The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) in ‘The Black Phone 2’
Blumhouse Productions/Universal Pictures
If you haven’t seen either of The Black Phone films, you’ve surely seen the distinctive mask of the Grabber, the unhinged murderer and child abductor, turned vengeful spirit.
Like many of the best horror movie icons, the Grabber is shrouded in just enough mystery to intrigue audiences, but let’s break down what we know about him.
Who (Or What) Is The Grabber?
The Grabber (played by Ethan Hawke) is the terrifying serial killer and child abductor from The Black Phone and The Black Phone 2.
Originally, the character was something of an amalgamation of real-life murder cases and parental paranoias about child abductors, as he pulls unsuspecting children into a big black van and imprisons them in his basement.
He enjoys holding these children captive and tormenting them in the guise of the Grabber, wearing multiple masks with different facial expressions, scowling and smiling.
Unlike other masked horror villains, Ethan Hawke’s eyes are always visible, ensuring that his menacing performance can be felt through the mask.
While it is never explained why exactly the Grabber is so sadistic, the first film heavily implies that he is a child molester and seems to be passing on some terrible trauma that he endured in his own youth.
However, his unsuspecting brother, who has no idea that he is related to the murderer, seems normal enough. The Grabber even seems to have some affection for his brother, despite killing him once his identity is revealed.
The Grabber is also implied to have the same supernatural powers as the film’s protagonist, Finney (Mason Thames), as both characters can hear the ringing of the titular black phone, which channels the voices of the dead.
That supernatural element is greatly expanded upon in The Black Phone 2, with the Grabber transformed into something otherworldly, far more dangerous than a serial killer.
The Grabber is killed by Finney in the first film, and returns in The Black Phone 2 beyond the grave, having been to Hell and back—literally.
The Grabber is no longer just a disturbed man, but a ghostly, demonic entity, seemingly foreshadowed by the devil horns on his mask. The Grabber explains that Hell has taken away whatever remnants of humanity he once had, leaving a bottomless well of sin.
For example, the affection he had for his brother has surely eroded away, leaving the Grabber a hollow shell of vengeance and murderous impulses.
The Grabber is given new abilities from beyond the grave, able to enter the dreams of Finney’s sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).
Many comparisons have been made to Freddy Krueger, but Black Phone director Scott Derrickson told Forbes that he was more inspired by classic Italian horror films and The Shining than Nightmare on Elm Street.
The Grabber has the ability to injure and murder victims within the dream realm, their wounds appearing on the flesh as their body sleeps, but doesn’t seem to be able to control the dream entirely.
In fact, Gwen manages to fight back with great force, seeming to have greater control over her dream than the Grabber.
The film carefully drops a few crumbs of lore, revealing that the Grabber used to be known as “Wild Bill Hickok,” and he is shown to react with anger when that name is used. The Grabber also panics when his mask is shattered, suggesting that the Grabber is a persona that Wild Bill found empowering—without the mask, he loses his composure.
The Black Phone 2 also implies that Hell is deathly cold, with Scott Derrickson inspired by the descriptions of Dante’s Inferno in The Divine Comedy, contrary to the modern conception of Hell as a fiery domain.
“The whole idea of Hell being a cold place, that all comes from Dante, and the old literature philosophy students, and my love for the Inferno,” Derrickson told Bloody Disgusting.
“I just think that the idea of the Grabber being the worst of the worst and coming from the ninth circle of Hell, where people are frozen in ice, is a compelling idea.”
The sequel shows that the Grabber’s supernatural abilities are rooted in physical totems, the three bodies of his previous murder victims, hidden below a frozen lake. As the bodies are uncovered, the Grabber’s power fades away.
While a sequel has not yet been confirmed, a third film would surely explore more of the lore around the Grabber’s mystical return from the dead, and his stay in Hell, possibly answering questions left unanswered.
For example, was the Grabber permitted to leave Hell and seek revenge, or did he break free? Is he a ghost, or did he “upgrade” into a full-fledged demon?
It’s possible that the Grabber’s murders had a ritualistic quality to them, which allowed him to return from the dead (which would fit in with the 70’s Satanic Panic themes that the film hints at).
If there is a sequel, or several sequels, we might see the Grabber’s abilities expanding far beyond the dream realm.
Where Did The Grabber Originate From?
The villain first appeared in a 2004 short story by author Joe Hill, the son of legendary horror writer Stephen King.
While The Black Phone film faithfully adapted Hill’s story, the filmmakers made one major change, tweaking the murderer’s occupation from “clown” to “magician.”
Hill told Vanity Fair that horror movies have been oversaturated with clowns, from Pennywise to Art the Clown, and that his story drew from real-life murder cases.
“What I was thinking about were the more notorious child killers from American history,” Hill said. “And the first one that springs to mind, the one that’s inescapable, is John Wayne Gacy—who was a part-time clown.”
One can see the echoes of that inspiration in Hawke’s performance, as he imbues the Grabber with an unsettling playfulness that flips to boiling rage in a heartbeat.
What Inspired The Grabber’s Mask?
The Grabber has multiple masks, representing different emotional states, but all share the same general design.
The Grabber’s masks can be broken up and separated, sometimes revealing his real mouth, and one version of the mask having no mouth at all. The Black Phone 2 sees his distinctive mask covered in frost, and damaged by his fight with Finney.
As soon as the first film was released, the Grabber immediately became a popular choice for a Halloween costume, with the mask invoking an eerie familiarity, resembling traditional tragedy/comedy theatre masks.
The 1928 silent film “The Man Who Laughs” provided early inspiration for the Grabber’s devilish grin (the film also famously inspired the Joker).
Designer Tom Savini and fabricator Jason Baker cite a wide range of inspirations for the Grabber’s mask, such as circus masks, Greek masks, antique dolls and the Coney Island barker.
It seems almost certain that the Grabber’s iconic grinning mask will go on to inspire another masked horror antagonist in the future.
MORE FROM FORBES
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2025/10/23/who-or-what-is-the-grabber-from-the-black-phone-2/
