Black Phone 2 – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Black Phone 2 – Subtle Rings of the Past / Bloody Visions for the Future

In the confines of consequences, we live upon this path and look to find what it means to be.  In our daily lives, we try to find or fight for something.  In the face of trials and tribulations, we break in hopes of finding a place where we can become someone new.  In any story, the unfolding nature of a character becomes a place where standing out can breed new, different or intriguing things.  With film, it becomes a place where creatives can push the boundaries, but where is the right balance in pushing enough or pushing too far?  In this review, I look at the latest horror sequel to hit the big screen.  In this latest chapter, we find our characters trying to move forward while facing uncertainty.  Even with obvious horror clichés, Black Phone 2 shines a light on what it means to confront the monster in hopes for a better life.

As two siblings try to move past an unfathomed situation, they receive mysterious visions, leading them to confront a certain evil in hopes of ending their past nightmare.  Horror pulls at heartstrings, providing a place where entertainment is heightened by intensity.  From slashers to the paranormal, it is situations that breed emotions, a hopeful grip that can rise above genre.  For horror sequels, they can lead to two things: a film full of clichés or an elevated chapter that adds to the property.  For this sequel, it dances in between an elevated dynamic and typical genre tropes.  As we come into this second chapter, we find out how Finn (Mason Thames) and his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) have tried to move on, years after the captivity situation that riled the community and led to the death of The Grabber (Ethan Hawke).  Through a series of conversational and character-building scenes, the siblings have tried to live a normal life, but are constantly haunted by this past trauma.  Eventually, they realize that the random phone rings and dreamlike visions are more than just hauntings, but are a link to a youth camp in the mountains.  After some convenient plot devices, the two siblings along with their friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora) travel to this camp to find out why it is such an important place for their family.  Once they arrive, the mysterious visions lead to the reawakening of the Grabber, where they have to face him once more (main plot).  From here, the film moves through a series of characterized moments that blend in with typical horror tropes.  From ominous noises, jump scares and shock gore, the cop out like techniques drown out the emotional situation confronting Finn and Gwen.  For all the allure that builds through the investigated like journey, the forced scare tactics counter any relative grip, causing a situation where it seems we are in for a typical horror sequel … until the second half.

As the two siblings and the others at the camp (you can view the actors/actress list at the film’s IMdb page – link) try to piece together the past, this leads down a path that raises the characterized moments above the generalized horror elements.  As the film refocuses on Finn and Gwen, the relative nature of why they are at the camp and facing the Grabber (again) becomes a leveling of loose threads that drive the emotional fervor.  With the crossroads of truth coming undone, we head into a final act where the horror and emotional moments become a unique spin, building up a satisfactory climax and epilogue.  Black Phone 2 is a sequel that does enough to be a good time.  If you are a fan of the property or horror films, you will have a lot of fun.  For everyone else, I say the mystery adds enough that it is worth it to see at the theaters.

Full Score – 3.5 out of 5 (Matinee)