Gwen Takes Center Stage
The smartest decision this sequel makes is shifting focus to Gwen, played by Madeleine McGraw. In the first film, she was the psychic little sister - compelling but supporting. Here, she's the lead, and McGraw absolutely rises to the occasion.
Without spoiling specifics, Gwen's psychic abilities become central to the plot in ways that feel earned, not forced. She's dealing with the aftermath of the first film's trauma while her visions intensify. The movie takes her seriously as a character, not just as a plot device.
McGraw carries scenes that would buckle lesser child actors. She's vulnerable without being weak, scared without being passive. You believe every moment of terror, every flash of determination.
If you were worried this would sideline her for more Ethan Hawke screen time, don't be. This is Gwen's story, and it's better for it.
The Grabber Returns (Sort Of)
Here's where things get interesting: The Grabber is dead. But in Gwen's dreams and visions, he's very much alive.
This is where the Nightmare on Elm Street comparisons come in, and they're earned. The Grabber haunts Gwen's nightmares like Freddy Krueger, playful and terrifying in equal measure. Ethan Hawke clearly had fun leaning into the theatrical horror villain role.
But unlike lazy dream sequence horror, these scenes matter. They're not padding. They're gorgeously shot on Super 8 and Super 16 film stock, giving them this grainy, unsettling quality that feels genuinely otherworldly. The visuals alone justify the nightmare framework.
And the Grabber in dreams is somehow more terrifying than in reality. Freed from physical limitations, he can be everywhere, be anyone, shift and change. Hawke plays it with this gleeful menace that gets under your skin.
The Christian Camp Setting Works
The film relocates to a Christian summer camp, which initially sounds like a weird choice. But it actually works brilliantly.
The religious themes were present in the first film through Gwen's father and her visions. Here, they're foregrounded in ways that add layers rather than feel preachy. Faith, guilt, protection, and evil are all explored through the camp setting, without the movie becoming a message film.
Plus, summer camp isolation gives the film that contained, claustrophobic feeling that the first one nailed with the basement. Different setting, same effectiveness.
It's Darker Than The Original
I didn't think they'd go darker after how brutal the first film was. I was wrong.
Black Phone 2 doesn't shy away from horror. The scares are intense. The stakes feel real. There's genuine tension that builds throughout, and when things go bad, they go REALLY bad.
Some sequels soften to chase a wider audience. This one doubles down. If you found the first film's violence and dread effective, the sequel maintains that tone while finding new ways to unsettle you.
It's not gratuitous - it's purposeful. But it's definitely not for the faint of heart.
Not Everything Works Perfectly
I'm not going to pretend this is flawless. There are moments where the pacing drags slightly. Some of the humor - and yes, there are attempts at lighter moments - doesn't quite land. A few supporting characters feel underdeveloped.
And if you're a purist who thinks the first film should have stood alone, I get it. This is unnecessary in the sense that the original story was complete.
But "unnecessary" doesn't mean "bad." Plenty of great sequels weren't strictly necessary. The question isn't whether we needed this sequel. It's whether it's good.
And it is.
Why This Works When Other Horror Sequels Don't
Black Phone 2 succeeds because it respects its audience and its source material.
It doesn't just rehash the first film. It expands the mythology in ways that feel organic. Gwen's psychic abilities were established, so building on them makes sense. The trauma of the first film has consequences, so exploring those consequences is earned.
It takes risks. The dream sequence framework could have been lazy. Instead, it's visually stunning and narratively purposeful. The shift to Gwen as protagonist could have felt like franchise building. Instead, it feels like the natural next chapter.
It doesn't explain everything. Some mysteries remain. Some questions go unanswered. That ambiguity made the first film creepy, and the sequel maintains it.
And crucially, it's genuinely scary. Not jump-scare reliant (though there are a few effective ones), but tension-building, atmosphere-creating, dread-inducing scary.
The Verdict
Black Phone 2 is that rare thing: a horror sequel that justifies its existence.
It's not just "good for a sequel." It's genuinely good, period. Madeleine McGraw proves she can carry a film. The visual style is striking. The scares work. The story expands the original without betraying it.
Will it convert people who didn't like the first film? Probably not. But if you enjoyed The Black Phone, this is a worthy follow-up that respects what made the original work while finding new ground to explore.
I went in skeptical. I came out impressed. And honestly? I wouldn't mind if they made a third one.
That's not something I expected to say about a Black Phone sequel.
But here we are.