Black Phone 2 Summary and Review - A Familiar Nightmare in an Icy Retreat

Black Phone 2 shifts the focus away from Finn and places Gwen at the centre of the story, leaning further into the supernatural elements hinted at in the first film. The sequel explores how both siblings continue to deal with the aftermath of their ordeal while introducing a renewed threat as The Grabber returns for revenge — forcing them to confront the killer once more and revealing deeper, darker connections to their family’s past.

Life After Survival

The story resumes four years after the original. Finn and Gwen are older and changed by what happened to them. Finn has become a rather angry young man, clearly still struggling to process his trauma. Gwen, on the other hand, is moving into adolescence and beginning to look outward — including a growing interest in Ernesto, the brother of Robin and one of The Grabber’s victims.

The siblings are as close as ever, but Finn is trapped in the prison of his trauma, unable to talk about his experiences. As Gwen tries to help him through it, she begins experiencing terrifying psychic visions tied to a series of historic murders at Alpine Lake, a winter youth camp. Through these episodes, Gwen discovers an unexpected link to their family, which drives the pair to investigate.

Camp Alpine Lake

Posing as potential camp counsellor recruits, Finn, Gwen, and Ernesto set off for the mountains in a driving snowstorm. They arrive to learn that travel to the camp had been cancelled due to the worsening weather, leaving them stranded with the small group of staff already on site.

As the trio establish themselves within the camp’s routines, Gwen’s visions begin to intensify. She sees the spirits of boys murdered in the past, all seemingly still bound to The Grabber’s influence and desperate for release. Though he remains unseen in the physical world, The Grabber stalks events from the shadows, manifesting only within Gwen’s psychic episodes where his presence is real and threatening.

As the group comes to terms with what Gwen is experiencing, they begin piecing together clues from the camp’s history, determined to understand what happened there and to finally break The Grabber’s hold over his victims.

Expanding the Lore

Black Phone 2 attempts to move the story in a new direction, expanding the locale and the lore while retaining the spirit of the original, but it only partially succeeds.

The snowbound mountain location, while visually appealing, feels underused. The film never fully capitalises on the isolation or environmental tension such a setting could offer. Instead, between psychic visions, there is a great deal of running to and from various huts dotted about the camp, often accompanied by characters shouting for Gwen — there is a fair bit of that.

Atmosphere is helped by the score and sound design, both of which establish a consistent mood of unease. Intermittent needle-drops, alongside the use of 8mm imagery, reinforce the retro setting and tone.

Where the film struggles most is in delivering sustained tension. Ethan Hawke is committed in his aim to project evil as The Grabber, but the shift from man-in-a-mask to spirit-man-in-a-mask reduces some of the immediacy that made him effective before. Aspects such as a sequence involving Finn in a phone booth — with The Grabber unseen and circling him menacingly — stand out conceptually, though it lack the intensity needed to land a cinematic punch.

The backstory of The Grabber’s origins is intriguing but underdeveloped, perhaps leaving an opening for a third film. The connection to Finn and Gwen’s family adds an interesting hook, but again these elements feel more like sketches of ideas than fully realised elements of the plot.

Solid Performances

Performances are solid overall, though the actors are not well served by the dialogue, which is repetitive and limits emotional range. If Finn (Mason Thames) says “Gwen! Are you ok?” or “It’s ok” once, he says it on too many occasions, stetching the patience. Generally, there is a surplus of introspective analysis among the main characters and not enough urgency to drive the action forward.

Apart from Armando, the supporting characters just seem to make up the numbers. Ken and Barbara's inclusion was baffling and I was expecting much more of an active part for Mustang. Although Madeleine McGraw as Gwen fares better, particularly during her vision scenes, where her reactions convey genuine fear while also enduring numerous physical assaults — hinting at what might have been achieved with tighter direction and a runtime shorter than 114 minutes. 

The film does, however, build to a satisfying final confrontation set against the icy landscape — a sequence that provides some payoff after a slower middle stretch and it avoids ending on a disappointing note.

Ultimately, Black Phone 2 is a serviceable sequel that expands the mythology without fully sharpening its dramatic or horror elements. There is perhaps enough here to justify the continuation — but if the series moves forward, there is definite room for improvement.

Rating: ★★½☆☆☆

Character & Production Details

Finn: Mason Thames
Gwen: Madeleine McGraw
The Grabber: Ethan Hawke
Ernesto: Miguel Mora
Armando: Demian Bichir
Mustang: Arianna Rivas
Kennth: Graham Abbey
Barbara: Maev Beaty

Writer: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Director: Scott Derrickson
Year of Release: 2025
Runtime: 114 minutes