Displaying items by tag: Demian Bichir

BLACK PHONE 2

US, 2025, 114 minutes, Colour.

Mason Thames, Madalyn McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Miguel Mora, Ariana Rivas, Demian Bichir.

Directed by Scott Derrickson.

In 2022, Black Phone was a very successful menace and horror film. It had strong credentials, basic story from Joe Hill (who, in fact, is the son of Stephen King), director, Scott Derrickson (whose films include The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the two Sinister films, Deliver us from Evil), and a new masked villain played by Ethan Hawke, The Grabber.

Many menacing sequences with the young Finney, played by Mason Thames (who was to go on to star in How to Train a Dragon, Regretting You) vanquishing The Grabber.

Hill and Derrickson have combined for this sequel, bringing The Grabber to life beyond the grave, going back to the original situation at the summer camp with the killing of three children by The Grabber, involving Finney’s mother. And the sequel starts with a prologue back in 1957 with Hope, the mother. But the main action takes place four years after Finney’s destroying of The Grabber.

This time it is Finney’s younger sister, Gwen, Madalyn McGraw, who answers the phone, has relentlessly upsetting dreams, the family having to rescue her to wake her from her restless sleep. And, it is The Grabber on the phone, still menacing, tormenting Gwen.

The main part of the drama is to return to the scene of the crimes, the summer camp, the cooperation with the manager, Armando (Demian Bichir) was there at the time of the killings. Now Gwen has even more fearful dreams, with the group at the camp, Finney, Gwen’s friend, Ernesto, and the father, Terrence, Jeremy Davies, also arriving.

The search takes the group to the lakes, now frozen, and some menacing confrontations, on the ice, and under the ice, The Grabber targeting Gwen, but the group hoping that when they find the bodies of The Grabber’s former victims, there will be some kind of ending.

This sequel has been successful with the public, sympathetic victims who conquer, and The Grabber is installed in the Gallery of successful movie horror villains.

But, we leave the cinema with a smile rather than with any dread.

1. The impact of the original film? Horror, menace, victims, survival and confrontation, monster, background story, attacks, death? Expectations for the sequel?
2. The continuity from the first film, the return of writers, director, cast members? The return of The Grabber?
3. The prologue, 1957, Hope, at the camp, phone, the call, reality and dreams, the boys, carving their names in ice, the end of the call? Hope as the mother of Finney and Gwen? Her death considered suicide, the effect on her husband?
4. 1983, the family, Finney and the experience with The Grabber, killing him? Finney’s four years, depression, drugs? Gwen, her age, memories of the past? Their father, distance, drugs?
5. Gwen, her dreams, phone, The Grabber, the dead children? Talking to her mother on the phone? The overwhelming effect? With Finney, with her father? Her decision to go to the camp? Persuading Ernesto, brother of the dead Robin? Persuading Finney? Travel, snowed in, the manager and his niece, the two on the staff? Trying to understand Gwen’s dreams?
6. The experiences at the camp, Armando remembering Hope, the photos, identifying Wild Bill Hickok as The Grabber? The deaths of the children? Gwen and the continued dreams, the group trying to wake her, understand what was happening?
7. The reappearance of The Grabber, beyond death, his appearance’s tied to the mysterious deaths and the disappearance of the boys’ bodies? Armando and his search, the realisation about the lake, the scene for hockey and games, the probable location, the various searches, the ice, breaking, under the ice, finding the bodies?
8. Gwen’s continued dreams, the presence of her mother, The Grabber and his taunts, explanations of the past, the boys, his killing Hope? The effect on Gwen, the other is trying to wake her, the consequences?
9. The arrival of Terrance, telling him the truth, the impact, when challenging him about his drugs and withdrawal?
10. The decision to search, everyone together, going to the lake, The Grabber, the struggles, finding the remains of the children, the confrontation and the destruction of The Grabber?
11. The ending with a sense of peace, Gwen as normal, the reconciliation of the family, the mystery solved about the boys, and the final phone call, Hope, and a greeting from heaven?