Imagine a slasher film where the killer doesn’t actually kill anyone in the present—sounds impossible, right? But that’s exactly what Black Phone 2 pulls off, defying one of the most sacred rules of the genre. Directed by Scott Derrickson and written by C. Robert Cargill, this sequel to The Black Phone brings back the chilling antagonist, The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), despite his demise in the first film. And while you’d expect a body count to rival the likes of Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, the film takes a shockingly restrained approach—zero kills in the present timeline. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is this a bold, innovative move, or does it strip the slasher genre of its core appeal?*
The story picks up with Finn (Mason Thames), now 17 and haunted by his past captivity, and his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who begins receiving eerie calls from the titular black phone in her dreams. These calls lead her to visions of three boys stalked at a winter camp called Alpine Lake. Convinced they can solve the mystery, Finn and Gwen venture to the camp during a winter storm, only to find The Grabber lurking in Gwen’s dreams, A Nightmare on Elm Street-style. What follows is a chilling blend of dreamscape terror and real-world horror as they search for the missing boys’ bodies, hoping to put an end to The Grabber’s reign of terror once and for all.
And this is the part most people miss: While the film is undeniably scary and at times violent, The Grabber’s kill count in the present is zero. Every death we see occurs in flashbacks, revealing The Grabber’s past as a former Alpine Lake camp employee who murdered the three boys Gwen envisions. Even Finn and Gwen’s mother, whose death was staged as a suicide, was actually another of his victims. This narrative choice is a stark departure from the genre’s norm, where body counts often drive the appeal. Films like Halloween Kills, with Michael Myers’ staggering 30 kills, or the Friday the 13th franchise, where Jason Voorhees’ tally exceeds 180, thrive on escalating violence. But does *Black Phone 2 lose something by abandoning this formula, or does it gain by focusing on psychological terror and character depth?*
It’s worth noting that Derrickson has tread similar ground before. In Sinister, one of the most terrifying films ever made, most of the kills are shown through found footage, with present-day deaths saved for the climax. With Black Phone 2, Derrickson and Cargill clearly aimed to subvert expectations rather than follow the “bigger is better” mantra. In an era where franchises often coast on familiarity, this sequel takes a risk—one that’s hard not to admire, even if it divides audiences.
While April Fool’s Day famously avoided on-screen deaths, it’s rare for a slasher film to completely abandon present-day kills. Black Phone 2 does just that, leaving room for growth in potential future installments. But here’s the question: Does this approach make the film more innovative, or does it leave fans of the genre craving the visceral thrill of a high body count? Let’s debate it in the comments—do you think Black Phone 2 succeeds by breaking the mold, or does it lose its edge without the kills we’ve come to expect? Black Phone 2 is now in theaters, and it’s a conversation starter you won’t want to miss.
