Black Phone 2 Dials Up a Killer Rotten Tomatoes Score, Signaling a Sequel Worth Answering

Early word on Black Phone 2 is in, and it sounds like the sequel actually delivers. The first wave of reviews just hit and, numbers-wise, it is tracking right in step with the 2021 original. Style-wise, critics say it is weirder, bolder, and scarier. So, yes, this might be one of those rare horror follow-ups that levels up instead of retracing steps.

So, how is it doing?

On Rotten Tomatoes, Black Phone 2 is currently hovering between 80 and 81 percent off 25 published reviews. That puts it essentially even with the first movie’s score, with most critics leaning positive and calling out a confident stylistic swing that pushes past what the original did.

'A tick too long... at its best when it leans into surreal nightmare logic, but this weird movie works its fear factor in unexpected, creative ways.'

– Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Early reactions at a glance

• RogerEbert.com’s Brian Tallerico likes the film’s ambition and nightmare-logic vibe, even if the runtime stretches a bit.
• Slant Magazine’s Rocco T. Thompson singles out director Scott Derrickson for blending dreams, reality, past, and present into one haunted cinematic space.
• Variety’s Peter Debruge keeps it simple: he finds the movie remarkably scary.
• Bloody Disgusting’s Meagan Navarro praises the strong directorial vision and the film’s distinctive spin on classic horror touchstones.

Who made it and who is in it

Black Phone 2 is written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, based on characters created by Joe Hill. Derrickson, Cargill, and Jason Blum produced, with Ryan Turek, Adam Hendricks, Daniel Bekerman, and Jason Blumenfeld on board as executive producers.

The cast includes Demián Bichir, Arianna Rivas, Miguel Mora, Jeremy Davies, Maev Beaty, and Graham Abbey.

When you can see it

Black Phone 2 opens on October 17, 2025.