Evil doesn't stop ringing in this darker, stronger sequel
In a nondescript house on a nondescript street in a nondescript town, there is a phone on a wall in a nondescript basement. The phone is black in color, and if you pick it up, there is no dial tone as the phone is disconnected. However, when the phone rings, there is static on the other end and faint voices giving a warning and begging for help. This is the basic premise of the 2021 horror movie, The Black Phone. The film grossed over $160 million on an $18 million budget. This past September, its sequel, The Black Phone 2, made a large profit on its original budget, and two weeks ago, it became available for purchase on 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital.
For anyone out there who has not yet seen the second installment, here is the basic synopsis: Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death... and the phone is ringing again. Four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn's younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family's history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
Returning for this sequel are writer/director Scott Derrickson, co-writer C. Robert Cargill, and stars Thames, McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Hawke, making the continuity between the two films a non-issue. Thames and Hawke once again show off their acting prowess, but it is McGraw who takes center stage this time and does so with a level of talent and maturity not always seen in someone her age. Joining the cast are Demián Bichir and Arriana Rivas, who bring their own gravitas and sense of mysticism to the story.
The Dolby Vision video quality is really what makes this combo pack worth the purchase price. With a combination of 6K digital camera work, combined with Super 8 film for flashback scenes, the presentation could have been off, but the crispness of the 6K helps make the feel of the Super 8 even grainier, which gives it that "old" feel. The blacks are also prevalent since much of the film is shot at night, but there are fine layers of details and multiple black tones that come through beautifully in Dolby Vision.
The Dolby Atmos audio complements the video quality nicely with a robust score that heightens with intensity during scarier moments, but often seems soft and soothing during quieter times in the film. There is a good mix of dialogue, score, and ambient noise throughout.
The combo pack has the 4K disc, the Blu-ray Disc, and the digital download, plus a decent amount of extras, though some are more interesting than others. The extras include Audio Commentary with Producer/Writer and Director Scott Derrickson, Deleted Scenes (Gwen and Ernesto Talk in the Library, Mustang Talks to Group, Mando Talks About the Camp Closing, Mustang and Gwen Talk in the Chapel, Ernesto and Gwen Kiss, Gwen Prays, Ken and Barb Ask Gwen and Finn to Come Back), Dialed In: The Cast of The Black Phone 2, A Story Carved in Ice, and Frozen in Time.
I wasn't a big fan of the first movie, so I didn't hold out much hope for this sequel, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the story more, the characters had more depth, and I found the film to be scarier and more sinister than the first. This 4K would make a good addition to your home entertainment library.
Grade: C+
