Spoiler-Free Review of “Black Phone 2” in Theaters: A Chilling Sequel

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Where are you calling from?”

Black Phone 2 released in theaters on October 17th 2025. The supernatural horror sequel stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Demián Bichir. It runs for approximately an hour and fifty-five minutes.

Set after the events of the first film, Finn and Gwen head to Alpine Lake Camp, a Christian youth group, to investigate the recurring dreams Gwen has had. When they arrive, they soon realize that a familiar dark presence is there, luring them both back into danger.

Here is the trailer:

Black Phone 2 brings a terrifying villain back to life while bringing us to a chilling new setting. Is it worth a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Changes things up…

When I first heard that they were making a sequel, I was a little confused. Things were wrapped up at the end of the first movie and the threat was eliminated.

But I went into this movie with an open mind and I did appreciate that it brought back our familiar characters to root for while throwing a new terrifying threat at them in a different setting. It still managed to connect everything to past events with seamless effort.

In a lot of ways, this film reminded me more of A Nightmare on Elm Street, which had its pros and cons. I actually really liked these aspects of the film and thought it was a bold and interesting idea to switch main character focus. I think this paid off in the end. Even though this was a sequel, everything felt fresh and new.

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Ethan Hawke is as terrifying as ever!

Ethan Hawke in the Grabber mask ice skating is probably the creepiest thing I have seen in a while. I thought that he was so scary in the first film in such a real way so this was a change-up for sure, but he still managed to be just as creepy, making my skin crawl on more than one occasion.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

Unanswered questions and some fuzzy details…

I did have a lot of questions by the time I got to the end of this movie. They overstuffed this film a little too much, but I think it still worked out in the end. Some connections felt slightly forced to me and some of the newer characters were annoying.

My biggest con with this movie was that it didn’t hold a candle to the first one. That being said, I still thought it was very entertaining. It just didn’t have that initial shock and pop factor anymore.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures

I’m in!

Black Phone 2 leans more into the supernatural side this time around, drawing from A Nightmare on Elm Street, making this a unique and entertaining sequel overall.

I wouldn’t say that this movie came close to the original, but I still enjoyed my watch and think that Madeleine McGraw is one to watch!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Black Phone 2 in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of “Dark Harvest” on Demand: A Solid Halloween-Themed Entry to Horror

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

It’s Halloween…you know what that means…”

Dark Harvest (based on the novel of the same name) is a supernatural horror film that released on October 13th 2023 on demand. It stars Casey Likes, Emyri Crutchfield, Elizabeth Reaser, and Jeremy Davies. The films runs for an hour and thirty-three minutes.

Teens participate in a yearly “run” to hunt down a supernatural creature that emerges from the cornfields on Halloween night.

Here is the trailer:

Dark Harvest is a gory mix of The Purge and The Hunger Games with a nightmare inspiring villain. Is it worthy of your next watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of MGM

Fun for Halloween.

I’ve been loving all of the new entries for Halloween this year and Dark Harvest is another decent entry for sure. Sawtooth Jack is a terrifying villain, but the real horror lies within this small town filled with dark secrets and betrayals.

While this film is far from perfect, I absolutely loved the Halloween feel!

Impressive cinematography.

I was honestly really blown away by this. This film was shot very well and I loved that it took place in the 1960’s. It really had a unique feel to it. I’ve seen plenty of modern day horror entries so this was a nice change of pace. 

The Cons

Images courtesy of MGM

Confusing at times and goes off the rails…

I think I needed to read the book first to really understand what was going on. The audience is thrown into things and I found myself trying to piece together the premise on my own. The characters needed a lot more development so that we would care about what happened to them.

I did think that Emyri Crutchfield was the strongest performer by far as Kelly. A lot of the other characters just kind of faded into non-existence and our main protagonist was slightly frustrating.

The first half of this film was actually really decent and I was impressed by the extreme gore displayed, but some of the twists had me scratching my head and were a little too bonkers for me personally. That may just come down to preference though…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of MGM

I’m in about 75 percent…

Fun Halloween horror with some moments of brilliance, but there were a lot of messy and confusing aspects to deal with as well.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Dark Harvest in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “The Black Phone” in Theaters: A Horror Movie Worth Your Time

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You don’t have to be scared…”

The Black Phone released in theaters on June 24th 2022. The horror film stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and James Ransone. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-two minutes.

Set in the late 1970’s, a young boy is abducted by the neighborhood “grabber” and held in a soundproof basement when he begins to receive calls from the killer’s past victims on a disconnected phone.

Here is the trailer:

The Black Phone features a villain who is beyond terrifying, along with exceptional characters to root for against all odds. Is it worth a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Terrifying in a very real way…

I don’t know about you, but this is the type of film that scares me the most. Sure, there are supernatural/paranormal elements in this one, but this isn’t your typical gore fest or jump scare horror film. There is this unsettling and creepy vibe present throughout the film. It crawls under your skin, festering into something beyond scary. There are so many real and cruel moments in this film that make this way more than your average horror film.

Ethan Hawke truly immersed himself into this role with sadistic perfection and I think I’ll be having nightmares about his character for quite a long time…

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Characters to root for.

Finney and Gwen were fantastic characters. Gwen was my favorite and I think that Madeleine McGraw was truly wonderful. I was very invested in what happened to them, which made this movie even more absorbing. I think they nailed the brother-sister relationship and really helped the audience connect with them on a deeper level.

Even though this is a horror movie, it was also a movie about self-discovery and growing up as well.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

Unanswered questions and some fuzzy details…

By the time I got to the end of the film, I was satisfied, but I also had a lot of unanswered questions. There were details that didn’t add up from some of the flashbacks, which had me scratching my head. Since this was such an engaging watch, I wanted to know more and perhaps I will invest my time in reading the short story by Joe Hill to fill in some of the blanks.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Blumhouse Productions

I’m in 100 percent!!!!!

A terrifying and captivating watch from start to finish!

This movie was so well done and I was so impressed with the performances all around, making this a must see watch for horror fans!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on The Black Phone in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

THIS COMPETITION IS KILLER…

When former friends, Shay and Adriana team up to participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt with a cash prize, they temporarily put their differences aside to outsmart their opponents. However, they soon start to realize that a dangerous threat is playing their own version of the game, stalking them during each hunt.

Winning is now a necessity as their lives are at stake. As old wounds and memories re-surface, Shay and Adriana attempt to unmask the threat before the night is over, but soon learn that Scream Hunt is not done with them just yet…

My young adult horror thriller is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Scream Hunt is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!