Star Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke
Director: Scott Derrickson
Black Phone 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
BLACK PHONE 2 is the story of a family grappling with past trauma. The year is 1982. It’s been four years since Finney Blake (Mason Thames) killed the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Finney has now become the polar opposite and beats people on any given opportunity. His sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) starts getting dreams of her mother, Hope Adler (Anna Lore). Gwen sees her at a youth camp at Lake Alpine, Colorado. A chance conversation with her father reveals that Hope indeed was at the said camp in 1957. Gwen sees dead children and her mother also happens to mention about them in her dreams. Gwen convinces Finney to go to the camp to find answers. Finney reluctantly agrees and they are joined by Ernesto (Miguel Mora), who has developed a romantic interest in Gwen. At the camp, mysterious things start happening with Gwen and Finney. Gwen’s dreams become even more terrifying. Meanwhile, Finney begins to get calls from the dead payphone, reminding him of his time in the Grabber’s basement when he was kidnapped. That’s not all. Grabber also returns though Finney had already eliminated him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Black Phone 2 Movie Story Review:
Scott Derrickson and C Robert Cargill’s story is organic though it takes a while to realize the same. Scott Derrickson and C Robert Cargill’s screenplay is very gripping. The dialogues are normal.
Scott Derrickson’s direction is quite good. The setting is eerie and it adds to the fear quotient. This time, viewers get to know more about the mother, the Grabber and it is all put together very well. A few scenes are very imaginative, especially when Gwen is dreaming. The finale is justified.
On the flipside, despite the best of efforts from the makers, the goings-on become a bit confusing. A few questions are left unanswered. Moreover, the first half is slow and it takes a while to get to the point. It won’t be surprising if the viewers start assuming that BLACK PHONE 2 is a forced sequel. Thankfully, things get clearer by mid-point. Lastly, the buzz in India is very limited.
Black Phone 2 Movie Review Performances:
Mason Thames plays the lead part with panache. This time, his character is facing different set of traumas and he portrays it convincingly. Madeleine McGraw has the maximum screen time. She has a very challenging role and is quite good. Miguel Mora is lovely in a supporting role. The same goes for Demián Bichir (Armando). Ethan Hawke oozes fear yet again. Jeremy Davies (Terrence; Finney and Gwen’s father) is okay. Arianna Rivas (Mustang) gets to play a very cool part but her character is underutilized. Graham Abbey (Kenneth) and Maev Beaty (Barbara) have meatier parts and raise laughs. Anna Lore is fair.
Black Phone 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
Atticus Derrickson’s music is not needlessly loud and leaves a mark. Pär M Ekberg’s cinematography is splendid and he ensures the film doesn’t look like a clone of THE SHINING [1980]. Amy Andrews’ costumes and Patti Podesta’s production design are satisfactory. Action this time is very gory. VFX is first-rate. Louise Ford’s editing could have been slicker.
Black Phone 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, BLACK PHONE 2 succeeds in delivering eerie visuals, strong performances and genuine scares. However, its limited franchise recognition and low buzz may restrict its box office potential in India.