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The Black Phone (2022) and The Black Phone 2: Release, Cast, and Jump Scare Guide

9/25/2025•4 min read

> Quick links: The Black Phone (2022) · The Black Phone 2

Why this world resonates with horror fans

The Black Phone landed in 2022 with a simple, effective idea: a masked kidnapper, a suffocating basement, a dead phone that rings, and the voices of earlier victims guiding Finney. The film alternates silence and sudden spikes. A sequel is now on the way. This guide helps curious viewers manage jump scares and screamers without losing the fun.

The Black Phone (2022) at a glance

  • Director: Scott Derrickson, from a short story by Joe Hill
  • Release year: 2022
  • Setting: late 1970s American suburbia
  • Lead cast: Ethan Hawke (The Grabber), Mason Thames (Finney), Madeleine McGraw (Gwen)
  • Promise: a supernatural thriller that mixes scary scenes with emotion, more suggested than graphic

The film relies heavily on sound design: a phone ringing in total quiet, voices from elsewhere, off screen cues. Sound often turns a static shot into a screamer. Visually, dread comes from narrow corridors, slightly open doors, and locked off frames where something barely moves in the background.

The first film’s jump scare profile

  • Regular Minor beats: the phone rings, fleeting silhouettes, soft reveals
  • Several Major spikes: close up appearance with a hard sound accent, abrupt frame change
  • Tense scary scenes without a discrete jolt that still raise anxiety

On WhenJumpScare, each movie has a timeline and time codes to help you prepare. You can also download a warning SRT that shows a short line a few seconds before each risky moment. Lower the volume or skip 10 to 15 seconds and you will miss the spike without losing the plot.

What we know about The Black Phone 2

The sequel is in active development with the same partners as the first movie. Trade coverage points to a return to the same world and creative team. Details like the release date can still shift by the time you read this. We will update this guide as official info, key art, and the full trailer arrive.

Cast and crew buzz

  • Reports widely mention Scott Derrickson returning to the director’s chair
  • Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeleine McGraw are frequently cited as returning
  • Studio and label involvement match the first film

Put simply, expect the same fear grammar: similar staging choices, a soundtrack built for spikes, and a late act ramp up. The sequel also has room for variation: new locations, new rules around the phone, and possibly more focus on Gwen.

What to expect from the sequel’s jump scares

  • Strategic silence as the setup, then a sound accent to create surprise
  • Fake starts where nothing happens on cue, followed by a real spike later
  • Proximity shots that push the viewer back in their seat
  • Inserts on the phone that prepare the ear before the image flips

If you liked the tension of the first film but found the spikes tiring, the sequel should be fully manageable with our tools: the timeline, the warning SRT, and Major/Minor labels.

How to watch comfortably

  • Load the SRT from the movie page: a short line appears a few seconds ahead of a risky moment
  • Watch the timeline and the Next scare label to decide whether to let it pass or skip ahead
  • If sound hurts more than images, enable a night mode or reduce audio dynamic range
  • Watch earlier in the day with lights on if anxiety rises quickly

Thematic links between the two films

The first film is about entrapment and resilience. The sequel can expand the rules of the phone and revisit trauma from a different angle. Fans hope for emotional continuity and careful pacing, with a few surprises in the screamer playbook.

Tips if you are new to the series

  • Start with The Black Phone (2022) to learn the visual and sonic rules
  • Try warning SRT playback to quickly set your comfort threshold
  • Jot down your own time codes if you notice a missing entry, then submit them via Suggest Timestamp to help the community

Resources

Conclusion

The Black Phone earned its place by balancing atmosphere with clear startles. The Black Phone 2 is expected to continue that grammar while keeping the emotion. With our time codes and timeline, you can tune the experience to your sensitivity and enjoy the world without stress.