“Black Phone 2” is a supernatural horror film and a sequel to “The Black Phone.” The story starts off in a dream with a chilling phone call from an unidentified speaker. The dream ends, and the characters get stuck in a situation where they have to investigate and work together to beat the Grabber, the main antagonist in the series. The story jumps between dream and reality rapidly throughout the film.

The director is Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote the film with C. Robert Cargill. Scott Derrickson is well known for directing horror films such as “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” and the original “The Black Phone” film. He also directed the 2016 “Doctor Strange” film, which he also worked on with Cargill. These two are frequent collaborators, often working within the horror genre. Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Jeremy Davies all returned to play their characters from the original.

The way they explored the backstory of the main antagonist, the Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke, and his effect on the Blakes, played by Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, was really interesting. The horror from its predecessor carried over extremely well into this film, being unique while staying true to the original. The jumpscares were nightmare-inducing, building tension and having a character you can’t help but sympathize with, it’s hard not to root for him. The way that the movie is told from the children’s perspective allows each one to be characterized beyond their victimization.

Not everyone enjoyed the prequel, as evidenced by the lower CinemaScore of B compared to its predecessor having a B+. They could have done more with the aftermath of Finney’s trauma from the Grabber in the first film. It should have had more interaction between Finney and the Grabber and the psychological damage that had been left behind. It seems as if he was pushed to the side when Gwen became the next main character.

It was a wonderful movie that really lived up to its original. I highly recommend you watch after watching “The Black Phone.” It was released into theaters Oct. 17 and can be purchased or rented as of Nov. 4 on YouTube, Prime Video, and Apple TV.