The Black Phone 2,
The Black Phone 2 (also stylized as The Black Phone 2) is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2022 horror hit directed by Scott Derrickson. It picks up four years after the events of the first film, where Finney (Mason Thames, now 17) survived his abduction by the masked serial killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). This time, the story shifts to supernatural terror: Finney's younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) starts receiving eerie calls from the black phone in her dreams, revealing visions of three boys stalked at a remote winter camp called Alpine Lake. As the siblings uncover ties to their family's past, The Grabber returns from beyond the grave—stronger and more vengeful than ever. The film blends psychological trauma, ghostly hauntings, and graphic horror, drawing comparisons to A Nightmare on Elm Street meets The Cabin in the Woods. It's produced by Blumhouse and Universal, with a runtime around 105 minutes.
The movie released in theaters on October 17, 2025, and has been a solid box office performer, opening to $26 million domestically. Early reviews are mixed-positive (around 70% on Rotten Tomatoes), praising Hawke's chilling return and the expanded lore, though some note it leans more into teen drama and less into the original's claustrophobic tension. Critics call it "scarier and more violent" than the first, with standout dream sequences and a snowy, isolated setting that amps up the dread.
Teaser and Trailer Breakdown Marketing kicked off with a cryptic early teaser trailer in late May 2025, which was more atmospheric than plot-heavy—focusing on shadowy phone rings, distorted voices whispering "dead is just a word," and quick flashes of masked figures in the woods. It built hype without spoiling much, clocking in at under a minute. You can find fan uploads and discussions on it via searches, but official embeds are on YouTube.
This led into the official first trailer dropped in early June 2025 at CCXP Mexico. It's 2:15 long and ramps up the horror with a tense phone call between Finney and The Grabber, unleashing jump scares, bloodied visions, and that iconic mask. It teases the "phone works both ways" twist and ends on a barrage of nightmarish imagery. Watch it here: Official Trailer #1 on YouTube.
A second trailer (sometimes called the "final teaser") arrived in early September 2025, running about 2:12. This one dives deeper into Gwen's psychic dreams, the camp's dark secrets, and more gore, including a brutal nod to the original's basement horrors but flipped to a frozen lake. It's got that grunge-y '80s/'90s horror vibe with Alice in Chains-inspired scoring. Check it out: Trailer #2 on YouTube or via Rotten Tomatoes embeds.
There's also a quick teaser clip (1:17) circulating on Rotten Tomatoes and social media, hyping ticket sales with a single ringing phone in the dead of night—super minimalist and effective for chills.
Recent Buzz on X (as of October 20, 2025)
The film's fresh out, so X is buzzing with theater reactions. Folks are raving about the FNAF 2 trailer playing before screenings (a Blumhouse double-feature vibe), but Black Phone 2 itself is getting love for Hawke's performance and the dream-kill sequences. One user called it "Stranger Things-esque trauma-horror" with a C+ grade, while others are hyped for the VHS-inspired aesthetic (Derrickson confirmed ties to his V/H/S/85 segment). No major spoilers yet, but posts highlight the snowy camp as a fresh, creepy upgrade from the suburban dread of the original. Search BlackPhone2 for real-time clips and memes—it's trending with the Halloween crowd.
If you're heading to theaters, grab tickets via Fandango; it's streaming on AMC+ soon after. Worth the watch if you dug the first one's ghostly phone gimmick— this sequel dials it up to 11 What part are you most hyped for?
