The Black Phone 2 ending has everyone talking, and the biggest question is whether The Grabber actually returns or if his presence is purely psychological. Let me break down what actually happens and what it means for potential sequels.
Plot Overview
The sequel picks up two years after Finney’s escape. He and sister Gwen are living with their aunt while trying to process their trauma through therapy. But when children start disappearing again using The Grabber’s exact methods, they’re pulled back into investigating.
Here’s the twist – The Black Phone 2 reveals The Grabber had a brother who’s been operating independently using the same basement, same masks, and same black phone. This explains why the new disappearances match the original pattern so precisely.
Ethan Hawke appears in flashbacks as The Grabber, showing how he taught his brother the abduction methods. These scenes are genuinely disturbing, revealing a twisted family dynamic that explains both brothers’ pathology.
Ending Breakdown
The climax finds Gwen’s psychic abilities reaching new strength. She doesn’t just see visions anymore – she can apparently communicate with victims across time, including those The Grabber killed years ago. This supernatural escalation divided audiences in test screenings.
Finney confronts The Grabber’s brother in the same basement where he was held captive. The Black Phone 2 doesn’t give him an easy victory – he’s still traumatized and terrified. But he uses knowledge from his previous captivity to survive and eventually overcome his captor.
The phone plays a crucial role again, but this time Finney hears The Grabber’s voice mixed with the victims’. The film suggests The Grabber’s spirit is somehow connected to his brother, though it leaves this ambiguously supernatural versus psychological.
The Grabber’s Return
So does The Grabber actually return in The Black Phone 2? Physically, no – he’s definitely dead. But the film blurs lines between haunting, trauma response, and genuine supernatural presence. Hawke appears enough to satisfy fans wanting more of his terrifying performance.
The ending includes a final scene suggesting there might be a third brother, setting up potential franchise continuation. But director Scott Derrickson has said he’ll only make another sequel if he can find a fresh angle that justifies it.
What’s smart about The Black Phone 2 is how it uses The Grabber’s legacy without cheaply resurrecting him. The phone, the masks, the basement – all these elements return, but they serve the new story rather than simply recycling the original.
Sequel Setup
The film’s conclusion leaves Finney and Gwen in a better place psychologically, having confronted their trauma directly. But Gwen’s enhanced psychic abilities open narrative possibilities for future installments that could go beyond simple slasher territory.
There’s also a post-credits scene hinting at other victims’ ghosts that could contact Gwen, suggesting The Black Phone 3 might explore a wider mythology of murdered children seeking justice through her abilities.
Whether you love or hate the ending likely depends on your tolerance for supernatural elements. The first film balanced ambiguity perfectly – this sequel leans harder into explicit paranormal territory that won’t work for everyone.
But credit to Derrickson for taking risks rather than just repeating the original formula. The Black Phone 2 earned its ending through strong character work and genuine scares, even if the supernatural escalation feels divisive.
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