Black Phone 2
Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 17, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
10
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Screen RantGraeme GuttmannOct 17, 2025
Black Phone 2 is still a solid horror film, with gory kills and exciting set pieces. But the question of why still lingers over the film, even as it delivers on its many promises. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'HaraOct 17, 2025
It’s not as scary or as effective as the first film, but points for the performances, and for trying hard to do something different and fresh. Read full review
60
Next Best PictureDan BayerOct 16, 2025
It’s easy to wish “Black Phone 2“ came together better, but you can’t deny that all the film’s individual elements are quite strong. It will chill you to the bone while watching, but it won’t haunt you for too long afterward. Read full review
60
Time OutOlly RichardsOct 15, 2025
There’s still plenty here to make you shiver, but in letting events out of the basement this sequel has also released much of the tension. Read full review
55
The Travers TakePeter TraversOct 17, 2025
Ethan Hawke brings back the mask that launched a thousand screams in a tricky treat of a horror sequel that’s perfect for Halloween Read full review
55
The Film VerdictAlonso DuraldeOct 16, 2025
Hawke remains delightfully disturbing, however, and some fans of the original may find the character’s return worthwhile, even if Black Phone 2 twists itself into narrative knots to make it happen. Read full review
50
Screen DailyNikki BaughanOct 16, 2025
It remains a superficial exercise in creepy fun, but – like so many horror sequels – retreading familiar ground proves an exercise in diminishing returns. Read full review
40
The RevealScott TobiasOct 17, 2025
Derrickson’s instinct to lean on a low-res, Super 8-style camerawork in the film’s frequent dream sequences is fitfully effective, rendering nightmares like spools of home movies that have been decaying in the attic. But here, he’s having to reanimate a dead property. Read full review
40
ScreenCrushMatt SingerOct 16, 2025
Black Phone 2 conjures an artful milieu out of those disparate elements, and it’s saturated with the chilly ambiance of a classic campfire ghost story. But the actual story it tells never quite measures up to its superior influences, or even the previous entry in this series. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeOct 16, 2025
At just under 2 hours, Black Phone 2, like M3gan 2.0 before it, is a needlessly long and hugely unconvincing argument for the birth of a new franchise. The next time it rings, I recommend not answering. Read full review
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