An unnecessary sequel, but the filmmakers do their best to justify the second outing. The narrative shifts focus to secondary protagonist Gwen and we spend a chunk of the film in her mindscape, giving Derrickson a chance to break out his favorite super-8. The shift works, as Madaline McGraw is an engaging actress seemingly poised for stardom and owning every scene with ease. All the performances are excellent, Ethan Hawke feels like he has the least material to work with, despite his Grabber getting quite the metaphysical upgrade including ice-skating lessons. Hawke does his best, even as much of his performance is disembodied he still manages to ooze charismatic menace. The film doesn’t try to recreate the feeling or tonality of the original, which was a surprisingly grounded period thriller, but this goes gonzo and delivers akin to a spiritual sequel to Nightmare on Elm Street, hitting for the fences with leaps in logic and lore to explain elements from both films. We deal with an unfortunate amount of cast bloat, while expected to remember key characters and relationships. There are some very convenient leaps and stretches to tie in lore behind both the children’s powers and the Grabber himself, and some elements definitely feel forced. While there are some fantastic visuals and scary moments, the delivery makes one appreciate the less-is-more elegance of the original. Overall an inferior sequel, but still a very engaging watch.
The Black Phone 2 (2025)