Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Demián Bichir

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Blumhouse/Universal, out now

As Finn struggles with life after his captivity, his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone.

Scott (Sinister) Derrickson’s sequel to his 2021 horror hit The Black Phone is a lively, studio sequel that wears its references on its sleeve but by the end you can’t help think that this should be the end of the road.

Based on the short story by Joe Hill, the sequel is again co-written by C Robert Cargill and Derrickson and begins four years after the first movie’s events with the siblings struggling with the aftermath of their run-in with The Grabber.

Mason Thames (How to Train Your Dragon) and Madeleine McGraw return as Finn and Gwen, as does Jeremy Davies as their father and Ethan Hawke as The Grabber. You see, death was not the end for the serial killer, and it only released him to torment children in their dreams. Events kick off when Gwen receives a dream phone call from her mother at an icy summer camp, and so begins the adventure.

Drawing heavily on everything from A Nightmare on Elm Street to Friday the 13th to American Gods to Scooby Doo, this 80s-set horror has been given an 18 certificate in the UK due to its scenes of brutal horror. It’s probably a good 10 to 15 minutes too long at 1 hour 55, and there’s a bit of clunky exposition that is best just to take on the chin, but it’s well made and doesn’t just rehash the original.

Verdict: An unexpected sequel to a story that already felt complete but still a perfectly good reason to go to the movies this Halloween. 7/10

Nick Joy