Black Phone 2 has won over critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The upcoming Blumhouse horror movie is a sequel to the 2021 hit The Black Phone, which was an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story of the same name. The original movie was a smash success, grossing $161.4 million against a reported budget of $18 million.
The upcoming Black Phone 2 features the return of original director Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote the screenplay with C. Robert Cargill, who is also returning. It follows the original movie’s survivor Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) being haunted by the seemingly undead serial killer The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) at a wintry campground and in Gwen’s dreams.
Rotten Tomatoes has now aggregated enough critics’ reviews for the new horror sequel to earn an official score on the Tomatometer, two weeks ahead of its theatrical debut on October 17. While the score could fluctuate as more reviews are added, at the time of writing, 22 different critics have weighed in, giving Black Phone 2 a solid 77% score.
Black Phone 2‘s Rotten reviews are more middling than negative, awarding scores such as 5 out of 10 and 2.5 out of 5. However, the Fresh reviews range from solid to absolutely glowing, including two 5 out of 5 scores. The positive reviews largely agree that it’s a fresh take on the material that both honors and elevates the original.
What This Means For Black Phone 2
This Rotten Tomatoes score for 2025’s Black Phone 2 is about on par with the original movie, which is Certified Fresh with an 81% score that was earned from 272 different critics’ reviews. If the sequel can keep up a similar proportion of good reviews as more are added closer to its release date, it will also be Certified Fresh.
Our Take On The Black Phone 2 Rotten Tomatoes Score
If these early reviews indicate how audiences will react, Black Phone 2 could become a major hit that earns a third installment in the horror franchise. This would break a franchise longevity record for Scott Derrickson, whose previous Blumhouse movie, Sinister, only earned one sequel (the original earned 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Sinister 2 earned a dismal 15%).
Another factor that could help the new movie become a hit is the fact that the Black Phone 2 cast includes returning actor Mason Thames, whose star has risen since the release of the original movie thanks to his roles in the hit live-action remake How to Train Your Dragon and the anticipated Colleen Hoover adaptation Regretting You.
- Release Date
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October 17, 2025
- Runtime
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114 Minutes
- Director
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Scott Derrickson
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Mason Thames
Finney Blake
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Madeleine McGraw
Gwen Blake
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Demián Bichir
Supervisor of Alpine Lake
