BLACK PHONE 2 Official Trailer Reaction: Is The Grabber the new Freddy Krueger?

The written companion

Draft companion · Awaiting editorial review

Black Phone 2: More of the Grabber, but at What Cost?

Dan and Matt liked The Black Phone enough to want more time with its world. That does not mean they think it needed a sequel. Their trailer reaction becomes a conversation about the difference between extending a memorable threat and changing the reasons it frightened them in the first place.

Both praise the original's performances and its ability to make them anxious for the children. Ethan Hawke's villain and the young cast gave the danger emotional force. The new trailer brings that affection back, while suggesting a direction that makes them think of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Dan sees the risk most clearly. The trailer can be intense and effective on its own terms while still pointing toward a movie that might undermine what worked before. A threat that crosses into different supernatural territory needs more than a recognizable mask to justify the change.

Matt is cautiously optimistic. He can imagine the new approach working, and he remains excited about the returning performers. He is also willing to admit that he would have been satisfied leaving the first film alone.

That combination makes the reaction useful: they are not confusing wanting to see a character again with certainty that another story will improve him. The preview has their attention. The film still has something to prove.

Does moving the Grabber toward a different kind of supernatural threat expand the possibilities, or weaken what made him frightening? Would you rather have had a sequel, an origin story, or no follow-up at all?

Watch their Black Phone 2 trailer reaction ↗

Based on auto-generated captions. This is a response to the trailer and contains speculation, not a verdict on the completed film.