Film Review – Black Phone 2

2022’s “The Black Phone” was an adaptation of a Joe Hill short story. And it definitely played like one, with screenwriters C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson (who also directed) straining to turn a small idea for suspense into a feature film. And one that had a pretty definitive conclusion. However, definitive conclusions are no match for box office profit, and now we have “Black Phone 2,” with Cargill and Derrickson returning to expand Hill’s concept for a sequel that’s not necessary, and doesn’t invest in originality. The writers clearly turn to Wes Craven’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street” for inspiration and direct lifts, looking for a way to return The Grabber to action without fully erasing his fate in the previous picture. “Black Phone 2” sticks with dream logic and cheap frights, and the offering takes its time to get where it’s going, aiming for a more emotional, family-oriented scare zone in a decidedly ho-hum movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com