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Black Phone 2 first reactions: Is Blumhouse sequel great or phoning it in?

2021’s The Black Phone was a massive hit for Blumhouse, taking in $90 million domestically and another $71 million in the foreign market based on a budget of no more than $18 million. With that, it’s really no surprise they greenlit a sequel. So how is Black Phone 2 faring upon initial reactions straight out of its debut at Fantastic Fest?

Check out some of the first reviews of Black Phone 2 below:

The first one is good but #BlackPhone2 is GREAT.

It takes everything that worked about the first movie and really leans into it. More of the sister. More gore. Part Nightmare on Elm Street, part Stranger Things, with heart and humor too. A true level up.#FantasticFest pic.twitter.com/lp7TeUj71p

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) September 21, 2025

#BlackPhone2 is my kind of sequel for so many reasons. Obviously it continues the story started in the original, but I LOVE when franchise installments, yes, feel connected, but also have their own unique style/definition. Scott Derrickson and co. pull that off quite effectively… pic.twitter.com/gYW2TiYyLe

— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) September 21, 2025

The Black Phone did quite well with critics but it’s looking as if Black Phone 2 is just the sort of sequel that has enough to build on everything the original established in 2021. It’s also becoming clear that Blumhouse has found its next icon that it can use as one of their premiere examples of why they’re one of the leading studios in horror; and really, between The Grabber and M3GAN, they’ve got two figures their target demographic can latch onto – that they can be exploited via ventures like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is also a major get for them.

The Black Phone 2 shattered my expectations. Imagine Sinister colliding with Nightmare on Elm Street—pure nightmare fuel. The Grabber is officially the new face of Blumhouse. Terrifying, thrilling, and relentless. Mason Thames is great, but Madeleine McGraw steals the whole movie… pic.twitter.com/dgLWPlJDet

— Accordingtoseth Fantastic Fest (@according2seth) September 21, 2025

Black Phone 2 is one of the best horror sequels I’ve seen in years. Scott Derrickson takes you on an emotionally masterful ride that’s both CHILLING and powerful. Ethan Hawke brings the grabber back and somehow is more diabolical and heinous than in the first. #BLACKPHONE2 pic.twitter.com/UJ8PIvjbdw

— Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) September 21, 2025

Here is the official synopsis of Black Phone 2: “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.”

Black Phone 2 hits theaters on October 17th, although Blumhouse will be wrapping up their 2025 with yet another franchise, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.

What do you make of the first reactions to Black Phone 2? Are you going to be checking it out on opening weekend? Give us a ring and let us know below!

The post Black Phone 2 first reactions: Is Blumhouse sequel great or phoning it in? appeared first on JoBlo.

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