Unnecessary sequels are a dime a dozen in the horror genre. For every Aliens and Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ II, there are plenty of Blair Witch 2s and Exorcist 2s. When it was announced that Blumhouse would be producing a sequel to 2021’s The Black Phone, a grisly serial killer story based on a tale by Joe Hill, there was the lingering question of why, exactly, this sequel needed to exist.

After all, Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber was murdered by Mason Thames’ Finney at the end of the first film, and all seemed well in their North Denver suburb. Yet, director Scott Derrickson and his co-writer C. Robert Cargill heeded the ominous call and Black Phone 2 was born. Thames and Hawke are back for the sequel, as is Madeleine McGraw as Gwen, Finney’s sister.

Black Phone 2 Is Fun… To A Point

Black Phone 2 picks up a couple of years after the events of the first film, where Finney was rescued from The Grabber’s basement thanks to his sister’s burgeoning psychic abilities. Though integral to the film, Finney takes a backseat in this sequel, with Gwen coming to the fore as her psychic abilities connect her to The Grabber and reveal a legacy of horror that has been pᴀssed down by their mother.

When Finney and Gwen are drawn to Alpine Lake winter camp, along with Gwen’s love interest Ernesto (Miguel Mora), they are tasked with finding more victims of The Grabber, who is now haunting the camp thanks to the lingering ghosts of his past victims. Now, The Grabber manifests in Gwen’s dreams, sH๏τ in Super 8 and given a decidedly retro feel akin to the horrifying home videos from Sinister, also directed by Derrickson.

The Grabber’s power can now transcend the spirit realm, and he reaches through the veil to torment Gwen, Finney, Ernesto, and a colorful group of Camp Alpine workers, including Demián Bichir’s supervisor, Mando.

That Black Phone 2 is beholden to the events of the first film is both a blessing and a curse. It expands on the mythology of The Grabber, connecting him to Finney and Gwen on a deeper level. But, one can’t help but wonder if that’s not holding the film back. The film wears its influences on its sleeve as it goes for a Nightmare on Elm Street-esque hellscape vision, but in being so connected to Gwen and Finney’s story, The Grabber is beholden to their emotional journey.

It’s a cliche-riddled journey about unearthing the ghosts of the past and moving on from lingering trauma, but Thames and McGraw are worthy of carrying the story, even through stilted dialogue and predictable plot developments. Black Phone 2‘s strengths lie in the pure silliness of the proceedings, though.

The movie plays things straight, but when you have a girl flying through a kitchen or Hawke ice skating over a frozen lake, it teeters into camp. Hawke is as committed as ever and even more sinister than he was in the first film, but The Grabber is less of a solid fixture instead of a lingering specter, underutilizing Hawke’s power in favor of Gwen and Finney’s story.

Black Phone 2 is still a solid horror film, with gory kills and exciting set pieces. But the question of why still lingers over the film, even as it delivers on its many promises. There’s a world where The Grabber becomes an updated version of Freddy Krueger if Derrickson and co. don’t let the mythology they’ve fleshed out here weigh the franchise down.