You are here:

Black Phone 2

Name: Black Phone 2
Director: Scott Derrickson
Released: 2025
Duration: 114 min

Representation Score

5.8/10

Fair

2025

Director

Scott Derrickson

Runtime

114 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Black Phone 2 balances progressive character development with traditional thematic elements. Gwen’s intuitive insights and investigative skills empower her, while Ernesto’s integration into the core team normalizes ethnic diversity without relying on including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth. These choices create a more grounded, collaborative atmosphere. However, the film’s moral framework is deeply rooted in traditional Christian ideology, emphasizing faith as the primary counterbalance to supernatural evil. This focus limits the exploration of secular or systemic perspectives. Additionally, psychological distress is used primarily as a plot device rather than a window into disability or neurodivergent experiences.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Black Phone 2 have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and supernatural elements, excluding any LGBTQ+ characters or themes. This leaves the story without any representation of LGBTQ+ experiences or identities.

How does Black Phone 2 portray gender?

Good

Gwen Blake challenges the passive female victim cliché by using her intuition and dreams to drive the plot. She demonstrates strong ability to act, creating a more balanced relationship with her brother while still adhering to traditional gender roles in other contexts.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Black Phone 2?

Good

Ernesto, a Latino character, is a key member of the investigative team with a rich family history. His presence is natural and integrated, reflecting ethnic diversity as a normal part of the story without resorting to including someone from a minority group without giving them real depth.

How does Black Phone 2 represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film's moral framework is rooted in traditional Christian beliefs, emphasizing faith as the primary defense against supernatural threats. This perspective prioritizes spiritual triumph over secular or systemic critiques.

Does Black Phone 2 include disability representation?

Limited

Psychological trauma and sleep disturbances serve mainly as supernatural triggers rather than explorations of recognized disabilities or neurodivergence. The narrative relies on genre-standard horror mechanisms without delving into the lived experiences of those with mental health issues.

Present on Screen

Gwen’s proactive dream visions and investigative skills actively challenge traditional horror victim clichés.
Ernesto and other Latino characters integrate naturally into the core friend group without stereotypical framing.
The sibling partnership operates on a more balanced axis compared to typical genre conventions.

Limited or Absent

The narrative completely excludes LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, maintaining a strictly straight-centered framework.
Christian morality and traditional Western institutions dominate the thematic resolution, limiting secular or systemic perspectives.
Psychological trauma remains a supernatural plot device rather than an exploration of disability identity or lived experience.

Official Synopsis

Four years after defeating The Grabber, Finney Blake is struggling with life after captivity. When his younger sister Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the Black Phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp, the siblings become determined to solve the mystery and confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.

How are these scores produced? →