Jakarta. In 2021, American horror “The Black Phone,” featuring masked kidnapper “The Grabber,” hit the cinemas. After commercial success and generally positive reviews, director Scott Derrickson made a sequel that is set four years after the sole survivor, Finney Blake (Mason Thames), killed the sadistic murderer.

Now out in Indonesian cinemas, “Black Phone 2” still keeps the phone elements of the first movie. This mysterious black phone has a direct line to the afterlife, connecting the young protagonists to now-dead Grabber and his past victims. 

Finney’s sister and medium, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), made a return -- this time, with a much bigger role. The 15-year-old girl is now the one who mostly interacts with the Grabber (also played by Ethan Hawke) through her visions. Finney has grown up into a violent teen who smokes weed. Unlike his sister, Finney cannot see the Grabber, although they can interact via the black phone. 

The story is mostly set in the snowy campsite, namely the place where the Grabber claimed his first victims. The kids also get to learn about their late mother. “Black Phone 2” will regularly switch from reality to Gwen’s lengthy, grainy dream sequences. This cinematographic choice is reminiscent of old horror video games. The script, co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, does not have memorable lines, but the story manages to keep the audience from dozing off. Some scenes can be discomforting.

There is some foreshadowing at the start of “Black Phone 2”. The first time we see Finney on screen is when he beats up a new kid in the school grounds. Despite having killed the Grabber, Finney is still struggling with the emotional wounds to the point where he has developed a temper. In the final scene, Finney takes down the Grabber -- in a similar fashion to when he beats down his schoolmate -- as the boy bids adieu to his trauma.

“Black Phone 2” might have a chance to connect with the horror-loving Indonesian audience, although there are some local movies of the same genre now playing in theaters. But some people might decide to put the call on hold as “Black Phone 2” is still up against the highly praised "One Battle After Another".

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