“Black Phone 2,” the sequel to “The Black Phone,” was released in theaters on Oct. 17. The movie was set to release initially on June 27, but was delayed to its present date due to scheduling adjustments.

“The Black Phone” is a 2021 horror film adapted from Joe Hill’s 2007 short story. The movie tells the story of 13-year-old Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a teenager kidnapped by a serial killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Trapped in the murderer’s basement, Finney communicates with the ghosts of past victims through a black, wired phone on the wall to design his escape.

“The plot surprised me,” senior Erica Timberlake said. “The storyline’s twists made the movie interesting.”

At the Astra Awards, a ceremony presented by the Hollywood Creative Alliance, the movie won for Best Horror Film. Thames and actress Madeleine McGraw, who played Finney’s younger sister, Gwen, received nominations for Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress at the Saturn Awards. Ethan Hawke was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role.

Now, “Black Phone 2” is set four years later, where Finney is 17 and Gwen is 15. The Grabber has returned from the dead as a powerful entity, getting his revenge on Finney by torturing Gwen. She begins to see visions of three stalking victims at a winter camp and dreams of a familiar black phone. Both siblings decide to visit the site and solve the mystery of the victims, aiming to end the persecution in the process.

“I like what they did with the trailer,” sophomore Jameson Ryder said. “It has a bluish tint to it, which provides a different take on the ‘afterlife’ vibes.”

The three main actors, Thames, McGraw, and Hawke, will all return for the sequel. Fans of the series look forward to “Black Phone 2” for its acting and storyline, since the previous movie received credit for these reasons.

“I’m happy about the actors returning,” Timberlake said. “It keeps me anticipating what will happen to them in the sequel.”