The Grabber is back! Universal Pictures and Blumhouse have reunited for The Black Phone 2, which will star Ethan Hawke as the ever-terrifying child-killing masked villain. The director, Scott Derrickson, from the first The Black Phone has returned, and his writing partner, C. Robert Cargill, has returned as well. And it is taking cues from one of the scariest movies ever made.
What Happened Before
Four years ago, we saw 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) kill his abductor and escape. Becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber (Hawke). We saw him being kidnapped and using a magical and paranormal black rotary phone in the basement where he was held. Able to communicate with the ghosts of the past victims, he plotted his escape. Unknown to him, his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) had visions of his kidnapping and got bits and pieces of where he might be. She tried to help the police. Throughout this, their abusive father drank himself away.
As we learn from the new trailer, The Grabber is back like Freddy Krueger, attacking kids in their dreams. Just like in A Nightmare on Elm Street. As the movie poster says, “Dead is just a word.” Quotes or catchy phrases can really make a movie, and we think this one really emphasizes the earnestness of this movie.
What We See and Expect
In the trailer, we see Finney, or Finn as he now goes by, struggle with his life after the events of the first movie. Gwen’s dreams get worse as they lead the siblings and Ernie (Miguel Mora) to Alpine Lake Youth Camp. The three teens and others at the camp will face The Grabber in the showdown of the year.
Nerdist says about the movie, “Surprising as it may be, Black Phone 2 is a deeply, deeply earnest movie. Finney is dealing with extreme PTSD. Gwen believes her power is her curse. And their broken little family is still struggling to come back together after their father Terrance (Jeremy Davies) finally quit drinking and subsequently beating his children. The success of that earnestness lives and dies by the performances of the actors portraying it. And, save for one awkward delivery from Davies late in the third act, every performance from main to supporting hits exactly the way it’s meant to.”
The movie deals with complex emotions and seems to be handling them well. It wasn’t excessive gore. Yet, it does bring enough blood to make you squeamish. We see that dreams are just as real as reality. They may be more powerful. What happens when you die in a dream? This is the question The Grabber asks, and we see the answer to. We will have to find out on October 17.
What's Your Reaction?
