Ethan Hawke’s 2021 Horror Movie Doesn’t Need A Sequel

The Black Phone, a well-crafted horror movie driven by a compelling performance from Ethan Hawke in 2021 could get an unnecessary sequel when what it really needs is a prequel. Scott Derrickson’s film followed resourcecful 13-year-old Finney Shaw who must plot his escape after being abducted and imprisoned in a soundproof basement by a masked killer. A phone on the wall, which Finney thinks is disconnected, starts to ring, and the voices of the murderer’s victims guide Finney’s plan as he toils to outsmart his sadistic captor and prevent them from ever harming another child ever again.

Derrickson has said that making The Black Phone 2 would depend on Ethan Hawke’s return as The Grabber. It was one of the most arresting horror movies in recent years because of Hawke’s chilling portrayal of the serial killer, but including him in is sequel would be concerning, particularly given the way the ending of The Black Phone. In order for the film to not appear contrived and full of unnecessary tropes and inconsistencies, there are a number of strong reasons why The Black Phone sequel should actually be a prequel that shows how The Grabber got started.

The Black Phone 2 Would Ruin The Original Movie’s Ending

At the end of The Black Phone, Finney ends up killing The Grabber and escaping from his basement and right into Gwen’s arms and a police escort. By all accounts The Grabber is very much deceased, and Finney gets closure with Gwen and his father, while The Grabber’s victims are provided peace. A sequel to The Black Phone would negate this happy ending, particularly if The Grabber lived, either because he somehow survived being brutally killed or was resurrected in some supernatural way.

While The Grabber certainly deserves to stand in the pantheon of Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and other recurring horror icons who relentlessly pursue their victims, The Black Phone doesn’t set up a foundation for the return of Ethan Hawke’s character. The victims could talk to Finney because they weren’t at peace, but once The Grabber died, that element of the dead returning to some semblance of life went with them into the afterlife. It could only work if one of The Black Phone’s characters was a copycat killer or an accomplice.

Why A Prequel On Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber Would Be Better Than The Black Phone 2

The Black Phone effectively ended The Grabber’s story as well as Finney Shaw’s, so there’s nowhere for it to go unless resurrection was introduced in a way similar to Michael Myers in the Halloween films. A prequel to The Black Phone would present the unique opportunity to tell The Grabber’s origin story. It could include a younger actor playing the murderer in the first half and then have the narrative dovetail nicely into The Grabber, played by Hawke, abducting and holding his prior victims in his basement.

Origin stories have been told about Hannibal Lecter, Morgan Bates, and myriad serial killers in pop culture. Fans of horror icons and of Hawke’s will watch an origin story about The Grabber provided it’s directed by Dickinson’s steady hand and has the same tight, gripping pacing, visuals, and tone. Even with a prequel, The Black Phone could still turn into a franchise that explores The Grabber’s psyche and inner mind.