Black Phone 2 Gets Its Horror Comp Wrong & Fixing It Could Create The Next Great Franchise

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Okay, so I just watched The Black Phone, and it’s a really solid, no-frills horror flick – which makes sense, considering it started as a short story. Basically, this serial killer is terrorizing a Denver suburb back in the 70s, and this kid he abducts starts getting help from the ghosts of the killer’s previous victims…through an old disconnected phone! It’s creepy, and the kid uses what the ghosts tell him to try and outsmart the killer where others couldn’t. What I really liked is that, for the most part, it feels really real and focuses on the characters, with just enough supernatural stuff to keep you on edge.

The sequel, Black Phone 2, takes the story in a new direction, building on what came before. It focuses heavily on supernatural themes, making the killer a ghost and much of the story happen within Gwen’s dreams. As a result, the characters and plot feel more like a stylized fantasy than a realistic portrayal.

Scott Derrickson’s new movie is drawing comparisons to classic 1980s horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, particularly because the villain, ‘The Grabber,’ now has abilities reminiscent of Freddy Krueger. With strong reviews and a great opening weekend, many believe Ethan Hawke’s character could become a recurring horror icon, potentially haunting people’s dreams in future installments.

Comparing Black Phone to the Elm Street franchise isn’t a perfect fit, and if Blumhouse decides to make another sequel, it would likely be better to move away from the Grabber character altogether.

The Black Phone Franchise Should Be The New Conjuring, Not Nightmare On Elm Street

Credit: Robin Cymbaly / © Universal Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

The updated Grabber is a genuinely enjoyable villain. While his drive for revenge against these children is strong, he feels like a potential icon for a new horror series – a modern take on classic villains like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, or Michael Myers.

I don’t find him quite as captivating. While the villain in Black Phone 2 is more playfully wicked, changing his appearance diminishes the impact of Ethan Hawke’s presence and makes him less expressive than someone like Freddy Krueger. Because he’s lost his humanity, he’s almost entirely driven by malice, which restricts the actor’s ability to deliver a nuanced performance. He’s a solid villain, but not a truly exceptional one, and this movie pushes his character to its limits.

I was really relieved that the movie wasn’t relying just on him. What I especially loved was how they really explored Finn and Gwen’s connection to the spooky stuff – for a good chunk of the film, it felt like they were dealing with things way beyond anything they faced with the Grabber before. It was a great step up for their characters!

Finn keeps receiving calls from phones that have been disconnected, suggesting other ghosts are trying to reach him. Meanwhile, Gwen’s dreams are leading her to investigate the cold case of the Alpine Lake murders. The movie Black Phone 2 chose to make the villain, the Grabber, the key to both mysteries, revealing he committed those murders when he was younger. However, the story could have gone in a different direction and kept the Alpine Lake case entirely separate and new.

In The Black Phone, the Blake children were simply caught in a terrible situation. However, Black Phone 2 positions them as proactive investigators. This opens the possibility of them being drawn to other cold cases by ghostly voices and confronting new killers – whether they’re still living or already deceased. This approach would avoid the need to reinvent the Grabber’s character again, and the risk of giving him a form that doesn’t quite fit.

Rather than trying to create a slasher film like A Nightmare on Elm Street, the filmmakers and Blumhouse would be better off looking at The Conjuring as a model. Like Ed and Lorraine Warren in that series, they could have a central couple investigating different demonic hauntings in each movie, occasionally revisiting past villains. This approach would allow the horror to be more creative and focus on the relationship between the investigators.

Now that the main Conjuring story appears to be finished, the characters of Finney and Gwen have a great opportunity to become the new focus. If Blumhouse supports them instead of the villain, they could easily launch a successful new horror series.

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2025-10-22 14:49