By George & Josh Bate
The Grabber is back and faces off against one of horror’s most promising new faces.
Initially premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025 last month, Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2 hits theaters as one of the year’s most anticipated horror movies three years after the acclaimed original. The sequel takes place four years after the previous film and sees Madeleine McGraw’s Gwen and Mason Thames’ Finn taunted by Ethan Hawkes’ The Grabber once again.
The HoloFiles recently had the opportunity to interview Madeleine McGraw about her role in Black Phone 2, what it was like to take on a more prominent role in the sequel, her experience filming dream sequences with Super 8 cameras, similarities to A Nightmare on Elm Street, and more. Check out the video interview here or keep reading to learn more about McGraw’s insights on the Blumhouse horror sequel.
Unlike The Black Phone, which primarily focused on The Grabber’s conflict with Mason Thames’ Finn, Black Phone 2 upgrades McGraw’s Gwen character to the lead character. It is Gwen that instigates the investigation into Alpine Lake Camp and ultimately she who has the most run-ins with Ethan Hawke’s terrifying antagonist. “I was definitely very scared [playing a lead],” McGraw reflected. “Going into shooting I was so nervous. I expressed my nerves to Scott [Derrickson] and he was like, ‘Mad, what you are nervous for? We wouldn’t have written these scenes if we didn’t know you could do it.'” McGraw continued, “It was awesome having Scott be like my confidence booster. It didn’t take away the nerves really, but it made me so happy and made me feel a lot more calm knowing that he believed in me.”
In addition to headlining the new horror film, McGraw also faced a challenge in having to navigate complex action sequences with The Grabber. One scene in particular involving Gwen grappling with The Grabber in a kitchen stands out as one of the film’s most memorable sequences. McGraw provided some insight into what it was like to film that kitchen scene and other scenes in which she fought against an antagonist others cannot see. “I was working with a guy in a green suit,” McGraw explained. “I feel like that was definitely hard working with someone who was not supposed to be there.”
McGraw continued by explaining the importance of the rehearsal process in nailing the various action scenes. “There was a lot of rehearsing,” said McGraw. “We did a lot of stunt rehearsals and I was on wires a lot of the time. Everything about that is very precise. I feel like the rehearsing was definitely the most important, but also the challenge was to make that seem natural.”
Making the array of dream sequences in Black Phone 2 all the more unnerving is that Scott Derrickson filmed them with Super 8 film cameras. Derrickson previously employed Super 8 in Sinister and the first The Black Phone, but, in this sequel, used the cameras significantly more. “With the Super 8 cameras, there was a lot of risk with my performance,” McGraw described. “It could have came out totally grainy and you couldn’t have even been able to see my acting. It was definitely scary when it came to shooting with that, because they would send it in over the weekend to be processed and we’d just pray that the scenes turned out good and that you could see what was going on.”
Those who watch Black Phone 2 will recognize parallels to a number of horror classics, namely A Nightmare on Elm Street. Many critics, including us, have remarked that The Grabber goes fully Freddy Krueger mode in the new film as he returns from the dead to plague teenagers’ dreams. Despite the similarities to Wes Craven’s beloved franchise though, McGraw opted against watching any Freddy films ahead of time. “I didn’t want to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street before filming,” McGraw detailed. “I didn’t want it to affect or impact my performance in anyway, because I wanted everything to be so truly different from that movie, Because I knew people were going to be like, ‘Oh I know this has similarities to Nightmare on Elm Street.’ But I did watch it after and that movie is definitely one of my favorite horror movies. I consider it more fun than scary.”
The horror references are even more deep cut than A Nightmare on Elm Street, says McGraw. She pointed out that there are very “easter eggs” to both classic and lesser-known horror movies (e.g., anyone familiar with the 1983 Canadian slasher film Curtains will notice similarities in Black Phone 2’s big finale). “It’s really cool how it does a lot of tributes to classic 80s horror movies,” McGraw remarked. “I feel like that’s what helps it have that fun, classic 80s vibe, especially with the Super 8.”
McGraw stated that she is “beyond proud” of the final film and the extensive work in front of and behind the camera that makes it as atmospheric and chilling as it is. As we noted in our review of the film, McGraw makes the most of the rich material she has to chew on as she contemplates whether her visions make her crazy and unravels the mystery of The Grabber. Whether it be a Black Phone 3 or another horror flick, McGraw has clearly shown she has the range, intensity, and emotional intelligence that would make her a great addition to any frightening flick in the future.
Watch the entire interview with Madeleine McGraw about Black Phone 2 below….
