The Black Phone 1 And 2
When Help Comes From Beyond
Horror Films come and go. Unfortunately, a lot of them come, and they’re not quite as good as they could be because, all too often, film developers and producers think they’re a cheap way to make a lot of money.
After all, you don’t need a lot of money to make a horror film. Many of them are filmed on a budget of less than $10 million, with a handful of props and minimal CGI. You just need a deranged monster or haunted house, some people who can act and scream, and a script that has people dying. Whether it makes sense is irrelevant, and whether it’s good is even less relevant as long as it makes a dollar over costs.
Yet every so often, a horror film comes along that has a spark in it that works. Where it shows that the people who wrote the script were competent to tell a good story that is both scary and engaging. Where the actors elevate said script in a convincing way, where you feel and empathize with their pain, their fear, and even their madness. Where the scene is erected so well that your eyes are glued to the screen, darting around while your adrenaline spikes, terrified of what is going to come next.
Good films like that come once in a while. Thankfully, 2025 was filled with them, between “Weapons“, “Good Boy“, and a slew of others among the muck, and “The Black Phone 2” was released to build on what was established in the first film. It was such an interesting movie that took the first film in a different direction than what had been established while still building on the themes of the first.
So while it was fun, does that make it a good film compared to the previously mentioned films in 2025? Well, that’s entirely subjective to say, as most critics are pretty even on whether they liked it or not. As usual, this review article isn’t really about trying to convince you to see the film or not, but rather to give you a subjective idea of what you’re getting into if you are interested in seeing it, among other suggested shows, films, books, and more that are similar if you enjoyed it. In this review, I intend to discuss what I thought both movies did right and wrong, and to give my personal opinion in the end.
All while being as spoiler-free as I can be. SO, with that said, let’s get into what makes “The Black Phone” 1 and 2 a possible worthy watch to add to your queue.
Cinematography
While I wouldn’t say the two films are among the best I’ve seen, they’ve been clearly made with a lot of passion and care in the writing, acting, and directing departments. The films have been evocative of a time in the 70s when a person could work a minimum wage job, have a hobby, raise a family, and still be a serial killer on the weekends.
It’s funny how it almost makes me feel nostalgic for a time that was way before my birth. I was born in the 80s, raised in the 90s and early 2000s, and for me, those are what I’m most nostalgic for. Yet this film, and others set in its timeframe, feel almost comfortable despite the 70s being depicted as dirty, grimy, and otherwise a decade where society sort of falls apart. Also strange how I am comfortable for a time as well when serial killers and crime in general were so prevalent.
I’ll save the acting discussion for the next part, as I wanted to go over this section first. The movie looks great. I’m thankful they didn’t go with a typical hazy, yellowish filter for the outdoor scenes to give that dirty look we so often see in films set in this era. Everything, for the most part, is pretty vibrant and colorful, from the school to the neighborhood, and even Finney and Gwen’s home has a homely, comfortable, lived-in appearance to it that contrasts with the alcoholic abuse they suffer from their Father.
Yet when we have scenes set in The Grabber’s basement, where Finney is held with only a dirty mattress, a hidden toilet, and a broken black rotary phone, the stark contrast emphasises the trouble Finney is in. The scenes there are drab and morose, with only a single shaft of light to illuminate an otherwise cold, desolate room. The scratches across the concrete floor, the dusty floor, and the dirty streaks feel like the walls close in, and the angles we see from one end of the room to the other make it feel so small and compact compared to the openness outside.
Director Scott Derrickson did a commendable job with the film’s direction, and it not only looks great but also features effective performances from some solid actors who are good at their craft.
Cast and Crew
Typically, horror films aren’t really carried by the weight of the names we see on the screen. Sure, there are the horror genre darlings we always see: the scream queens, the dark shadows, and those who are iconic in their villainous roles, such as Robert Englund as Freddy.
But horror tends to focus more on atmosphere, conjuring screams, and eliciting a cold shiver down the spine while your adrenaline spikes, your eyes widen, your heart beats fast, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. It’s about the art direction and the visceral violence or dread. Good horror films do carry A-list names, to be sure, but many of the classics feature actors who either stick with horror or don’t do much in their careers beyond the handful that they do.
So what makes “The Black Phone” 1 and 2 so good is that the films are atmospheric and suspenseful, but the actors really elevated them and brought out the best in the scripts they were given.
I’m not kidding when I say that the actors knocked it out of the park. Mason Thames as Finney comes off as quiet, reserved, and almost sulking at the start of the first film. A kid who is just trying to get through one day at a time and keep his Sister, Gwen, happy. Beneath that, there’s a budding rage at the injustice of the world around him he keeps hidden, and by the end of the first film, he’s more confident and sure of himself, though that all changes in the second as the damage of the first film’s ending left indelible scars on his soul.
Madeleine McGraw equally did a great job as Gwen. In the first film, Gwen at first appears much like any other child we see in films: Precocious, innocent, and sweet, but that facade melts away to reveal how much of a foul-mouthed, violent little goblin she can be when she steps up to defend Finney from some bullies. By the second film, the character’s sweet little-girl act fades as she navigates her early teenage years, haunted by the end of the first film and by nightmares and supernatural powers she feels she’s unable to control.
But any good horror film is entirely predicated upon the villain and their screen presence. It is the villains who drive the narrative, and the terror they unleash upon their victims; doing so effectively on the screen elevates any horror medium.
So, because of that, Ethan Hawke did a phenomenal job as The Grabber. While Ethan Hawke is quite a versatile actor, having done comedy, drama, and thrillers, and dabbled in horror, he brings a quiet dread to the film’s villain. A sort of dulled madness for why he does what he does. There’s really no explanation for why he’s a serial killer or chooses children as his victims. He’s simply a force of nature, and Hawke’s acting bounces between pitiful and morose when the character wants to gain favor with his abducted victim, but also disturbingly menacing when he plays his game. It also doesn’t help that we never really see his face, being hidden behind a one- or two-piece mask. Even in the second film, where they expand on the character’s rage and allow him to truly lash out, he’s still a powerful presence in both Finney’s and Gwen’s minds, as well as in the supernatural realm.
Is It Scary?
Yes.
I know that’s more straightforward than how I normally write my reviews, but I thought that these films were adequate in their ability to frighten and shock. I’m at a point where I’m pretty desensitized to horror films in general, but even the first film’s premise stuck with me for a little while after I finished watching it.
It was the idea of what the black phone represented that did it for me. As well as how it was used to reach beyond the veil of death for victims of the Grabber to help Finney escape, or to ask for help in the second film. The way the phone itself was utilized as a supernatural tool to solve what is essentially a mystery was somewhat original enough that I found myself drawn to it and interested to see what would happen next.
Now, the films are terrifying, but they’re not gratuitous in any way. While there is some blood, the violence and gore are minor enough that they become shocking when it happens rather than an expected outcome, and I personally like that. I genuinely like it when there are more surprises than the norm, as I’m not a fan of overtly violent, gory “torture porn” spectacles in my horror films. I think it’s cheap to rely on shock and edginess to tell a story, and it’s the hallmark of a good writer/director to use shocking moments to highlight the scene, rather than make them the central part of their work.
For some who might want more, though? Might not find it as fascinating as I did. The films rely more on moments of building tension and interconnected scenes from several points of view to tell the story, making viewers wonder how they’re all connected together. For others who like that, they’ll probably be more interested and on the edge of their seats, wondering when the tension will break, the action will snap, and the dangers we’ve been hinted at will be unleashed.
Possible Franchise?
They say what makes a good horror film franchise is three successful films.
Well, the first one was pretty successful and was an interesting original idea for a film. The second one might have been more panned than the first, but it did make back its money back and as of this writing, a third one is in the early conceptual stage.
However, that doesn’t mean that it could potentially be a franchise. What makes “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” (as well as others) popular horror film franchises is that the main power of the films lies in their antagonist, and his ability to come back again and again to haunt either a new set of victims, or antagonize a returning protagonist.
Plus, Freddy and Jason have screen power. They’re iconic and otherworldly with power and strength behind them that’s never fully explained, but fully utilized, and they’re just brutal killing machines that are in it for the love of the game.
The Grabber, by extension, isn’t like them. He’s a serial killer who preys on children, but the terror that comes from him is his menacing aura compared to the children who are smaller and weaker than himself. He’s shown to be powerless, prone to anger and resentment, and narcissistic as a person when he’s on an equal footing with adults who hold either more power than himself, or who won’t easily go down in a fight. You can’t say the same for Freddy, Jason, Chucky, and other monstrous movie villains who will cut a bloody swath through whoever stands in their way.
Yet “The Black Phone” 1 and 2 have a good possibility, depending on how the third film ties up the trilogy. The Grabber is still a menace, even if he’s (minor spoiler warning) beyond the pale by the end of the second film. His power is only enhanced in death, thanks to his hatred and rage, and both Finney and Gwen are now tied to him. So it’s possible that they could still deal with him again, and possibly in a fourth, fifth, or sixth film if they continue with the main characters.
You’ll Like This If
You like dreadful mysteries involving serial killers, and children who take charge to get themselves out of horrible situations.
That’s really the heart of the film when it comes to suspense. Finney IS a young teenager, but he’s not completely helpless as a protagonist either. In most media, children, even young teenagers, are depicted as innocent to a fault, powerless against more oppressive forces, and utterly useless, and are either quickly killed off for a cheap shock or spared because of their age.
Not so here. Finney might be young, but he knows the dangers he’s in, and the other children who came before him paint a picture of what he can expect to face if he doesn’t quickly think of a way to get out of the Grabbers clutches. He’s an intelligent, smart ass with a sister who has a mean streak with special powers, and that’s the drive through the movie’s narrative. They’re active participants to their own salvation rather than passive and meek, letting the adults do the work. Finney understands that the adults had failed the previous children who were murdered, and he needs to escape however he can.
The second film is somewhat similar, even if they’re older and more capable than before. The child actors are roughly 3-5 years older, but are more worn out and traumatized, as they should be. The biggest difference in the second film is that they ramped up the supernatural elements a bit more, which makes the movie feel different, even if thematically it is similar. The second biggest difference between the second and the first is that The Grabber is more of an overt menace than a looming dread in the narrative. In the first, he’s there and shows up at first to try and be Finney’s friend to lull him into a false sense of security before he ramps up the cruelty, but in the second, he’s just cruel and vindictive from the start and openly mocks both Finney and Gwen whenever he can.
Overall, the films are downright creepy and full of tension, even if light on gore and in-your-face scares, and if you prefer your atmosphere over your action, you’ll like them.
You’ll Not Like This If
You prefer something more action-packed, or something more bloody and visceral.
While the second film has more action and movement than the first, both are pretty slow-building, with moments of ease between scenes that lower your guard. Compared to other films that deal with Serial Killers, there is no pile of bodies that mounts up, confounded police trying to capture him, or terrified teens running and screaming for their lives while the killer’s mere aura fills the room.
The first film is one kid in a room with a broken telephone, a sibling trying to piece together psychic clues, trying to find him, and a killer who hides behind a mask, trying to play a cruel game with the main protagonist before killing him. The second film does have more victims of the killer coming to light (three young boys at a camp), and it does take place in a larger setting, but the atmosphere is pretty similar.
Each film moves slowly, revealing its secrets one at a time, requiring the viewer to engage with some of their own thoughts to understand the story. It’s not a film where you can be distracted by your phone or something else without losing much of the story, since you have to pay attention for context. For those who just want to turn their brains off and munch on snacks while enjoying a bloody good time, it might feel sluggish and boring compared to other fare that’s out there.
Personal Thoughts
Both of these films surprised me with how engaged I became with their premises.
For a while now, I’ve unfortunately been bored to tears with horror films because they all seem so similar. They create an interesting premise, put the characters to the test, and often they seem to work, but then… there gets a point where they either overexplain the horror aspects, show the monster, or delve into lore or backstory that I don’t really care about, and it kills the momentum.
Not only that, but I’m pretty wise to the director’s tricks in creating tension to the point that I don’t feel it because I can accurately guess what’s coming up next. The slowly quieting music and sound effects that always precede a jumpscare, the long stares off camera that signal something is filling the characters with dread. The subtle background shift of something moving (despite that being my favorite trope). The suspenseful use of percussive instruments in the musical score. All of it, I’ve seen a dozen times in the last several months alone. Hence why I’ve taken a bigger interest in writing about obscure horror comics, video games, ARGs or other web-based projects.
So what made “The Black Phone” 1 and 2 different?
Mostly it’s the story. Don’t get me wrong, the directors and cinematographers do all the usual tricks to get one interested in the story, and they are effective. What won me over was the suspense that the films exuded. At least, in the first one.
In the first “The Black Phone” film, it was all about figuring out how the main character, Finney, would survive his abduction. It wasn’t a stereotypical kidnapping horror flick like the “Saw” series, where it was full of torture scenes, violence, over-the-top spectacle, and gore. It was down-to-earth and realistic with a man who predated on children and their innocence and who played some twisted internal game whose rules were archaic and unknown save for whatever whims he created.
So there was already this mounting pressure, leaving you to wonder how much time Finney had before he was found, or even if he’d be found at all. Not once, at least till the end, did the main antagonist physically assault the protagonist with the intent to cause harm or kill, playing a game where such violence would be a repercussion if Finney failed. Yet, I was constantly left wondering WHEN it was going to happen, which made me fear that he would snap at any moment as the walls started to close in around him.
Then, of course, there was the eponymous Black Phone that hung on the wall of the protagonist’s cell, dangling there, taunting him to call the outside world but unable to do so. Yet, calls DO come in to him, speaking with the voices of past victims and helping out Finney to try and get him to escape.
I won’t spoil too much, but this is where the film shines. Each bit of help comes with a sad backstory about the poor child who was murdered, and at first, it seems that their help isn’t actually helpful at all. You’ll have to watch yourself to see how it all ties up.
However, for all the praise I give the first film, I don’t hold the second film in as high esteem. The reason for this is that they explained the villain and focused more on him rather than the setting itself, and it seemed to have forgotten what made the first film pretty fun.
Again, no spoilers, but the second film leans into the more supernatural and paranormal aspect of the setting, and while it does fill in the gaps of what exactly happened in the first film, it seemed to give too much away and left little mystery to mull over. I’ve always said that the death of a good horror franchise is when you have to explain the horror aspects of it or explain the monsters’ motivations, and they’ve pretty much done that in the second half of the second film.
Thankfully that didn’t kill my enjoyment of the film and if there ever is a third film to create this into a franchise, I hope they pick a direction where they focus less on the main villain, his motivation, and what empowers him to be such a terror and instead turn back to just creating a creepy premise, the tragic backstory of the villains and how they help from beyond the veil of death.
To me, that’s what made both films fun, even if it’s clear my interest lies more in the first rather than the second.
If You Liked This You’ll Also Like
If you liked the films, you’ll probably like the short story that it’s loosely based on, written by Joe Hill in 2007. There are some similarities between the film and the short story, but it is different enough that you can see where the inspiration came from, what changed for a film adaptation, and still find it new enough to enjoy.
Luckily, there are many horror films, games, and even comics, books, and graphic novels similar to “The Black Phone“. At its core, the film is about resilience, survival, and overcoming the odds stacked against you in trying to survive a horrific ordeal, as well as those horrific ordeals from the perspective of a child or young teenager.
Films
- – The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
- – The Reflecting Skin (1990)
- – The Boy Behind the Door (2020)
- – The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)
- – Chained (2012)
Novels
- – NOS4A2 by Joel Hill (2013)
- – The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (2004)
- – Boy’s Life by Rober R. McCammon (1992)
- – The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay (2019)
Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga
- – Something Is Killing The Children by James Tynion IV (2019 – Present)
- – Locke & Key by Joe Hill (2008 – 2013) NOTE: Also has a Television Adaptation
- – Monster by Naoki Urasawa (1994 – 2001)
- – Erased by Kei Sanbe (2012 – 2016)
- – Case Closed / Detective Conan by Gosho Ayoama (1994 – Present) NOTE: Has an anime adaptation
YouTube
- – Why Serial Killers Aren’t “Monsters” by Olurinatti
I included this video essay because it is a documentary-style video about the humanization of Serial Killers, and why they should be condemned for their crimes, but also come to understand how their failures as humans, or the failures of those around them, created monsters that prey on vulnerable people.
While it’s not exactly scary in the sense of what the above-mentioned films, comics, and books have in them, it is an interesting look into the psyche of what makes them so monstrous. The Grabber in both of the “The Black Phone” films IS monstrous and horrendous, and while we’re never given a clear reason as to why he does what he does, real-life killers are far more complicated and, in a way, far more terrifying.
Final Thoughts
Whether “The Black Phone” can become a successful franchise or not is irrelevant in the end. The films are fun to watch, and the first film certainly has a quality that makes it a fun rewatch around Halloween.
And honestly, that’s what matters most. Franchises tend to go belly up after a while, and it’s always the first two or three films in a horror franchise that people love anyway. For as many films in the “Friday the 13th” franchise as there are, people tend to agree that the first two are the best. Plus, many successful horror films that are required viewing don’t even have franchises, such as “The Exorcist“, which is considered one of the best, if not in the top 5, horror films of all time.
Isn’t that what matters? Simply being good enough to watch multiple times and be recommended year after year? Time will tell with “The Black Phone“, but for my money, I know I’m recommending it as a good horror thriller to everyone who enjoys this type of movie, and is looking for something that’s not overly bloody and gratuitous, with just the right amount of tension and terror to keep you on the edge of your seat.
And for every reader of this article, I recommend it as well.
~ Rease Stoneheart
