Since October 17, theaters are showing the Black Phone 2, and fans are through the roof!
The first horror film focuses on the protagonist, Finney Blake, played by Mason Thames. His story begins in Colorado during the year 1978 while he attends middle school. Early on in the movie, Finney struggles with a difficult home life and bullying but he uses his close friends and sister as a support system. News begins to circle around town that there is a child abductor who goes by the name “the Grabber”. Finney’s sister, Gwen, gets caught up in the investigation of the Grabber due to suspicions from police. It doesn’t take long until Finney gets kidnapped. Using the help of phone calls from past victims, he finally makes his escape and kills the Grabber. The movie ends with him back in school with a new sense of confidence.
The sequel takes place four years later in 1982 when Finney is seventeen. The sequel focuses more on Gwen who is going to be haunted by the spirit of the Grabber after he gains supernatural powers. She has continuous disturbing dreams about murders happening at Alpine Lake Camp. After some convincing, Finney and his late best friend’s younger brother join her on the trip to the Christian youth camp. They later find out that Hope–Finney and Gwen’s mother–had ties to the Grabber and her death was his doing. All three teens attack the Grabber and eventually defeat him with the help of spirits who met their fate due to the Grabber. The next day, Gwen receives a call from her mother’s spirit telling her how proud she is, giving the audience another uplifting ending.
In the first film, Hope’s death was allegedly a suicide but when the Grabber announced that it was his doing the whole theater was in shock. After Robin Arellano died in the first movie, his fans were extremely upset but his actor returned to the sequel to play as Ernesto Arellano. Audiences were surprised and ecstatic to see their favorite actor playing Robin’s little brother.
WMC sophomore Charlotte Riina has loved the Black Phone since its release in 2022, and is enthusiastic towards the upcoming sequel. Even though its release was a surprise, she is eager to see her favorite characters in action once again. Horror happens to be her favorite genre, and she highly recommends the film “even if you’re not a big horror movie person” because of the themes of perseverance that the movie conveys. “My favorite scene in the first movie is when Finnie and the Grabber have their fight at the end” Riina stated. After all that the main character endured, his win in the fight was extremely unsuspected, but moved the audience nonetheless with the constant “never give up” mindset the main character is taught to have. She’s already convinced her friends to see the Black Phone 2 in theaters with her this weekend.
Another WMC sophomore, Gemma Sloan, also claims that the movie is excellent. She too watched it shortly after its release and is planning on seeing it with her brother in theaters. Like Riina, she wasn’t anticipating a sequel but she is nonetheless excited for the thrilling fight scenes. Gemma tends to prefer a psychological horror film, but regardless of the preference, she still highly recommends the movie and finds the themes of friendship to be a huge selling point. “I really like the one,” she added, “[where] the one kid is, like, teaching.”
The Black Phone 2 is expected to be a hit! Visit the nearest theater and see it with friends for a thrilling time.
