Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Horror sequel is surprisingly emotional but still very gory.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Black Phone 2
What's the Story?
In BLACK PHONE 2, it's 1982—four years after the events of the first movie—and Finney (Mason Thames) is still dealing with the trauma he faced in The Black Phone, getting into fights at school, and smoking pot. His younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), is trying to live a normal life, agreeing to go to a concert with Ernesto (Miguel Mora), but she's also suffering from strange nightmares filled with unsettling visions. One of them involves their mother, Hope, as a young woman (Anna Lore) at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. Gwen decides they need to investigate, so she, Finney, and Ernesto sign up to be CITs (counselors in training) at the camp. But a storm hits, and they're stranded, along with some of the staffers and supervisor Armando (Demián Bichir). Gwen then has visions of three boys dying violently at the camp, and Finney starts getting mysterious phone calls from "The Grabber" (Ethan Hawke). To survive, they must find out how everything is connected.
Is It Any Good?
For a completely unnecessary sequel, this one is surprisingly good, focusing on real emotions, trauma, and coping mechanisms and then building its frights from there. Black Phone 2 opens with a shocker: There's a fight at school, and viewers are meant to assume that Finney is still being bullied. But it's the reverse—he's now bullying others. He's angry and frightened and has no outlet for his emotions. And Gwen, whose own special powers are growing stronger, often wakes up from her visions rattled and helpless. "I feel crazy!" she sobs in Finney's arms after one particularly harrowing experience.
The movie equates Finney's pot-smoking with their father's drinking (again played by Jeremy Davies, he's sober in this film, about to collect his three-year token); both are shown as medicating to escape from pain. For Gwen's visions/nightmares, director Scott Derrickson cleverly goes with scratchy Super 8 and Super 16mm film footage, giving the sequences an unreal, ethereal look (not unlike the eerie feel of Skinamarink). A deeply unsettling electronic score by Derrickson's son Atticus adds to the dread. The movie even finds a fairly satisfying reason to bring Hawke back as "The Grabber," despite being killed in the last movie, without stretching logic too far. In the original The Black Phone, it was difficult to get around the disturbing depictions of children in dangerous and deadly situations. Black Phone 2 has the good idea to give the kids their power back.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Black Phone 2's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How does the movie develop empathy for its characters through their traumatic experiences?
How does the movie depict drinking and drug use/abuse? Are these things glamorized in any way? Are there consequences?
Do you consider Gwen a strong role model? How does she demonstrate courage?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 17, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : November 4, 2025
- Cast : Mason Thames , Madeleine McGraw , Miguel Mora
- Director : Scott Derrickson
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Faith ( Christianity ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy ( Ghosts , Monsters ) , School ( High School )
- Run time : 114 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violent content, gore, teen drug use, and language
- Last updated : November 3, 2025
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