In North Denver, back in 1982, there’s Finney. He’s still messed up from his run-in with this creepy serial killer called the Raptor. I mean, who wouldn’t be? To cope, he’s trying different ways to escape mentally, like smoking pot. His sister Gwen? She’s haunted too but in her own way—her dreams are filled with eerie visions of kids trapped under a frozen lake. Pretty spooky stuff.

Gwen’s nightmares lead her to some wild connections—her mom used to work at this camp in the ’50s, and now it seems like her mom is reaching out from the past through these dreams. What do they do? Gwen ropes in Finney and her maybe-boyfriend Ernesto to join her as counselors at Alpine Lake—a wintery camp where all this weirdness links back to some scary stories of missing kids and a tie to the Raptor that just won’t quit even though he’s been dead ages.

When “Black Phone” first came out, no one really thought there could be a second movie. But since it was a hit, they managed to cook up something anyway. Even if the killer’s history says he’s dead as a doornail, no biggie—they’ve got ways to bring him back kinda like Freddy Krueger living on through people’s dreams or whatever. When you think about it, setting “Black Phone 2” in the ’80s makes sense if you’re digging into that old-school horror vibe!
So, Derrickson and his writing buddy C. Robert Cargill took a story inspired by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill, and turned it into something pretty special. They’re not just copying the legendary horror vibes of the past but really going all in to create their own style. The result is this moody, dreamlike atmosphere that goes beyond just mimicking classics.

Despite its inspirations, Derrickson doesn’t just replay those ’80s horror tropes or crank out another copycat sequel. While the first “Black Phone” movie was all about feeling trapped in tight spaces, this follow-up switches things up majorly. Picture wide-open snowy fields instead of dark little rooms—so you get a different kind of creepy vibe.

True, one chunk of the film maybe gets a bit bogged down with explaining stuff about what’s happening and why people are acting the way they do. This can dial back the tension for sure. But before and after those parts, Derrickson illustrates how he uses powerful visuals to drag viewers right back into the edge-of-your-seat intensity with scenes that are as beautiful as they are nerve-wracking!
The movie dives into this epic showdown between Good and Evil that’s totally gripping. It even weaves in some mystical and religious vibes, which was pretty rare back in the day. While there aren’t many new twists or turns in the story, the way they set things up is spot-on with those perfectly timed jump scares that keep you on your toes—and make it a fun watch.

Back from the last flick, we’ve got our three main characters stepping back into their roles. Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke are right on point with their performances—nothing less than solid. But Madeleine McGraw? She steals the show as the psychic little sister. Her acting is just brilliant, bringing so much depth and believability to her character that it’s truly impressive.