What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Black Phone
Scott Derrickson · Film · 2022
If you loved The Black Phone, start with Black Phone 2 (Scott Derrickson, 2025) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Black Phone across media.
What hooked you in The Black Phone was the way it weaponized childhood trauma through a lens of supernatural resistance.
Start with the source
Inspired by
Black Phone 2
Scott Derrickson · Film · 2025
Books on the same thread
Doctor Sleep: A Novel
Stephen King · Book · 2013
Shares 3 threads with The Black Phone: Psychic Abilities, Trauma, Supernatural Horror.
Like the psychic connection in The Black Phone, this story features a protagonist using extraordinary abilities to protect vulnerable children from a predatory, supernatural threat that refuses to stay buried.
The Institute
Stephen King · Book · 2019
Shares 2 threads with The Black Phone: Child abduction, Psychic abilities.
If the abduction and psychic survival of the kids in The Black Phone resonated with you, you will find a similar intensity in this tale of children fighting back against institutionalized evil.
If It Bleeds
Stephen King · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with The Black Phone: Supernatural Horror.
Just as the ringing phone connects the living to the dead in The Black Phone, these stories explore how haunting legacies and spectral communication disrupt the lives of the living.
Cell
Stephen King · Book · 2022
Explores: Cell phones, Mind control, Survival.
The Black Phone centers on the terrifying potential of communication technology; this novel escalates that premise into a desperate, visceral struggle for survival against a rapidly shifting and hostile world.
Series on the same thread
Black Bird
Dennis Lehane · Series · 2022
Explores: Undercover Operation, Seeking Redemption, Moral Ambiguity.
This intense prison drama mirrors the claustrophobic cat-and-mouse tension of The Black Phone, focusing on the high-stakes psychological battle between a captive and a sadistic killer to secure ultimate freedom.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with The Black Phone: Supernatural Horror.
Much like the group of victims guiding Finney in The Black Phone, this series highlights how kids must use their wits and supernatural bonds to overcome monsters hiding in plain sight.
The Sandman
Neil Gaiman · Series · 2022
Explores: Cosmic Horror, Existentialism, Redemption.
If the dark atmosphere of The Black Phone kept you engaged, you will appreciate this journey through a haunting, mythic landscape where the consequences of imprisonment and power are laid bare.
IT: Welcome to Derry
Andy Muschietti · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with The Black Phone: Coming-of-Age Horror.
This mystery echoes the coming-of-age dread found in The Black Phone, as a group of children confronts an ancient, predatory force that threatens the safety of their small town.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Telepathy Tapes
Ky Dickens · Podcast · 2026
Explores: consciousness exploration, unexplained phenomena, human potential.
The Black Phone relies on the unsettling reality of psychic phenomena; this podcast delves into the science and human experience of these unexplained abilities, grounding the supernatural in a chilling reality.
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic audio stories capture the same suspenseful, intimate horror found in The Black Phone, utilizing sound design to place you directly into the center of a tense, unfolding nightmare.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Black Phone based on a true story?
The Black Phone is a 2022 film directed by Scott Derrickson. It follows a fictional 13-year-old boy named Finney Blake who is abducted by a sadistic killer and communicates with previous victims through a disconnected phone. There is no indication that the movie is based on true events.
What is the release date for Black Phone 2?
Black Phone 2 is scheduled for release in 2025. This upcoming film serves as a follow-up to the 2022 movie The Black Phone, which centered on Finney Blake and his attempt to escape a soundproof basement with the assistance of the killer's previous victims.
Should I watch The Black Phone before seeing the sequel?
Yes, you should watch The Black Phone before viewing the 2025 sequel. The original film establishes the story of Finney Blake, a boy trapped by a sadistic killer who uses a disconnected phone to hear voices from the past, which provides the necessary context for the upcoming movie.
Is The Black Phone available to watch now?
The Black Phone was released in 2022 as a film directed by Scott Derrickson. It details the struggle of Finney Blake, a 13-year-old boy trapped in a basement by a killer. It is currently available for viewing, and a sequel, Black Phone 2, is planned for 2025.