While his mask is important to his identity, it doesn't exist to conceal it from others. Instead, The Grabber employs the mask as a sort of theater — the different Grabber mask variations each represent characters in a show he's putting on for himself and his victims.

What disorder does The Grabber have?

It is implied in the film that the Grabber may have Dissociative Identity Disorder, when Finney Blake asks if The Grabber killed any of his kidnapping victims, he denies saying another person killed them.

Why would The Grabber hear the phone?

The Black Phone's ending connects many dots but never explains why The Grabber can hear the ringing. This could mean that it is only a figment of his — and Finney's — imagination. Finney hears the phone ring and uses it as a coping mechanism to deal with his overbearing feelings of isolation and desperation.

Why does The Grabber call Finney Johnny?

The Grabber's first name is John. Shortly after kidnapping Finney, whilst telling him he won't hurt him any further, the Grabber calls him "Johnny" ("You don't have to be scared, because nothing bad is going to happen here.

What is the mask from The Black Phone based on?

"It was the hockey mask from Jason, it was the vampire from Salem's Lot. They were Covid masks for the fans, who were probably going to wear masks anyway, and they wanted to wear creepy ones. So [Derrickson and Turek] probably saw that." Savini came up with an initial design for the mask, which met with approval.

The Black Phone - The Story Behind The Mask

Why doesn t The Grabber want to show his face?

Instead, The Grabber employs the mask as a sort of theater — the different Grabber mask variations each represent characters in a show he's putting on for himself and his victims. A few scenes in The Black Phone suggest yet another motivation for his mask: he uses it to hide from himself out of shame for his actions.

Why does The Grabber only take boys?

He became traumatized and started to deny them. He kidnaps boys and plays the "Naughty boy game", because that's what his father did to him. He wants to release all that pent up rage and resentment he has towards his father, upon his victims. That's his origin story.

Why did Finney fill the phone with dirt?

Eventually, Finney receives a phone call from Robin – a friend of his who had previously been kidnapped by The Grabber. His advice is that Finney should fill the phone's receiver with dirt and use it as a weapon.

What was the point of The Black Phone?

Not just another Ethan Hawke horror movie, The Black Phone explained something philosophical about empowering victims of abuse and violence. It has a message of community and how terror can be warded off by the strength of numbers. No evil is so big that it can't be dispelled by the unity of individuals.

Did The Grabber have a brother?

Max was The Grabber's brother and temporary roommate when visiting from Durango. He had an addiction to cocaine and a comical personality. In his free time, Max investigated The Grabber's crimes even though he unknowingly lived with the killer. He was murdered by The Grabber after discovering Finney in the basement.

What did The Grabber do to Robin?

Robin was placed in the soundproof basement by The Grabber and was subsequently killed by him. Later that night, Terrence is tipped off about Robin's disappearance. A search is carried out by the police in the regions of the city, but without leads.

Is there going to be a Black Phone 2?

The Black Phone 2 Release Date Has Been Revealed

The latest news on The Black Phone 2 arrived on October 27, 2023. Blumhouse and Universal gave an update on the sequel to The Black Phone, confirming that the sequel is in development and pegged for a June 2025 release date (via Deadline).

How were the kids talking to Finney?

While at first escape seems impossible, Finney soon finds out he can get calls from the ghosts of the Grabber's previous victims on an unplugged black phone. Each of the Grabber's victims tried to escape the basement using a different method, and they are all eager to share what they learned with Finney.

Was black phone based on a true story?

Joe Hill Used Real Serial Killers as Inspiration

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hill explained that, although his story drew inspiration from real serial killers of the era, The Black Phone is not based on any actual case.

Was Robin supposed to live in The Black Phone?

That wasn't the original plan — and the young actor who plays Robin had already flown home. “In the script, Robin wasn't in the room. It was just a phone call,” Derrickson explains.

Is The Grabber a child molestor?

Ethan Hawke stars as a child molester called 'The Grabber'.

What did The Grabber do to Vance Hopper?

Death. At some point during the film, Vance ends up encountering The Grabber, who abducts him. After Vance tries and fails to escape by smashing a hole in the basement wall, the Grabber kills him offscreen.

What does Finny say at the end of The Black Phone?

That is why when his crush calls him "Finney" in the closing scene, he confidently corrects her and says, "Call me Finn." Doing so brings symbolic closure to his coming-of-age catharsis and proves that he has finally "slain the dragon and saved the princess."

Why does The Grabber leave the door open?

One of the ghost children eventually warns Finney that The Grabber has set a trap. He leaves the door purposely unlocked sometimes so that he may beat the child if they try to escape. This is called Naughty Boy.

Why does The Grabber use black balloons?

At the scene of every kidnapping, the police find black balloons, which he keeps in the back of the car to subdue and hide his victims.

What did The Grabber do to Griffin?

He would later fall into the game The Grabber set up, where he would have found the door ajar, climbed the stairs, and been viciously beaten by him. Subsequently, Griffin was killed and his soul remained in The Grabber's basement.

What did The Grabber do to Bruce?

Bruce was born in the United States and was raised by a Japanese born father, Mr. Yamada, and mother. At some point, he moved to North Denver, USA. as a child, he developed his love of baseball and his bond with his parents, before being kidnapped and murdered by The Grabber.

What happened to the mom in black phone?

Finney and Gwen live with their father (Jeremy Davies), an abusive alcoholic still mourning the loss of his wife and the kids' mother after she committed suicide.

Why does The Grabber ignore the phone?

Throughout the film, The Grabber heard the phone ringing, but he ignored it as he didn't believe in the supernatural. Thus, this was the ultimate payback, giving the kids peace.

Is The Black Phone based on John Wayne Gacy?

The villain in Hill's original story was patterned after serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys in the 1960s and '70s.