31 Days of Horror: The Black Phone 2 Review — Scott Derrickson’s Chilling Sequel Expands the Nightmare

Black Phone 2 

Directed by Scott Derrickson

Written by C. Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson 

Starring Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw

Release Date October 17th, 2025 

A horror sequel done right: Black Phone 2 reunites Finney and Gwen in a nightmare at Camp Alpine, delivering chilling visuals, emotional stakes, and a terrifying evolution of The Grabber. Our full review dives into what works — and what doesn’t, with no spoilers.

Revisiting the Black Phone Universe

When The Black Phone hit theaters in 2022, few expected it to become one of the most emotionally resonant horror films in years. Beneath the jump scares and supernatural tension, Scott Derrickson crafted a moving story about survival, childhood trauma, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.

That emotional core returns in The Black Phone 2, a sequel that takes the story to chilling new territory — both literally and psychologically. The Grabber may be gone, but death is no barrier in Derrickson’s eerie world. And the psychic connection between Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and Finney (Mason Thames) is about to be tested in ways that reach far beyond the grave.

The Plot: Nightmares Return at Camp Alpine

Haunted by vivid dreams of lost children, Gwen begins seeing visions of a snow-covered camp in the Colorado mountains — Camp Alpine, where their late mother once worked as a counselor. When the camp starts hiring teens for the winter season, Gwen feels an irresistible pull to go.

Finney, still scarred from his time in The Grabber’s basement, wants no part of it. He’s turned to avoidance and self-medication, ignoring the static-filled phone calls that still echo from the other side. But when Gwen heads to the camp with her friend Ernie (Miguel Mora), Finney follows — driven by a need to protect her from whatever’s calling out from beyond.

At Camp Alpine, an old telephone booth becomes a portal — a new conduit between Finney and The Grabber. As Gwen’s dreams grow more violent, she faces the decaying, vengeful corpse of The Grabber himself, now seeking to destroy Gwen as punishment for her brother’s defiance.

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Character Depth and Emotional Stakes

What made The Black Phone stand apart from standard horror was its emotional intelligence — and Derrickson hasn’t lost that touch. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw again deliver phenomenal performances, portraying trauma and courage with nuance. Their chemistry as siblings remains the film’s heartbeat.

Finney’s arc is especially grounded. His guilt and avoidance feel painfully real, while Gwen’s faith and empathy drive her toward danger. Together, they give the supernatural story a deeply human center — one that elevates the scares beyond mere shock value.

Derrickson’s Visual Mastery: Cold, Claustrophobic, and Beautiful

Derrickson sets this sequel in an environment designed to mirror the characters’ emotional frost. Camp Alpine is an icy labyrinth of grief and memory. Snow falls constantly, blood glows crimson against the white, and the orange flicker of cabin heaters barely pushes back the cold.

The cinematography contrasts this stark realism with Gwen’s dream world — filmed in grainy, almost decayed textures that feel pulled from another realm. There’s no cheap ambiguity between dream and reality; instead, Derrickson creates two distinct spaces, each equally terrifying.

It’s both visually striking and thematically sharp: the divide between life and death, memory and presence, becomes a living part of the story.

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The Grabber Reimagined

Bringing The Grabber back from the dead could have been a lazy franchise trick — but Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill treat it as an opportunity to explore grief and vengeance in the afterlife.

Ethan Hawke’s return is brief but unforgettable. His performance, distorted through decay and spectral rage, transforms The Grabber into something closer to a demonic myth than a serial killer. It’s a haunting reminder that evil doesn’t end with death — it lingers, festers, and waits to be answered.

The Ending: Controversial but Earned

Without spoiling the details, The Black Phone 2 builds to a finale that’s as divisive as it is emotional. Some audiences may debate its ambiguity, but for those invested in Gwen and Finney’s journey, it lands as a fitting, even cathartic close.

If this is where the series ends, it’s a powerful final note — a story about the cost of survival, the weight of memory, and the unbreakable power of love.

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Final Verdict

The Black Phone 2 is that rare horror sequel that honors its predecessor while deepening the mythology and emotion at its core. It’s chilling, beautifully shot, and anchored by two remarkable young actors.

Scott Derrickson proves again that he’s among the most thoughtful filmmakers working in horror today — a director who knows that the most terrifying ghosts are the ones we carry inside.

Rating: 4.5/5 — A haunting, heartfelt sequel that delivers both scares and soul.

Opening Shots: The Big Lebowski — The Dude as a Human Tumbleweed

The Big Lebowski 

Directed by The Coen Brothers 

Written by The Coen Brothers 

Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Tara Reid 

Released March 6th, 1998 

In the Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, the opening image of a tumbleweed rolling through Los Angeles defines everything about The Dude. This Opening Shots column explores how that single image becomes a metaphor for life, fate, and the art of abiding.

The Coen Brothers’ Perfect Opening

Few openings are as deceptively simple — or as thematically rich — as the one that introduces The Big Lebowski. Before we even meet Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, we’re treated to Sam Elliott’s laconic narration, the wistful country tune Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds by the Sons of the Pioneers, and a lone tumbleweed drifting through the Los Angeles cityscape.

It’s funny and surreal — a relic of the American West rolling through modern suburbia. But it’s also quietly profound. That tumbleweed tells us everything about the movie’s tone, philosophy, and the strange kind of wisdom embodied by The Dude.

A Symbol in Motion

At first glance, the tumbleweed feels like a cute visual gag — an ironic nod to the western imagery evoked by Elliott’s cowboy narrator. But in the Coen Brothers’ world, nothing is ever just a joke. The tumbleweed becomes a moving metaphor for The Dude himself: something carried by the wind, rolling through life without resistance, yet somehow leaving a mark on everything it passes.

The Dude doesn’t chase meaning or control outcomes. He’s content to float, to abide. That’s what makes him both ridiculous and transcendent. In a chaotic Los Angeles where everyone’s trying to assert control — Walter, Mr. Lebowski, the Nihilists — the Dude simply rolls on.

The Philosophy of the Tumbleweed

A tumbleweed is an odd miracle of nature. It survives by detaching from its roots, letting the wind scatter its seeds across the desert. Its survival depends on surrender. Likewise, The Dude’s power lies in his detachment. He isn’t lazy — he’s spiritually aerodynamic. He lets life push him where it will, responding with a shrug, a White Russian, and an occasional “That’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

Even in adversity — when his rug is ruined, his friends fail him, or he’s threatened by Nihilists — he persists. He doesn’t fight back in the traditional sense, but he doesn’t break either. He just keeps rolling. That’s not passivity; that’s endurance. That’s abiding.

Dropping Seeds, Spreading Meaning

In one of the film’s final turns, The Dude impregnates Maude Lebowski. It’s a small plot point, but thematically perfect. Like the tumbleweed scattering seeds, The Dude unwittingly passes something forward — life, meaning, or perhaps a new way of being. His lack of control becomes a kind of creation. He endures, and through him, something new takes root.

The tumbleweed doesn’t act — it’s acted upon. But in its movement, it changes the landscape. The same could be said for The Dude. He influences those around him not by force, but by example. His existence is an invitation to surrender to the absurdity of life — and to find peace within it.

The Dude Abides

The tumbleweed eventually stops rolling, but its presence lingers. It leaves behind traces of its journey, just as The Dude leaves behind a small but lasting impression on everyone he encounters. The Coen Brothers’ opening shot isn’t just clever visual poetry — it’s the essence of the film’s worldview.

The Dude, like the tumbleweed, is a traveler in a world that can’t be controlled. He accepts the wind, embraces the randomness, and somehow finds balance within the chaos. That’s why we keep coming back to The Big Lebowski. It isn’t just a stoner comedy. It’s a spiritual guide wrapped in a rug that really ties the movie together.

31 Days of Horror: Dawn of the Dead (2004) — When the Dead Rise, Run for the Mall

Dawn of the Dead 

Directed by Zack Snyder 

Written by James Gunn 

Starring Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Pfifer 

Release Date March 19th, 2004

Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead (2004) reimagines George A. Romero’s zombie classic with explosive energy, sharp humor, and unexpected heart. Part action spectacle, part survival horror, it remains one of the few remakes that truly earns its place among the greats.

A New Dawn for the Dead

Before Watchmen or 300, Zack Snyder made his feature directorial debut with Dawn of the Dead, a remake of George A. Romero’s 1979 horror masterpiece. Written by James Gunn (yes, Guardians of the Galaxy James Gunn), this version reanimates the familiar story with early-2000s grit, relentless pacing, and a surprisingly effective emotional core.

Sarah Polley stars as Ana, a nurse who barely escapes her suburban home after her husband is attacked by a zombified neighbor child. Shell-shocked and alone, she bands together with a handful of survivors — a stoic cop (Ving Rhames), a practical everyman (Jake Weber), and a desperate young couple expecting a baby (Mekhi Phifer and Inna Korobkina). Together, they take refuge inside a shopping mall, hoping its walls can hold back the apocalypse.

The Mall as Fortress — and Graveyard

Like Romero’s original, Snyder’s Dawn unfolds almost entirely within the mall — a gleaming, sterile microcosm of consumerism now overrun by death. The survivors bond over fear and necessity, and the film captures that chaotic balance of camaraderie and panic with real tension. Toronto and Ontario stand in convincingly for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, grounding the film’s apocalypse in bland, suburban normalcy.

While most of the side characters exist mainly as zombie bait, a few stand out. Michael Kelly is memorable as CJ, a mall security guard whose shift from selfishness to sacrifice gives the film its one real arc of redemption. Still, the heart of the film lies with Polley’s calm resilience and Rhames’s stoic gravitas — a pairing that grounds the carnage in something recognizably human.

Fast Zombies, Faster Deaths

In contrast to Romero’s shambling undead, Snyder and Gunn’s zombies sprint, leap, and claw with feral speed. The change enraged purists at the time, but it works here, amping up both the suspense and the gallows humor. One standout sequence finds the survivors on the roof, trading sniper shots with a gun store owner across the street — picking off zombies that resemble celebrities.

The film doesn’t bother with explaining how the outbreak began. As in Romero’s original, “when there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth” is explanation enough. What matters is the momentum — Snyder’s film rarely pauses long enough for us to catch our breath, even as it occasionally sneaks in moments of quiet dread and melancholy.

From Satire to Survival

What Dawn of the Dead (2004) lacks in Romero’s social satire, it makes up for with pure adrenaline. There’s little of the consumerist commentary that defined the original, but the focus on survival and humanity in crisis gives the remake its own voice. Gunn’s script, rooted in Troma-style pulp, balances gore with wit, and Snyder’s eye for visual spectacle elevates it beyond most horror remakes.

The film’s ending — bleak, ambiguous, and darkly funny — may divide audiences. But in true horror fashion, it lingers long after the credits roll.

A Rare Remake That Works

As a rule, horror fans distrust remakes, and usually for good reason. But Dawn of the Dead (2004) defies the odds. It’s scary, funny, gory, and surprisingly well-acted — a slick, smart reimagining that honors Romero while staking its own ground.

Two decades later, Snyder’s debut remains one of the best zombie films of the 21st century. Not bad for a movie that starts with a ten-year-old neighbor biting your throat out.

31 Days of Horror: The Black Phone (2022) — Scott Derrickson’s Masterclass in Terror and Emotion

Black Phone

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Written by: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill

Based on the short story by: Joe Hill

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

Release Date: June 24, 2022

Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone (2022) is a chilling and deeply emotional horror film anchored by Ethan Hawke’s terrifying performance and remarkable turns from young stars Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw. A standout in modern horror and a highlight of our 31 Days of Horror series.

The Perfect Balance of Terror and Heart

Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone is a genuinely terrifying and emotionally rich horror story — a rare combination that elevates it far beyond most genre entries. While Ethan Hawke gives one of the most haunting performances of his career, the film is far from a one-man showcase. Derrickson’s sharp eye for casting and precision pacing gives the story both weight and urgency, proving once again why he remains one of horror’s most dependable modern filmmakers.

The Story Behind the Ringing Phone

Set in a sleepy Colorado suburb in the late 1970s, The Black Phone follows siblings Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who are already navigating a painful home life. Their mother’s death by suicide has left their father (Jeremy Davies) a broken, abusive alcoholic, and their community is paralyzed by fear as a masked kidnapper stalks local children.

That kidnapper is known only as The Grabber — played with chilling restraint by Ethan Hawke. He lures his victims using black balloons, abducts them in his black van, and traps them in a bare basement where a disconnected black rotary phone occasionally rings. When Finney becomes The Grabber’s next target, those calls begin — not from the living, but from the dead boys who came before him.

The Sister Who Dreams in Clues

Meanwhile, Gwen has a strange gift — her dreams seem to reveal clues about the missing children. Her visions, filled with cryptic fragments and disturbing imagery, catch the attention of police when she shares details that were never made public. Her knowledge of the black balloons even turns suspicion toward her father, briefly transforming the family’s trauma into another layer of horror.

Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are nothing short of spectacular. Their sibling bond is the heart of The Black Phone — tender, funny, and painfully real. Derrickson gives them space to be kids, even amid the darkness, and their resilience becomes the story’s true source of hope. Far from helpless victims, they embody intelligence and bravery that feels rare and refreshing in horror.

Ethan Hawke’s Unforgettable Monster

Ethan Hawke’s turn as The Grabber is unforgettable — a character simultaneously childish, pathetic, and deeply frightening. Beneath his alternating masks of comedy and cruelty lies a man consumed by his own demons. Hawke’s performance hints at trauma and madness without ever humanizing the evil, creating a villain who is both terrifyingly present and disturbingly believable.

A Director in Total Control

With more than twenty years as a horror storyteller, Scott Derrickson knows that real fear comes from emotion and empathy, not just shock. That’s what makes The Black Phone so effective. The scares are crafted with precision — including one masterful jump scare that’s so simple and well-timed it made even seasoned horror fans leap in their seats.

Derrickson understands pacing better than almost anyone in the genre. The film builds tension gradually, weaving dread through the mundane details of the 1970s setting — the sound of a phone ringing, a van idling, a child’s scream in the distance. Every frame feels purposeful.

Why It Endures

The Black Phone isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2022; it’s one of the best horror films of the decade. It’s smart, suspenseful, and emotionally grounded — a rare mix of supernatural and psychological terror that lingers long after the credits roll.

Derrickson has crafted something enduring: a film about survival, trauma, and the ghostly echoes of childhood fear — and how courage, even when whispered through a broken phone line, can still save a life.

31 Days of Horror: The Last Exorcism (2010) — Faith, Fear, and Found Footage at Its Finest

The Last Exorcism

Directed by: Daniel Stamm

Written by: Huck Botko, Andrew Gurland

Starring: Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Caleb Landry Jones

Release Date: August 27, 2010

The Last Exorcism (2010) is one of the smartest and most terrifying found footage horror films ever made. Directed by Daniel Stamm and produced by Eli Roth, it blends skepticism, faith, and genuine fear into a masterclass of suspense.

A Found Footage Exorcism That Actually Works

Daniel Stamm’s The Last Exorcism is a phenomenal achievement in horror filmmaking — a rare movie that finds genuine terror through character, psychology, and belief rather than cheap shocks. This faux-documentary throwback to The Blair Witch Project mixes horror and suspense with supreme skill.

The film is smart, funny, unnerving, and unexpectedly emotional, anchored by Patrick Fabian’s remarkable lead performance as a preacher who’s lost his faith but not his showmanship.

The Faithless Preacher and the Filmmakers Who Follow Him

Reverend Cotton Marcus (Fabian) has been a preacher since childhood. Having performed exorcisms alongside his father from a young age, he now faces a crisis of belief. When a documentary crew led by Iris (Iris Bahr) asks to film him debunking exorcisms, Cotton agrees — confident he can expose possession as nothing more than theater and psychology.

Cotton’s method is part faith healing, part stage magic. He creates the illusion of demonic possession and then “casts out” the demon through tricks and suggestion, giving believers a sense of relief and control.

This time, though, the crew follows him deep into rural Louisiana to help 16-year-old Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell). Her father Louis (Louis Herthum) believes she’s possessed — livestock are being slaughtered, and Nell wakes up covered in blood. Her brother Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones) warns the outsiders to leave. The deeper they go, the more the lines between hoax and horror begin to blur.

Building Real Suspense in the Age of Jump Scares

The Last Exorcism is masterful in its restraint. Stamm and screenwriters Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland understand that the best horror lives in anticipation — not just in the payoff. The faux-documentary style grounds everything in realism, with the shaky-cam aesthetic pulling us closer to the action without feeling exploitative.

Instead of cheap tricks, the film earns its scares through timing and tone. When something truly frightening happens, it lands with double the force because the movie has earned our belief.

Patrick Fabian Delivers a Career-Defining Performance

Patrick Fabian’s Reverend Cotton Marcus might be the most compelling horror protagonist of the 2010s. His charm, skepticism, and gradual unraveling make him both a skeptic’s hero and a believer’s worst nightmare.

His performance is the perfect misdirection — a confident con man slowly discovering he might be wrong. Fabian carries the film with charisma and sincerity, while Ashley Bell’s physical performance as Nell is nothing short of astonishing. She makes you question everything you think you’re seeing.

Character Before Carnage

Producer Eli Roth may be known for gore-heavy horror, but The Last Exorcism takes a different path. There’s no “Piranha 3D” chaos here — just believable, sympathetic characters placed in real danger. Daniel Stamm’s direction never prioritizes spectacle over empathy.

The horror works because we care about these people. Their confusion, their faith, and their fear feel authentic. When the terror comes, it isn’t about body count — it’s about conviction.

Final Verdict

I could go on for pages about how clever, scary, and deeply human The Last Exorcism is. With its grounded performances, ingenious storytelling, and masterful tone, this isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2010 — it was one of the best films of 2010, period.

It’s smart, chilling, and unforgettable — the kind of horror that lingers not because of what you see, but because of what you believe.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 — A Found Footage Classic That Still Possesses Power.

10 Things to Know About Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)

Inside Scott Cooper’s quiet, powerful Bruce Springsteen biopic

Directed by: Scott Cooper

Written by: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Stephen Graham

Release Date: October 24, 2025

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025) explores Bruce Springsteen’s creative struggle during the making of Nebraska. Directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White, here are 10 things to know about this intimate, unconventional music biopic.

Bruce Springsteen’s life and career have inspired countless documentaries and performances — but Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere marks the first time his story has been told through a narrative feature film.

Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles), the film stars Jeremy Allen White in his first major leading role on the big screen. Instead of following the typical “rise to fame” formula, Cooper’s film focuses on the difficult, soul-searching period that led to Springsteen’s haunting 1982 album, Nebraska — a work of stripped-down poetry and creative isolation that defined a new phase of the artist’s legacy.

Here are 10 Things to Know About Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.

1. It’s About Springsteen’s Darkest and Most Personal Album

The film centers on the making of Nebraska, a haunting lo-fi record recorded alone at home on a four-track tape deck. It explores Springsteen’s emotional state, creative doubts, and his decision to reject commercial expectations in pursuit of honesty.

2. It’s Based on Warren Zanes’s Acclaimed Book

The screenplay adapts Warren Zanes’s 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Zanes, a musician and historian, also serves as an executive producer on the film, ensuring fidelity to Springsteen’s real-life creative process.

3. Scott Cooper’s Direction Keeps It Intimate

Known for quiet, character-driven dramas, Scott Cooper brings a grounded, human approach to Springsteen’s story. Rather than glamorizing rock stardom, the film focuses on inner turmoil, artistic self-doubt, and the solitude behind the music.

4. Jeremy Allen White Has Bruce’s Blessing

Fresh off his Emmy-winning success on The Bear, Jeremy Allen White takes on the challenge of portraying “The Boss.” Reports from production say Springsteen himself supported the casting, visiting the set and personally encouraging White’s approach to the role.

5. The Supporting Cast Is Strong and Grounded

The film features Jeremy Strong (Succession) as longtime manager Jon Landau and Stephen Graham (The Irishman) as Springsteen’s father. Their performances help paint a layered portrait of the emotional and creative forces shaping Springsteen’s life at the time.

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6. The Recording Process Is the Story

The film dramatizes the stripped-down recording sessions that took place in Springsteen’s New Jersey home. Using a simple four-track recorder becomes a metaphor for artistic vulnerability — capturing the essence of isolation and integrity that Nebraska represents.

7. Authentic Locations Add Emotional Weight

Filmed in New Jersey and New York, including Asbury Park, the production roots itself in Springsteen’s world. Local detail and real settings lend the movie a tangible authenticity that fans will immediately recognize.

8. Festival Buzz and Release Date

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere premiered to strong buzz at Telluridebefore its theatrical release on October 24, 2025. It’s positioned as one of the year’s prestige fall dramas, appealing to both cinephiles and lifelong fans of The Boss.

9. The Soundtrack Reflects the Spirit of Nebraska

Composer Jeremiah Fraites (of The Lumineers) provides a sparse, moody score that mirrors Nebraska’s stark minimalism. The sound design favors atmosphere and emotion over spectacle, immersing viewers in the quiet pulse of Springsteen’s artistic world.

10. Early Reviews Praise Jeremy Allen White’s Transformation

Critics describe the film as “intimate, restrained, and haunting.” White’s portrayal has been hailed as “raw and vulnerable”, though some reviews suggest the film’s introspective tone may divide audiences expecting a more energetic, music-filled biopic.

Final Thoughts

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere isn’t a typical rock biopic — it’s a study of creative crisis, loneliness, and the fragile pursuit of authenticity. With Jeremy Allen White’s deeply felt performance and Scott Cooper’s subdued vision, the film aims to capture not the myth of Springsteen, but the man who chose truth over glory.