Ethan Hawke always puts his all into whatever movie he’s doing, so it was interesting to see him portray The Grabber, a particularly evil bastard who abducts and kills children. But I’m not sure any of us expected the film to go the franchise route, and that’s precisely what they’re doing. Despite him being killed off in the first film (spoilers, I guess) we’ve got him back for round 2. And this time, he’s got a particularly supernatural bend to him. I suppose if any series is going to go that route, the one where a killer’s victims are still accessible via telephone line is prime for it. I was never a massive fan of the first Black Phone, but now that they’re going the over-the-top Freddy Krueger route, I’m all in! Now, we’re getting a look at the second trailer for The Black Phone 2 and they’re continuing the very Nightmare on Elm Street vibes. Especially with the line, “What do you think happens, when you die in a dream? It’s time to find out.” The fact that they’re including a youth camp also gives the film a Friday the 13th/Sleepaway Camp aesthetic that I’ll always be a fan of.
For those that haven’t been keeping up with the film: Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.
The Black Phone 2 releases to theaters on October 17th!
