Black Phone 2 is one of those films I was worried about when it first got it announced; I just didn’t think the first film needed a sequel, but boy was I wrong! Black Phone 2 sees Scott Derrickson return back to the world of The Grabber with writer C. Robert Cargill. The whole cast is back as well with Mason Thames as Finney, Madeline McGraw as Gwen, and Ethan Hawke playing the diabolical Grabber. We do get a new setting which is the wintry camp that can feel like its own character at times. It’s the same characters but things have changed so much and have only gotten darker.

Black Phone 2 is a lot different from the first film in the best way possible. In the second film, we start years after the events of the previous one where Finney and Gwen are still struggling with the trauma The Grabber has left behind. Finney has become more violent and lashes out easily towards others at school. Mason does an incredible job at portraying these complicated feelings that Finney is feeling. Gwen also is reeling from the events of the previous film but has become more recluse and isolated from the world. The fear of being judged and misinterpreted has made her close up. I really love how Cargill and Derrickson showcase how trauma affects people differently. This causes both siblings to shut each other out which in turn leads to The Grabber becoming stronger. I won’t go into details as to how The Grabber is back or why the kids have to venture out to a camp; I feel the mystery is best solved as you watch the film and definitely adds to the experience.

The Grabber is more wicked than the last time we confronted him a couple of years ago. It’s clear that the kids are way out of their element to take on this new demonic force of a villain. Hawke portrays The Grabber in a much more sinister vibe with us seeing the character become crueler. I thought Hawke was incredible in The Black Phone and in the sequel he just takes it to another level. Black Phone 2 decides to take huge shifts in its tone and visuals compared to the first. There’s a lot of mixed media going on throughout its runtime. The use of celluloid film segments adds a very uneasy feeling to the already terrifying film. You get a disorienting feeling just as the characters do and the line between reality and dreams really blurs. These little moments ultimately build and build until all hope seems to be lost. It truly is a descent into hell which is juxtaposed with the cold of the winter snow.

Black Phone 2 has such a wild climax that I’m tempted to watch the film again on the big screen for it. It truly has taken a much bigger and cinematic approach from the first film. There are so many truly amazing and breathtaking shots that Derrickson has delivered. In my opinion, Black Phone 2 is a clear step above the first and I loved the first one. There’s just so many incredible moments that elevate this one to another level. The performances from both siblings and Hawke are just firing from all cylinders. Cargill’s and Derrickson’s writing also feels so whole and complete as well. Scott talked about his faith and own experiences with a winter camp he attended as a child during the Q&A which just makes the film feel much more personal. A lot of comparisons will be made to various films from the past with Black Phone 2; I don’t ever get the feeling that Black Phone 2 is trying to rip off anything though. I believe it actually takes and enhances those themes even more for future filmmakers.

Black Phone 2 could possibly be my favorite horror film of the year. There’s just something so diabolical in Hawke’s performance that has to be seen. A lot of the scares are built up so perfectly that it leaves you in awe. Thames and McGraw are operating on just another level that it’s amazing to see. Derrickson and Cargill have built a mythology to the character of The Grabber that will cement its stay in the zeitgeist. It’s quite possibly one of the best sequels i’ve seen that doesn’t minimize the impact of the first. I’m excited to see where the story goes from here if it does have more to tell but for now, Black Phone 2 is incredible on its own.