Directed By: Scott Derrickson
Written By: C. Robert Cargill
Based on the Short Story “THE BLACK PHONE” by: Joe Hill
Cinematography: Par M. Ekberg
Editor: Louise Ford
Cast: Mason Thames, Madeline McGraw, Demian Bichir, Ethan Hawke, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Jeremy Davies, Maev Beaty
As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, his sister 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.
When I was younger, I remember going to the movies with my friends to go see the conjuring. It was a movie. I really was not at all that hyped or really that interested to go see, as at that time, I felt like I was a film, know it all, and had superior taste almost like a cinematic insider in my own mind, but they all were going with or without me and being a movie fan and wanting to hang out and not go home. Ended up attending with them gave the movie a chance, ended up, loving the film and the experience. it was pretty much story wise what I expected, but the film in itself was a surprise for me how enjoyable and entertained one was by the end. Please don’t ask me about the sequels or the franchise in general, but that first one remain a special memory for me.
These days it’s very rare that I am surprised by a movie. I don’t get to go out to the movies as much with friends and their whims anymore to go see films that I didn’t necessarily plan to in the first place. The first black phone movie might have been one of the last of those types where I didn’t overwhelmingly not want to see it, but had limited interest where I felt. I could wait by the end. I truly enjoyed the film as it felt like a film of the time period that it was sat in as it wasn’t cookie cutter. It was brutal. It was violent. It wasn’t looking for sympathy. It was a matter of fact with not necessarily likable characters, though some of them didn’t deserve the fate that was doubt, and it only had a hint of the supernatural.
Now, while the sequel is a continuation of this seems to focus more on the supernatural aspects of the character, story and film, where the formula seems to be
Take 1 part STRANGER THINGS, 2 parts A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET , mix in a little of THE SHINING and you get BLACK PHONE 2. The sum of its parts. It Feels like the filmmakers took what they were fans of and what they were watching at the time. As well as what was popular and made this film. Which has great style but is a bunch of build up. Yet feels rather thin and stretching. It feels like it was obligated and this is the best they could do with the time. It’s somewhat creative but ultimately disappointing. Especially compared to the first film. While being a sequel and prequel of sorts
The film isn’t bad. It’s just disappointing and less than the original I guess living up to it being a sequel. This film stays more remote in its location and feels more like a production because of it with limited amount of characters. Who seemed to just be there for dressing as they are small pieces of the puzzle there to represent certain emotions or ideas rather than being true characters like the ultra religious lady who works for the camp who seems only to be there to accuse characters and just generally be a deterrent so that later in the film when she’s abused and the constant verbal abuse that one character gives her seems well warranted, and her husband just seems to be there. He doesn’t really play that much of a role.
Even their father returns for the film, but he seems just as ineffective as before.
As I presented before and what it feels like the formula for this movie, there is a more Freddy Kruger element for Ethan Hawke’s character who comes back to haunt, and it works as a sequel and a prequel, as it is a continuation of the character from the first film, but it also gives us a look into the past of the villain from the first film.
With the characters being haunted and psychic and teenagers being the main characters is where you get the nightmare on Elm Street, but also the Stranger Things elements.
The film is stylish as ever and that’s one of it saving grace as the rest of the film does feel as of the time. Period but it also fails as it just feels like it’s a very thin and stretching. I don’t know if it’s meant to be a continuation or another piece in a franchise, but while it might offer some scares, it doesn’t offer much of an interest for the audience and last doesn’t feel like it really needs to be made if anything more feels like fan service that comes out of nowhere as I doubt anyone was thinking there was much more to the story to be made, but we’re glad to come back and be reunited with the characters. It’s not a horrible movie and maybe it’s just me and fans of the first film we love this or at least like this film, but while it offers a different type of horror and scare, it just doesn’t feel like it was ever needed.
Come back and watch it if you must as it doesn’t lessen the strength or power of the first film, but this while it doesn’t come across as a get rich, quick scheme idea it does make one question what was the intention in ideas behind this sequel otherwise?
Grade: C
