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“Did you think our story was over?”
Ethan Hawke reprises his role as the Grabber in “Black Phone 2,” the latest horror film by director Scott Derrickson, writer C. Robert Cargill, and Hawke himself.
The original “The Black Phone” — based on a 2004 short story of the same name written by Joe Hill — follows 13-year-old Finney Blake (Mason Thames) as he is abducted and nearly killed by the Grabber, a serial child killer. Through a black phone with which Finney is able to communicate with the Grabber’s past victims beyond the grave and his sister Gwen’s (Madeleine McGraw) psychic dreams, Finney escapes and kills the Grabber.
“Black Phone 2” picks up four years from where the first film left off — taking place primarily at a winter camp in northern Denver, Colorado. In the film, the Grabber has somehow returned from the dead, and Derrickson does not care to explain just how the vengeful villain has done so — nor should he. The horror cliche of a villain mysteriously rising from the dead is a staple of the genre, and Derrickson knows that the viewers know it. As the Grabber ominously tells Finney, “dead is just a word.”
Throughout his notable career, Derrickson has sharpened a few tools in his horror toolbox. Derrickson’s terrifying film, “Sinister” — identified by some broadband choices as the “scariest horror movie of all time according to science” — and the original “The Black Phone” both feature Super 8 film, a mix of grounded family drama, and ghost children.
While “Black Phone 2” retains all of the elements that have made some of Derrickson’s previous works so great, the film unfortunately misses the mark in its execution.
Firstly, in its horror. While its choice of setting — an icy, secluded winter camp — is perfect for a horror, Derrickson prioritizes creating and reinforcing an atmosphere over developing his film’s plot.
One exception to this weakness of the plot does stand out, however: the return of the Grabber from the dead. The back-and-forth between one of Gwen’s psychic dreams and an otherworldly call between the Grabber and Finney is dread-inducingly well-done. Editor Louise Ford’s cross-cutting between Gwen and Finney, along with Atticus Derrickson’s increasingly foreboding score, are great for suspense; the viewer can feel Finney’s stoicism bubbling into panic at his inability to protect his sister, and the movie’s better off for it.
But generally, Derrickson’s prioritization of mood is to the film’s detriment. Despite the Grabber’s terrifying return, the film feels disjointed and choppy, especially by the third act; while Derrickson hurries to get the main characters to the winter camp, he dedicates far too much screentime to Gwen’s psychic dreams, especially in the film’s first act.
Gwen’s dreams are indeed very creepy, thanks to the use of Super 8 film – her dreams of the Grabber’s murders are almost like grainy, found-footage home movies, with odd coloring and choppy visuals. But even by the second or third dream, they begin to feel redundant.
The characters of “Black Phone 2” don’t fare much better than its plot either; the development of Finney, Gwen, and their abusive, alcoholic father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) feels underbaked. The film doesn’t fail to dedicate screentime to illustrate just how much these characters have changed in four years — Derrickson just doesn’t go all the way. For example, while Finney’s post-kidnapping PTSD and the entire family’s grief of their late mother offer nuance to the storyline — their inclusion’s significance ends at that, with neither reaching a satisfying resolution.
The original film was most successful when it made the viewer feel that these kids were truly alone. For instance, the film’s scene of a drunk Terrence beating Gwen with a belt as Finney screams helplessly is a heart-wrenching example of what these films can be at their peak. The scene notably has no score, taking the viewer away from the supernatural for a second, and reminding them that life for these two kids was hell long before the Grabber arrived.
Although in “Black Phone 2” an attempt at redemption is made for Terrence’s character in the form of sobriety, Terrence’s relationship with his kids feels like a mere footnote. Finney’s mistrust of his father’s sobriety is only briefly mentioned, leaving viewers disappointed with how such an interesting plot point was left underdeveloped.
Ultimately, “Black Phone 2” doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. It struggles to commit as a horror movie. The Grabber is neutered in the film. He does not kill a single person in the present — not to sound blood-thirsty — and the film just has fewer scares. Plus, the Grabber’s mostly second-half inclusion makes Hawke’s presence in the film feel like a glorified cameo.
And even though “Black Phone 2” tries to follow in the footsteps of “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” the film is not nearly as funny or suspenseful as Wes Craven or Chuck Russell’s horror masterpieces. Sure, the film does have a few sources of comedic relief — mostly innocent banter between Gwen and her love interest, Ernesto (Miguel Mora). Still, moments of comedic respite feel too few and far between, and Gwen’s use of comedic profanity often feels ill-timed.
While “Black Phone 2” doesn’t strike out too far from the quality of its predecessor, it’s disappointing to see a filmmaker capable of creating a film like “Sinister” fall short of creating a sequel that could have been much tighter, more riveting, and, of course, much scarier.
