Summary
I’m excited about upcoming entries in bighorrorfranchises likeScreamandScary Movie,but I’m also intrigued byThe Black Phone 2.Now thatthe horror sequel is done filming, it’s a great time to mull over what made the first movie so solid and howThe Grabber could return inThe Black Phone 2.
Co-writer and director Scott Derrickson gave a recent interview and saidThe Black Phone 2will take place when the main characters Gwen (Madeleine McGraw)and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) are high schoolers. This makes me even more interested in seeing the next part of their story, especially since they were such smart and precocious kids.
The Black Phone 2 Director Scott Derrickson Said The Horror Sequel Has A High School Setting
In an interview withBloody Disgusting, Scott Derrickson talked aboutThe Black Phone 2and said:
“I realized that if I made a big movie afterBlack Phone— which isThe Gorge— by the time I finished it, all those kids would be in high school. So what I really wanted to do, and what I did, was I shot a high school coming-of-age movie in the same way that the first one was a middle school coming-of-age movie.”
I love this idea and thinkit’s the perfect way to continue the dark and moving story ofThe Black Phone. There’s no doubt that Ethan Hawke did an excellent job portraying The Grabber, who is a truly despicable villain. However, I thinkthe child actor performances inThe Black Phoneare the best part of the original movie. I think it makes sense to lean into those talented cast members and meet them where they are instead of pretending that they’re as young as they were when they filmed the first movie. Focusing on teenage characters willmakeThe Black Phone 2feel as grim and realistic as the first film.
I also feel thatteen slashers are some of the strongest entries in the subgenre. When an adult character figures out how to outsmart a killer, it’s still interesting. But when a teenager does, it’s more exciting and impressive since they’re so young.
I appreciate cheesy teen horror movies likeI Know What You Did Last Summerand look forward tothe legacy sequel that is in the works. ButI also want a smart teen horror movie that examines complex family dynamics and other topics, and that’s whatThe Black Phone 2is going to do. In the first movie,the movie’s siblings had to deal with their abusive and alcoholic father while trying to find The Grabber. Now that some time has passed and their father has vowed to change, I’m sure the characters will be wrestling with their disturbing past. After all, their father should of course never acted that way in the first place, and that can’t be forgiven so easily.
I also think that settingThe Black Phone 2a few years in the future willmake The Grabber scarier. I think it makes sense that, after Finney is safe atthe end ofThe Black Phone, he and Gwen get to live regular lives for a while. It seems like, once they’re teenagers, they encounter The Grabber once again, which provesthey can’t truly escape this mysterious and terrifying figure.
What Are Some Great Horror Movies About Teenage Characters?
Some ofthe best slasher villains are in teen horror movies, including Ghostface in the originalScreamfrom 1996, and many ofthese films have some hilarious lines.The Black Phone 2will join somecompelling horror movies focused on adolescent characters:Final Destination,The Craft,Unfriended, andMa.
These movies stand out from each other because while they share the main premise of high school students facing killers or supernatural forces, they have their own unique approach to the subgenre.Final Destination, which was released in 2000, tells a gripping story about Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) who has a vision of a plane crash killing him and his classmates. So begins the popular franchise aboutDeath, the ultimate villain who makes sure that when characters cheat their fate, they’re going to die at some point in the movie.The Craftis a dark tale about teenage friends who explore witchcraft and get what they wished for only to learn that it’s a nightmare.
What Are Some Teenage Horror Movies Released In The 2020s?
Unfriendedmight be the most unique of all. The entire movie takes place on a computer screen as a group of friends are targeted by the ghost of the girl they bullied.Unfriendedhas a creepy endingand a lot in common withMa, which stars Octavia Spencer as a lonely woman who befriends some teenagers in her small town. In both cases, the characters are lonely and trying to fit in, and the movies are as fun as they are thought-provoking.
