Kaleidoscope Film Review presents its latest on Universal Pictures & Blumhouse Productions Black Phone 2.  Directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, the film stars Mason Thames, Madeline McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora, Damian Bichir, & Ethan Hawke.  Rated ‘R’, it has a running time of 1 hour, 54 minutes. 

The movie begins four years after Finn Blake (Thames) killed The Grabber (Hawke).  Finn’s sister Gwen (McGraw) has begun having dreams (just as she did in the first film) of murders that occurred at Alpine Lake Camp in the year 1957.  Additionally, during one of her dreams, Gwen receives a call from her dead mother, Hope, who explains that she was having her own, similar dreams while the murders were occurring.  In her own determined way, Gwen convinces Finn and her friend Ernesto (Mora-the brother of one of the Grabber’s victims & who has a crush on Gwen) to become counselors at the Christian-led Alpine Camp—the same camp where Finn’s & her mother worked.  When they arrive at the camp, a huge blizzard traps them, camp leader Armando (Bichir), & 3 other employees.  Gwen, Finn, & Ernesto start exploring what her dreams might indicate.  Act One concludes when, on the 2nd night there, Finn hears the inoperable pay phone outside their dorm ringing—just as one did in the first film.  When Finn answers, the dead Grabber explains to Finn that he blames Finn both for forcing him to kill his brother Terrance (Davies) & for killing him. 

This film is a worthy (if a bit too ‘wordy’ & long) follow-up to the original. Director Derrickson has a firm grasp of the elements of what makes a commendable psychological horror-thriller—as he demonstrated in his 2012 micro-budgeted supernatural suspense film Sinister, co-produced with Jason Blum.  Additionally, Derrickson has a signature style wherein he uses a grainy photographic lens to depict scenes of dreams and visages that are very effective.  However, their use, in this reviewer’s opinion, is overused in the sequels.  What seemed fresh & exciting in The Black Phone, mires the action in the new film.  Thus, my humble advice to Derrickson is to ease off in future sequels.  Conversely, Derrickson’s handling of the actors & set sequences is otherwise first rate.  I look forward to his future iterations in the genre.  The acting is excellent.  Thames has a positive future in films as he has demonstrated in The Black Phone 1 & 2 and in the live version of How to Train Your Dragon.  In the words of my granddaughters, ‘he is Hot!’  There is no higher compliment from teenagers of the distaff side.  McGraw is superb as Finn’s long-suffering sister.  She portrays a superb combination of strength and frailty at appropriate moments.  She is the moral center of the film.  Mora is fine in a role that, although it does not call for much, ably supports the others. Bichir presents his usual stoic, yet, at appropriate times comic, demeanor as he has demonstrated in films such as The Nun, A Better Life, and The Grudge.  Hawke is excellent in a role that has haunted many a person’s dreams since the release of the original.  While his character in the sequel is mostly a verbal one, when he is on screen, one cannot take one’s eyes from him.  He has created an indelible persona.  Javier Aguirresarobe’s  cinematography perfectly displays Derrickson’s vision of the Black Phone’s universe.  Therefore, my critique of Derrickson’s overuse of his grainy dream sequences does not transfer to Aguirresarobe’s perfect renditions of said segments.  Alexandre Desplat’s score is suitably matched to the movie’s scenes & dreamlike qualities.  Desplat’s scores (he is among a handful of my favorite composers) are wonderfully expressive; ie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Shape of Water, The King’s Speech, Argo, for example. I always look forward to his music! 

I give Black Phone 2 Eight out of Ten nuggets.  While not up to the original, this sequel is nevertheless compelling & appropriately thrilling at times.  #blackphone2  #masonthames  #madelinemcgraw  #ethanhawke  #scottdickerson