For anyone looking to hit the movies this Halloween weekend, “Black Phone 2” is the movie to watch as the days get colder and the nights become shorter. Before the release of the highly anticipated horror film “Black Phone 2,” critics expected it to be another unnecessary sequel. However, it turned out to be one of the greatest horror sequels in recent years with chilling scenes and a well-written story.

After Scott Dickerson directed and wrote “The Black Phone” in 2021, they decided to continue the story with Gwen, the younger sister of the original protagonist, Finn. The movie leads them to be trapped in a church camp near the mountains, where they unravel dark secrets and meet the “Grabber” in a new supernatural form.

Since the first movie ends with the death of the “Grabber,” it seemed the story would end there, but the story continues as production companies seek to maximize their profits. It’s not original to have the killer come back from the dead, but it is clever how they reintegrate him.

If it’s not apparent enough, it draws inspiration from the popular slasher film series “The Nightmare on Elm Street,” as Gwen communicates with the dead in her nightmares, but it also has an in-depth story that keeps the audience drawn close to the characters.

The film features dream sequences that could confuse audiences, so Dickerson employed clever shots with grainy footage to differentiate between real-time events and those occurring during Gwen’s nightmares.

In addition to the filmography, the musical composition kept the audience’s hearts racing during intense moments, while Dickerson and his crew effectively used silence throughout the movie — not only for unexpected jump scares with eerie notes but also to establish the cold and lonely tone of what the dead were trying to communicate to the living. 

However, without all the detailed scenes and intelligent use of sound design, the movie is slightly humorous, with some cringeworthy dialogue from the characters that some find to be an issue. 

The dialogue should be interpreted differently because it fits within the movie, since the characters are teenagers. Even so, the mood and actions of the characters could be expressed differently; there wasn’t a voice line that really killed any scene.

Actor Ethan Hawke’s tremendous portrayal as the Grabber evoked fear in the audience, while actress Madeleine McGraw, who played Gwen, elicited sorrowful emotions through her actions.

Cast alongside Mason Thames, who stars as Finn, he portrays the emotions of overcoming his past.

Even if “Black Phone 2” is a sequel nobody asked for, it’s a worthy one to watch this Halloween.