If horror enthusiasts visit Netflix this week, they’ll discover a message from Scott Derrickson, the director of Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” and a filmmaker adept at terrifying audiences. The mind behind “Sinister” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” currently has one of his films — “The Black Phone” — positioned at number nine on the streaming service at this moment, and it’s certainly worth a viewing. The 2021 horror movie features Mason Thames (from the live-action “How To Train Your Dragon”) alongside the delightfully deranged Ethan Hawke, who starred in the widely underrated time-travel film “Predestination.”
Based on a short story by Joe Hill (who also created “Locke & Key” before its adaptation by Netflix), “The Black Phone” takes place in 1978 and centers around Finney Blake (Thames), the latest victim of a local child murderer known as “The Grabber” (Hawke). Trapped in a desolate basement with nothing but a mattress, a toilet, and a disconnected black phone for companionship, Finney reflects on what could be his remaining days.
That is until the phone starts to ring, and the previous victims of The Grabber are on the other end, providing Finney with guidance from beyond the grave on how to escape the man who ended their lives. What ensues is a suspenseful horror tale that has led to a sequel, and if the actor behind the franchise’s killer gets his wish, a third installment may follow.
Ethan Hawke is keen to descend into hell in The Black Phone 3
In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly after the release of “Black Phone 2” (also helmed by Derrickson), Hawke expressed desires to reprise his role as The Grabber after the sequel premiered on October 17, 2025. “I would love to go to hell with the Grabber. That’s my aspiration,” Hawke shared. “I’d want to explore who he is. That would be my dream for the third installment, to make it a character study about what shaped him, who he is now, and how he’s invading other people’s nightmares.”
From the sounds of it, the actor behind the “Black Phone” franchise villain hopes to rival Freddy Krueger, but it ultimately depends on whether there’s enough demand from fans to make it happen. Sadly, “The Black Phone 2” faced challenges in matching its predecessor’s box office success, earning just over $132 million, while the original amassed over $161 million.
Nonetheless, that’s not worth getting too worked up about, considering the sequel had a production budget of $30 million. Perhaps there might be some extra cash lying around to answer the phone one more time. Speaking of underappreciated horror films, check out what’s available for you on Hulu thanks to Kristen Stewart.