading role.

Verdict

‘Black Phone 2’ makes some narrative leaps while bringing this story together, but it’s justified by the tense atmosphere, great scares, and horrifying villain. This is a sequel done right, and horror fans will be answering the call next month when it hits theaters on October 17th.

---

Read more Reviews on Nerdtropolis and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube.