It’s clear from the existence and execution of “Black Cellphone 2” that Common and Blumhouse by no means anticipated 2021’s “The Black Cellphone” to be a success. If there was ever an inkling that the primary movie might need been greater than a fast and soiled ’70s-style riff on a boogeyman story, there’s no approach these in cost would have let their massive baddie, the Grabber, be killed off on the finish of the film.
However a success it was and so, for a sequel, supernatural components have to be spun out and ’80s slasher classics consulted, particularly because it’s now 4 years later, in 1982. Masked serial killer the Grabber, performed by Ethan Hawke (we by no means actually see his face, although we do hear his voice), continues to hang-out, torment and maim kids, regardless of the inconvenience of loss of life.
Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill co-wrote each movies, with Derrickson behind the digital camera as director. The primary was primarily based on a brief story by Joe Hill (the son of Stephen King) and is about in 1978 Denver, the place plucky Finney Blake (Mason Thames) needed to escape the clutches of kidnapper the Grabber whereas fielding telephone calls from the ghosts of his earlier victims, providing suggestions and tips. What distinguished “The Black Cellphone” was its stunning method to violence with its younger characters, who all sported entertainingly profane potty mouths. Whereas it was daring in its hard-R riskiness and performed on our basest fears, it didn’t reinvent the wheel, and even attempt to. Nonetheless, the movie’s telephone conceit performed nicely sufficient and younger star Thames was excellent.
In “Black Cellphone 2,” Finney’s now a highschool scholar, drowning his trauma in weed and schoolyard fights, typically the bully himself. He’s protecting of his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who has the reward of psychic sight, however largely he simply desires to take a look at from his personal mind. The sequel is primarily Gwen’s film. She begins lucid dreaming and sleepwalking, receiving telephone calls from past — like from their useless mom when she was an adolescent past.
The messages deliver Gwen, Finney and her crush, Ernesto (Miguel Mora), to a winter retreat for Christian youth, Camp Alpine, now run by Mando (Demián Bichir) and his niece, Mustang (Arianna Rivas). Because it seems, this camp is rife with the ghosts of younger useless boys — the telephone retains ringing and it gained’t cease till Finney picks it up.
If “The Black Cellphone” dabbles in crimes which can be taboo and is even unforgivable in its depiction of brutality towards harmless kids, “Black Cellphone 2” commits its personal unforgivable crime of being dreadfully boring. This film is a sleep, not simply because the entire motion takes place fully throughout Gwen’s goals.
The movie can’t shake its lingering scent of “Stranger Issues,” however the filmmakers have additionally turned for inspiration to a different iconic ’80s-set property: The entire film is a “Nightmare on Elm Avenue” ripoff, with a disfigured killer stalking his prey by means of their unconscious. These sequences are nice, action-packed if not fully scary, however a minimum of it’s one thing extra rousing than the awake scenes, the place the characters stand in a single place and make speeches to one another about their trauma and backstories. The whole affair is monotonously one-note and dour, with only some pops of unintentional humor.
You understand nearly instantly what the deal is with these ghost boys, however the movie takes its candy time explaining all of it. It’s a reasonably easy story, so that you do perceive why Derrickson gussies it up with grainy dream sequences and shaky 8mm flashbacks, and a fairly terrific digital rating composed by his son, Atticus Derrickson.
It’s additionally a bit shocking that “Black Cellphone 2” seems to be so pious and deeply Christian, which is a little bit of an odd combine. For a movie about Jesus and the facility of prayer, it additionally contains a scene during which a child’s face will get sliced in half by a windowpane. Then once more, horror’s pattern towards the faith-based isn’t a shock if you check out the success of the Bible-thumping “Conjuring” franchise.
Nonetheless, it looks as if this is perhaps the Grabber’s final hurrah. You’ll root for the characters to conquer him solely as a result of then the drudgery would possibly lastly finish. Who is aware of, possibly it’ll be a success they usually’ll work out one other approach to reanimate this totally uninspiring horror villain. Personally, I’ve had my fill of the Grabber’s grabbing.
Katie Walsh is a Tribune Information Service movie critic.
‘Black Cellphone 2’
Rated: R, for robust violent content material, gore, teen drug use and language
Operating time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Enjoying: In large launch Friday, Oct. 17
