Black Phone 2 Has Christian Roots — Directors Reject the “Faith‑Based” Label

Black Phone 2 is in theaters now. The sequel, directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill, continues the series’ frank engagement with Christian themes while the filmmakers insist the movie is not a faith-based or evangelical project.

1. Overview
2. Filmmakers and faith
3. Good Christians vs. bad Christians
4. Gwen and spiritual ambiguity
5. Hell, afterlife ideas, and dramatic purpose
6. Where to find more information

Overview

Black Phone 2 is a direct sequel to The Black Phone and opened following a world premiere at the 2025 Fantastic Fest. The film returns characters Gwen and Finn, and continues to place Christian belief and spiritual questions at the center of its horror story. The filmmakers say the movie explores religion in a nuanced way, rather than promoting a specific religious message.

Filmmakers and faith

Director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill both identify as Christian, and they have discussed religion openly in interviews. However, Derrickson has rejected the label “Christian filmmaker” for their work. As he said, “I don’t like that term,” and added, “‘Christian’ is a bad adjective. It is a proper noun, but it’s not a good adjective.”

Moreover, Derrickson told reporters that he does not want the films to act as religious mouthpieces. He said, “I want to recover some authenticity for religious experience. Only it’s not important to me to be any kind of spokesperson.”

Good Christians vs. bad Christians

The sequel stages explicit contrasts between different kinds of Christian behavior. For example, Gwen interacts with two self-righteous camp staffers, Barbara and Kenneth, who judge her for language and conduct. The film frames Gwen as sincere in her faith, while the staffers represent hypocrisy.

C. Robert Cargill described the choice as personal and intentional: “One of the things that frustrates us both the most is people who like to announce that they’re Christian, but who act in very deeply un-Christian ways,” and he added that the filmmakers wanted to show both sides if they were going to include Christianity in the story.

Gwen and spiritual ambiguity

The movies keep Gwen’s relationship with the divine intentionally ambiguous. Derrickson has said the films avoid spelling out whether Gwen is aided directly by Jesus or by another spiritual force, because that ambiguity lets audiences interpret the character in ways that align with their own beliefs.

As Derrickson put it, “There’s a lot in these movies that isn’t explained, and part of it is the relationship between God and Gwen.” He also noted a storytelling reason: leaving some elements unexplained lets viewers “feel and interpret” rather than receive a fixed theological statement.

Hell, afterlife ideas, and dramatic purpose

The film presents a specific image of Hell as a place where the positive aspects of a person are stripped away, leaving monstrous traits. Derrickson has tied that depiction to broader human concerns about what happens after death and to longstanding religious ideas across cultures.

He framed the decision as dramatic rather than doctrinal, saying the topic of the afterlife is widely meaningful: “Even the most strict atheistic, scientific materialist, is still going to find meaning in stories about life after death, and find meaning in a religious character, if it is done properly.”

At the same time, Derrickson said he has no interest in using the films to propagate his personal beliefs. He summarized that stance directly: “I have no interest in propagating my views on this subject. It has nothing to do with me wanting to demonstrate or express to people things that I think or believe. That is of zero interest.”

Where to find more information

For historical context on how often spiritual figures appear in horror, one example is a write-up about other religious representation in films available from Gospel Herald. Also, trends in faith-based theatrical releases were discussed in an analysis available at Stats Significant.

Black Phone 2 is now playing in theaters. For more details about the filmmakers’ comments, the film’s festival screening, and casting, check official coverage from the studio and film festival listings.