The ghost of a serial killer has returned from hell for revenge, but the ending of Black Phone 2 might finally close the chapter on this terrifying story. Set four years after the first film, the 2025 sequel sees siblings Finney and Gwen Blake facing a new, supernatural threat from The Grabber, who is now a powerful vengeful spirit. The film, directed by Scott Derrickson, shifts its focus more to Gwen’s psychic abilities for a final, chilling confrontation.
How the Grabber Returned as a Vengeful Spirit
Despite being killed by Finney in the first film, The Grabber finds a way back. The sequel reveals that after his death, the Grabber was sent to a hellish, icy dimension. His spirit was stripped of any remaining humanity, leaving only a core of pure evil and sin. This new form allows him to return as a powerful ghost.
His return is fueled by a desire for revenge against Finney for making him kill his own brother. To punish Finney, the Grabber targets his sister, Gwen. The film establishes that the Grabber draws his supernatural power from the lingering spirits of his first three victims—young boys he murdered at the Alpine Lake winter camp years earlier. As long as their bodies remain undiscovered, their trapped souls fuel his strength.
The Grabber’s new abilities are a significant upgrade from the first film, making him similar to horror icons like Freddy Krueger. He can invade Gwen’s dreams and physically harm her there, with injuries appearing on her real body. He can also manipulate the real world near his power source, becoming visible only to Gwen while remaining an invisible, poltergeist-like threat to others.
The Shocking Connection to Finney and Gwen’s Mother
A major revelation in the film recontextualizes the entire story for the Blake family. Gwen and Finney had always been told their mother, Hope, died by suicide. Black Phone 2 reveals this was a lie.
Through Gwen’s psychic visions, she learns the truth: her mother also had psychic abilities. Hope had a vision of the Grabber, whose real name is Bill Hickock, kidnapping a paperboy. When she went to his house to confirm what she saw, the Grabber captured and murdered her, staging her death to look like a suicide.
This means the Grabber had a connection to the Blake family long before he kidnapped Finney. He had been to their house and knew about their mother, making his initial targeting of Finney far more personal and malicious than previously understood.
The Final Battle on the Ice
The film’s climax takes place at the snowed-in Alpine Lake camp. The Grabber’s spirit attacks the group, but only Gwen can see him. The heroes realize that to defeat him, they must find the bodies of his three first victims and lay them to rest, which will strip him of his power.
A physical and psychic battle unfolds simultaneously. While Finney and the others work to recover the bodies from a frozen lake, Gwen confronts the Grabber in the dream world. As the bodies are found, the Grabber grows weaker. The spirits of the boys are finally freed from his influence and help in the fight.
In a cathartic moment, a weakened Grabber becomes solid enough for both Finney and Gwen to deliver a beating. His spirit is then dragged down into the frozen depths of the lake by the vengeful ghosts of his victims, seemingly defeated for good.
What the Ending Means for the Blake Family
The resolution provides profound closure for the main characters. After the battle, Gwen receives one final call on the black phone. It’s her mother’s spirit, calling from the afterlife. She tells Gwen that her abilities are “a gift” and that she can now rest in peace, confirming the existence of heaven. This conversation provides Gwen with the emotional closure she needed.
The film also focuses on Finney’s journey. He is shown struggling with trauma, using marijuana to cope and hiding his fear behind anger. By confronting the Grabber one last time and fighting back, he is able to begin overcoming his deep-seated trauma. The final scene shows the Blake family driving away from the camp, finally able to move on from the horror that has haunted them.
The movie explores themes of faith and genuine belief through its setting at a Christian youth camp. Gwen’s personal faith is shown to have merit, while the film contrasts this with the hypocrisy of a judgmental camp employee. Ultimately, the power of belief—in oneself, in family, and in doing the right thing—is what allows the characters to triumph.
“Nothing burns…like the cold.”
The film ends with the sense that the Grabber’s story is over. The source of his power has been destroyed, his connection to the Blake family has been severed, and the spirits of his victims are at peace. While the door for a prequel exploring his past remains open, the threat to Finney and Gwen appears to be finished.
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