Michael Shermer sits down with attorney and bestselling author Kent Heckenlively for a tense, thoughtful, and surprisingly cordial conversation about UFOs, government secrecy, and the idea of “catastrophic disclosure.” Heckenlively argues that something real is being hidden. Not necessarily aliens, but information powerful enough to disrupt energy markets, military spending, and political authority. But beyond stories and secondhand testimony, where is the kind of evidence that would settle the question once and for all? The episode takes up congressional hearings, whistleblowers, classified briefings, Cold War secrecy, optical illusions, advanced military technology, and why, after nearly 80 years, the UFO story continues to produce more questions than answers. Kent Heckenlively is an attorney, science teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. His books have sold more than half a million copies. Become a paid member of Skeptic to start commenting To explore complex issues with careful analysis and help you make sense of the world. We've emailed you a magic link — click it to access your account. We've emailed you a magic link — click it to access your account.

This article features deals sourced directly by Gizmodo and produced independently of the editorial team. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on the site. Most of us rely on multiple devices to get through our days – a smartphone for seamless communication, AirPods to vibe to our favorite tracks (plus taking meetings on the go), and a smartwatch for tracking health and fitness levels. If you're looking for an efficient charging solution that can power all your essential Apple gadgets up in one go, the Anker MagGo UFO 3-in-1 charger is a great option to consider, especially at its current price. This offer applies to the classic black version. The white option is discounted too, sitting at $60, down from $90. We highly suggest getting your orders in sooner rather than later. This macaron-looking wired charger is about the size of a baseball. It opens up to reveal three charging bases to wirelessly juice multiple devices at the same time, and folds back down once you're done. In its folded form, the charger is compact enough to toss into any backpack or slide into your pocket without adding bulk, which makes it easy to take it around with you. The small size makes it great for anyone looking to cut down on cord clutter and keep their workstation tidy. It can easily power an iPhone 15 Pro to 20% in 15 minutes and an Apple Watch Series 9 from 0 to 30% in 22 minutes with the included 40W adapter. Pop your stuff on during a lunch break at work, and come back to devices that are fully charged and ready to take on the rest of the day with you! You can also convert it into a stand for landscape mode, which is great for taking quick video calls and catching up on your favorite shows as your device powers. This one lets you use the screen as a smart display with widgets. Anker's ActiveShield 2.0 technology monitors temperature over 3,000,000 times a day to ensure safe charging. You won't ever have to worry about overheating, even when all three charging bases are in use. Note that the offer is selling out fast, so it's best to grab it as soon as you can. Subscribe and interact with our community, get up to date with our customised Newsletters and much more.

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. From a sci-fi series starring Halle Berry that was forgotten until Netflix got ahold of it, to producing another series starring Noah Wyle (one that was completely underrated), it's easy to forget the scope of the "Jaws" director's work. However, the 2002 10-episode miniseries "Taken" is sure to thrill, and terrify, sci-fi fans. Written and created by Leslie Bohem — who also helped write the aforementioned Halle Berry series — "Taken" is what happens when extraterrestrials impact a group of families for generations. Thematically gritty as the series may be, those who like a bit of history thrown in with their sci-fi may also find something to appreciate. While "Taken" was originally aired the SYFY network, it has yet to find a home on a streaming service at the time of this writing. Fortunately, we can still tell you where to find a physical copy — though we'd understand if you're still catching up on the best sci-fi shows of 2025. Narrated by a young Dakota Fanning, who also has a rather integral role alongside her sister, Elle, by the end of the series, "Taken" also stars Eric Close, Julie Benz, Michael Moriarty, and Joel Gretch. Despite winning a 2003 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries, "Taken" has become relatively obscure over 20 years later. While even the Popcornmeter shows less than 50 user-submitted reviews, every episode holds above a 7.5-star rating on IMDB, with over 300 user reviews for each.

The couple is already parents to sons Royce, 3, and Rowen, 10 months The psychic medium and his wife Alexa welcomed their third baby together, daughter Romi Mia Fraser, on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 3:52 p.m., sharing the news exclusively with PEOPLE. The newly minted mom of three tells PEOPLE that her daughter's joining the family has completed their family in a way that feels "meant to be." "Romi completed our family in a way that feels perfectly timed and truly meant to be.” Matt tells PEOPLE that he was in "absolute shock" when Alexa showed him the positive pregnancy test not long after welcoming their son Rowen in March 2025. About six weeks after Rowan was born, Alexa walked in holding a pregnancy test and said she was pregnant all over again," he tells PEOPLE. Despite being in "shock," both Alexa and Matt were overjoyed with the news. “When we had the gender reveal and found out the baby was a girl, I jumped for joy," he shares. It was actually very hard to find the perfect name," Matt explains. "I've always loved the name Rome, and Alexa wanted something unique. Ahead of the baby's arrival, Matt and Alexa had a sense that their baby was coming a little early. Matt tells PEOPLE one thing in particular happened that reminded him of the first time Alexa gave birth, clueing them into their baby's impending arrival. "Something happened that reminded me of the first time. She looked back at me and said, 'Oh yes, this baby is coming. Reflecting on that moment, Alexa recalls she and Matt being "surprisingly calm." He asked me to go into the bathroom, get ready for the trip to the hospital, and gather whatever personal items I wanted to bring with me," she says. "He explained everything to Royce, who was mostly concerned about who was coming over to play with him.” “Matt packed the car while my stepsister Carleigh and her husband Joe, who are Rowan's godparents, came to watch the kids," she continues. For Alexa, the delivery was a dream come true. She was able to deliver baby Romi naturally, despite some apprehension from doctors, with the support of her doula Tyler Grimes, nurses and hospital staff. “A midwife named Linda and our doula, Tyler Grimes, were instrumental in telling me that it was reasonable to try," explains Alexa. "They gave me hope at a moment when I really needed it. We played Pitbull and 'Push It' by Salt N Pepa," she says. "Matt was reading positive messages from our family group text, and it felt like everyone was right there with us.”

Social media theorists have made the absurd suggestion the Beckham family feud may be a ruse by Donald Trump to divert attention away from world events - after they pointed out his close links to the Peltz family. The row comes amid escalating global tensions over Greenland with Trump suggesting there would be 'no going back' in his plans to take control of the island nation. Meanwhile Nicola's father, Nelson Peltz, is a 'notable Republican donor' who has previously been described as the 'matchmaker' between Trump and Elon Musk. Users on social media have since suggested that the Brooklyn family feud may be providing the perfect cover for Trump to move forward with his plans to seize control of Greenland, although there is no evidence to support this claims. The US president has previously been warned that acquiring the Arctic island from Denmark risks undermining NATO and plunging his ties with Europe into a downward spiral. One user posted on X: 'With everything coming out with the Beckhams right now, does anyone else find it interesting that Nelson Peltz who is the billionaire investor and father to Nicola Peltz, the wife of Brooklyn Beckham is a Trump supporter and a close friend to Elon Musk.' Nicola's father, Nelson Peltz, is a 'notable Republican donor' who has previously been described as the 'matchmaker' between Trump and Elon Musk Outlandish theories have swirled on social media about a possible link between Trump's plans to take control of Greenland and the Beckham family feud Another person shared a piece of music from the Nutcracker, claiming this was the 'actual sound of Donald Trump going to get Greenland whilst we absorb ourselves in Beckham gate'. Another said: 'Watching the normies eat up all the Beckham drama, when I know something is being covered up, and it's all a distraction.' A third posted a video of Trump dancing on Tiktok, alongside the caption: 'Donald Trump after he has successfully managed to divert attention to the Beckhams.' It comes as other theories on social media suggested the Beckham family feud might have been caused by the fact that Brooklyn, 26, 'married into a Maga family'. She referred to a news story where Nicola's father Nelson claims he played 'matchmaker' between Trump and the owner of X Elon Musk. 'So on the one hand I get a lot of people have gone no contact with their parents and they're probably very empathetic for Brooklyn's side of things. One user claimed this was the 'actual sound of Donald Trump going to get Greenland whilst we absorb ourselves in Beckham gate' 'But I will say Brooklyn is trying to say that he separated from his family and that they were trying to get him away from Nicola. 'I would like people to maybe reflect in their own families if you suddenly had someone who was hanging out with a bunch of Maga people, if maybe you had those kinds of conversations, please stop dating this guy because he's super Maga and into Trump and this is going against all our values. Both Trump and Brooklyn's father, Sir David Beckham headed to Davos in Switzerland today for a meeting of the annual World Economic Forum. The US president promised an 'interesting' trip, telling reporters he believed it would be 'very successful' despite weeks of friction with Nato allies over his Greenland plans. When asked about the feud, he declined to answer any direct questions but he later spoke, somewhat ironically, on the perils and virtues of children using social media. Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday night Trump is jetting across the world for a showdown with European leaders after his countless threats to seize Greenland - and clashes with allies In an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, he said that he has tried to 'educate' his own children about the dangers of social media apps while also showing them how they can work for 'good'. The former Manchester United star said he'd been able to use his 'platform' and his position as a Unicef ambassador to 'make people aware of what's going on around the world for children'. In his surprise social media posts, Brooklyn claimed: 'Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future. But an insider hit back, saying: 'The agreement that Brooklyn was asked to sign was to protect his rights because his parents have commercial partners who have some rights over the Beckham name, and so it ensures that the kids are carved out of that.' Sources, however, also believe that Brooklyn was potentially 'turned against' signing the paperwork by those connected to Nicola, who some believe may have managed to persuade him it was not a good idea. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline.

Speculation surrounding unidentified flying objects has resurfaced in the United States after renewed claims that a military facility may be storing aircraft of 'non human' origin in classified hanger as part of a long running investigation programme. The allegations centre on Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, a sprawling but relatively low profile base primarily used for testing and evaluating aircraft for the US Navy and Marine Corps. While the Pentagon has repeatedly denied possessing any physical evidence of extraterrestrial technology, former intelligence officials and unnamed sources have suggested otherwise, fuelling public curiosity and debate. According to Daily Star, anonymous sources are reportedly close to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), an 'exotic vehicle of unknown origin' that has allegedly been kept inside a secure hangar at the base for decades, possibly since the 1950's. Supporters of the theory argue that Patuxent River would be a logical location for such work. One of these was reportedly identified as Chinese surveillance drones, according to individuals familiar with the matter. However, the sources claimed a second set of incursions could not be attributed to any known foreign power and were instead described as unidentified flying objects. Interest in the base intensified following sworn testimony from former Pentagon intelligence official Luis Elizondo, who previously worked as senior intelligence official at the Pentagon. Speaking before Congress, Elizondo claimed that the government of the United States has maintained covert programmes focused on the recovery and analysis of 'non-human craft'.He alleged that specialised facilities are housing such materials, including one at Patuxent River. Luis Elizondo also stated that some recovered craft had been opened and were in the process of being reverse engineered. However, other anonymous sources dispute aspects of his account, claiming that no new hangars were constructed at the base following injunctions made by the former director of science and technology at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). However, these assertions have been challenged by some former government employees and scientists, who claim that key information has been withheld from the public and that official explanations do not adequately explain certain encounters. For sceptics, the Patuxent River claims represent a familiar pattern in UFO lore, anonymous sources, dramatic assertions, and a lack of tangible proof.

In a newly released video recorded at the request of filmmaker James Fox, Vallée makes one of his clearest public statements yet. He says scientific databases linked to a defence intelligence programme logged around 260,000 screened UFO sightings and hundreds of reports involving non-human creatures. According to Vallée, the data warehouse contained approximately 260,000 screened reports of anomalous objects in flight. These were not raw internet stories but cases filtered and assessed by researchers. Crucially, he adds that the same databases also logged hundreds of reports involving creatures described as live or dead and linked to crashed or landed vehicles of unknown origin. Vallée stresses that the value of the system lay in its multinational and historical scope, allowing researchers to compare modern cases with older incidents across different countries. These beings were described as similar in size and general body shape to those reported by witnesses in Brazil and other locations. Vallée notes that all of the creatures he referenced appeared to breathe air normally, a detail he highlights as medically and biologically significant. He links these descriptions to professional observations made shortly after the incidents, including anatomical and behavioural notes recorded before the death of at least one recovered entity. In each, Vallée says new environmental data was collected, including physical traces and recovered materials. Both the Socorro and Valensole incidents remain officially unidentified despite investigation by multiple government agencies. He believes opening archives while protecting sensitive facilities such as nuclear laboratories would allow the wider scientific community to engage seriously with the phenomenon. Vallée is careful to say he does not speak on behalf of any government body. However, he currently serves in a private capacity on the scientific advisory board linked to France's national space studies centre, which has researched UFO cases since the 1970s. Drawing on this experience, he argues that data segmentation has held research back for decades. He claims that executive action to relax classification rules would be world changing. Using the 1996 Varginha incident in Brazil as an example, Vallée says international cooperation and open exchange would dramatically improve understanding of what he describes as an extraterrestrial phenomenon possibly empowered by advanced artificial intelligence. Whether his claims convince sceptics or not, Vallée's statement marks a rare moment. For believers and critics alike, it raises a stark question. If these records exist, how long can they stay in the shadows?

The demand was made during a press conference at the National Press Club on Wednesday, organized in protest against the dismissal of Laika Bashir, assistant professor of Sociology, and ASM Mohsin, associate professor and head of Sociology at UAP's Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities. Speakers claimed that the university authorities surrendered to mob pressure, dismissing the two teachers without following due process, thereby undermining academic freedom and institutional autonomy. Highlighting the broader context, they said Bangladesh is facing a prolonged crisis of academic freedom, with powerful groups suppressing dissent and enforcing conformity. While the July mass uprising had raised hopes for democratic restoration and freedom of expression, these hopes, they warned, are now being undermined. “An atmosphere of fear is spreading on university campuses, where teachers in both public and private institutions are harassed for independent or dissenting views, often under the pretext of protecting religious sentiments,” the speakers said. According to the Teachers' Network, Laika Bashir had posted on Facebook due to security concerns, not from a religious perspective. Fearing for her safety, Bashir filed a General Diary (GD) at Tejgaon Police Station. An investigation committee was later formed, but the network alleged it relied on 34 anonymous submissions collected via Google Form, which they called unverifiable. Regarding ASM Mohsin, the speakers claimed he was dismissed without any show-cause notice or investigation. They alleged that, despite supporting students during the July uprising, he was later labelled a supporter of the former Awami League government. An emergency notice signed by the acting registrar announced that regular academic activities could not continue under the prevailing circumstances, adding that discussions with relevant stakeholders were ongoing and all classes would remain suspended until further notice.

The French President was seen sporting a pair of Top Gun-style aviator sunglasses as he delivered a speech after “bully” Donald Trump threatened to impose 200 percent tariffs on French wine and champagne. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. Elysee Palace said this was to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel, which has apparently left him with an unsightly injury. Macron sports Top Gun shades to launch veiled attack on Trump Greenland threats Now Trump appears to threaten US takeover of CANADA & shares private texts The clip has followed them ever since, and even Macron himself admitted it was overblown into “a sort of geo-planetary catastrophe”. Horror pic shows helicopter wreck inside active volcano crater near cliff edge Playing catch on US sidewalks could land you 6 months in jail & $1k fine Glam influencer gives two reasons why she was given coveted US visa Accounts on X, some of which appear to be Russian bots, claimed that the First Lady had “given him a black eye”, hence the sunglasses. “Unless Macron has a medical condition like cataracts or something that requires him to wear sunglasses on stage, this is peak French douche-baggery right here,” one post read. He first wore sunglasses last week when inspecting members of France's armed forces, and sported them again at Davos. DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.

Eileen's primary literary love is comic books, but she's always on the lookout for her next literary adventure no matter what form it takes. Who couldn't use a little more of the fantastic in their lives? Well, some of the protagonists of these graphic novels have probably had their fill, but for the rest of us, the following five comics are a great way to spend an afternoon. eternities, this series features unsettling mystery stories. In the latest installment, two sisters come to suspect that a vampire is lurking in the woods surrounding their family's isolated farm. But is there something closer to home that should worry them more? This makes him a very popular fellow, right up until it doesn't. When he falls in love with one of the people whose body is about to become rented property, Denny suddenly finds himself on the run from all sorts of dangerous people. Did someone ask for a polyamorous Frankenstein adaptation with an all-Latine cast? In this inventive adaptation, the religious authorities in San Guadario have banned necromancers like Victor, making it impossible for him to live a normal life. So when wealthy Enrique offers him oodles of money to reanimate his dead bride Mercedes, Victor can't refuse. But who killed Mercedes, and why doesn't she remember anything about her own life? Fortunately — or so she thinks — she finds a djinn named Marjan who is willing to smooth her path a little. But Marjan has troubles of her own, and they could very well make Nayra's life far worse than she ever imagined. Vonceil's brother, Elber, has been quiet and responsible — in other words, nothing like the brother she knows — ever since returning from the Great War. Vonceil herself will have to learn about responsibility and sacrifice when a salt witch, having been spurned by Elber back in Europe, turns all of their town's potable water to salt water. For more witchy reads, check out these recent reads, then dive into why witchy fiction isn't going anywhere soon. Roll into the New Year with the Book Riot newsletter for the latest book buzz, smart commentary, and must read picks… and be entered to win a library cart!

A woman developed psychosis, and her symptoms escalated rapidly, prompting clinicians to retrace the events leading up to her hospitalization. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. She spoke rapidly and jumped from one idea to another, and she expressed beliefs that she could communicate with her brother through an AI chatbot — but her brother had died three years prior. What happened next: Doctors reviewed the woman's psychiatric history, noting in a report of the case that she had a history of depression, anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). She managed these conditions with prescription antidepressants and stimulants. She also reported having extensive experience using large language models (LLMs) for school and work. Doctors obtained and examined detailed logs of her chatbot interactions, per the report. In the days leading up to her hospitalization, the woman, who is a medical professional, had completed a 36-hour on-call shift that left her severely sleep-deprived. It was then that she began interacting with OpenAI's GPT-4o chatbot, initially out of curiosity about whether her brother, who had been a software engineer, might have left behind some form of digital trace. During a subsequent sleepless night, she again interacted with the chatbot, but this time, the interaction was more prolonged and emotionally charged. Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. The chatbot initially responded that it could not replace her brother. But later in that conversation, it seemingly provided information about the brother's digital footprint. Broadly, psychosis refers to a mental state in which a person becomes detached from reality, and it can include delusions, meaning false beliefs that the person holds on to very strongly even in face of evidence that they're not true. Unlike a human conversation partner, a chatbot has "no epistemic independence" from the user — meaning it has no independent grasp of reality and instead reflects the user's ideas back to them, said Jutla. "In chatting with one of these products, you are essentially chatting with yourself," often in an "amplified or elaborated way," he said. "It may be hard to discern in an individual case whether a chatbot is the trigger for a psychotic episode or amplified an emerging one," Dr. Paul Appelbaum, a Columbia University psychiatrist who was not involved in the case, told Live Science. He added that psychiatrists should rely on careful timelines and history-taking rather than assumptions about causality in such cases. —Woman's severe knee pain reveals 'golden threads' in her joints —Hunter's rare allergy meant he could no longer eat red meat —A man had hiccups for 5 days — and a virus may have been to blame The treatment: While hospitalized, the woman received antipsychotic medications, and she was tapered off her antidepressants and stimulants during that time. Her symptoms lifted within days, and she was discharged after a week. Three months later, the woman had discontinued antipsychotics and resumed taking her routine medications. Amid another sleepless night, she dove back into extended chatbot sessions, and her psychotic symptoms resurfaced, prompting a brief rehospitalization. She had named the chatbot Alfred, after Batman's butler. What makes the case unique: This case is unusual because it draws on detailed chatbot logs to reconstruct how a patient's psychotic belief formed in real time, rather than relying solely on retrospective self-reports from the patient. Even so, experts told Live Science that the cause and effect can't be definitively established in this case. "This is a retrospective case report," Dr. Akanksha Dadlani, a Stanford University psychiatrist who wasn't involved in the case, told Live Science in an email. "And as with all retrospective observations, only correlation can be established — not causation." Dadlani also cautioned against treating artificial intelligence (AI) as a fundamentally new cause of psychosis. From that perspective, immersive AI tools may represent a new medium through which psychotic beliefs are expressed, rather than a completely novel mechanism of illness. Even without conclusive proof of causality, the case raises ethical questions, others told Live Science. University of Pennsylvania medical ethicist and health policy expert Dominic Sisti said in an email that conversational AI systems are "not value-neutral." You must confirm your public display name before commenting Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York,

Copyright: Any unauthorized use or reproduction of The Daily Star content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action. The demand was made at a press conference held at Jatiya Press Club this afternoon, where a written statement was read out by teachers. A section of current and former students portrayed the post as hurting religious sentiment and launched a campaign of online harassment, much of it driven by anonymous and fake accounts, the statement said. Despite issuing a clarification, Layeqa continued to face pressure. Fearing for her safety, she lodged a general diary with Tejgaon Police Station, after which the university formed an inquiry committee. Regarding Mohsin, the statement said he was dismissed without any show-cause notice or investigation, allegedly after being labelled a supporter of the former Awami League regime, despite his role in standing with students during the July uprising. Economist Anu Muhammad, Professor Samina Luthfa of Dhaka University, and Professor Mirza Taslima Sultana of Jahangirnagar University were present at the press conference. Copyright: Any unauthorized use or reproduction of The Daily Star content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.

2021's The Black Phone is one of my favorite recent horror films because of how seamlessly it tied supernatural occurrences to its serial killer plot. Now that its 2025 sequel, Black Phone 2, is available on streaming, I'm happy to report that it's one of the best horror sequels I've seen in a hot minute. Stylistically, it couldn't be further from its predecessor, but not in a jarring way. Picking up four years after the 2021 film left off, Black Phone 2 is menacing thanks to its setting and cinematography, and Ethan Hawke's performance as the elusive and supernaturally dangerous Grabber is the stuff of nightmares. The film's influences are clear, but its willingness to stay in its own lane makes for a captivating watch that never feels like a ripoff or cheap carbon copy of what inspired its worldbuilding. We're reintroduced to Finney (Mason Thames), who escaped the Grabber's (Ethan Hawke) clutches during his 1978 crime spree. Instead, the spotlight shifts to his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who is now experiencing sleepwalking episodes punctuated by disturbing visions of the Grabber. Those visions lead Gwen, Finney, and their friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora) to Alpine Lake Camp, where the Grabber began abducting and killing children back in 1957. Channeling some serious Freddy Krueger energy, the Grabber targets Gwen in her dreams, where any physical harm she sustains while unconscious carries over into the real world. Though Black Phone 2 is technically a period piece, it benefits greatly from being set primarily in a cabin located deep in the wilderness. You don't need a lot of vintage cars to sell the era when trees, snow, and isolated cabins are effectively timeless. What truly elevates Black Phone 2 is its use of different cameras and image quality as visual shorthand. Gwen's dream sequences appear grainy and distorted, while scenes set in the waking world are presented with much higher clarity. This approach strips away any ambiguity and sets the film apart from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Establishing this language early allows for sharp, effective cuts between realms that clearly show how the Grabber's influence crosses planes of existence. While there's no real mystery driving Black Phone 2, its deliberate buildup, wide establishing shots of a brutal wilderness, and frantic crossover between the dream realm and waking life create several deeply unsettling sequences that linger long after the credits roll. Ethan Hawke is an absolute monster as the Grabber, fully committed to playing a modern analog to Freddy Krueger while still making the character his own. There are a couple of quick exposition dumps, but they feel earned, clearly motivated by pacing rather than a lack of trust in the audience. Finney is still clearly haunted by his encounter with the Grabber, but he's smart enough to recognize that Gwen shouldn't face this alone as they work toward ending the nightmare once and for all. Having earned $132 million at the box office against its reported $30 million production budget, it feels inevitable that the film series will continue. Everyone involved has expressed interest in returning, but only if quality remains the priority. Until a story worthy of further expansion takes shape, we're left waiting to see how, and when, the Grabber finds his way back for another rampage. As of this writing, Black Phone 2 is streaming on Peacock.