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‘The Black Phone’ Movie Review

Phone Alone

By Will LasleyPublished 2 years ago Updated about a year ago 4 min read
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The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson and based on the short story by Joe Hill, is about a boy named Finney (Mason Thames) whose life is already hard enough. He’s constantly bullied at school, his father (Jeremy Davies) is an abusive alcoholic, and his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), seems to have prophetic dreams, which catches the attention of the police and the ire of their father. But when a serial child abductor called the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) kidnaps him, Finney finds a disconnected telephone in his new “room” and begins to hear surprisingly helpful voices on the other end.

Scott Derrickson is underappreciated as a director. He’s proven he can helm both indie horror hits like Sinister (also starring Ethan Hawke) and blockbuster spectacles like Doctor Strange. And for those who don’t know, Joe Hill, the author of the original short story, is the son of Stephen King, and he’s becoming a damn good writer in his own right. I have not read the original story, but I’m told that this film is quite faithful to it. As of now, in my personal opinion, The Black Phone is one of the best films of the year so far! I absolutely loved this movie. One thing that Derrickson is good at is giving a film that deals with very bleak subject matter a surprising amount of heart. You genuinely care about Finney and Gwen, and their relationship is really sweet and believable. The stakes actually feel real, because it’s not unbelievable that a movie like this would kill a child. You’re rooting for Finney to survive and for Gwen to save him in time. And this is thanks in no small part to the performances of our two young lead actors.

Mason Thames is a pretty new find. He’s done a handful of television episodes here and there, but this is his feature film debut. He’s outstanding, and I’d love to see him become a big star, because he clearly has the makings of one. In a lot of films that star children, their emotions can look trained, rather than natural. Thames managed to escape that all-too-common pitfall and deliver some genuinely powerful moments. Madeleine McGraw is also fantastic in her role. She has a bit more experience than Thames, having done some voice work for Pixar, appeared in various kids shows, and even popped up in mainstream blockbusters like American Sniper and Ant-Man and the Wasp. She brings a lot of additional heart to the film, as well as providing us with another young hero to root for. I do also have to give props to Jeremy Davies as their father. While there are times when his behavior is a bit typical of alcoholic characters in movies, he also delivers some very sincere, emotional bits that keep the character from just being your average stumbling cliché.

One of The Black Phone’s biggest selling points was seeing Ethan Hawke play a role completely unlike any he had ever played before. My god, he was incredible. Hawke is an uncommonly versatile actor, given that he possesses everyman qualities, but with the ability to make just about any one of his characters likable and/or interesting. With the Grabber, he is so unnerving that you actually totally forget that Hawke is usually such a likable guy. Obviously it helped that he was wearing a mask, but the character never felt like an actor who is desperately trying to play against type. He just slipped into the role of this utter psychopath seamlessly, and I hope he ends up playing more villains in the future, because he was truly chilling.

One thing I’ve seen people complain about is the idea that it’s a bit predictable at times. I suppose that’s somewhat true, but in my humble opinion, it’s not that kind of movie. This is a bleak world with a glimmer of hope at the finish line, and the focus is on the struggle of these two kids. We’re seeing the horrors of this world through their eyes, and their strategies of escape and/or rescue aren’t going to be especially unconventional. I also couldn’t be frustrated with the supposed predictability because the tension and atmosphere are just so great. I was enjoying the journey too much to care about whether or not I could predict the coming events.

I also must bring up the mask (and its little variations), because it really adds to the menace of the Grabber, and Hawke’s voice behind it is perfectly creepy. This is to be expected, though, because the mask(s) was co-designed by the legendary Tom Savini. If you don’t know his name, look him up. Trust me, you know his work.

Scott Derrickson has brought us yet another soon-to-be horror classic in the form of The Black Phone. It’s taut, insanely creepy, and phenomenally acted, featuring two excellent young performers and a completely transformed Ethan Hawke. I can easily see the Grabber being a new go-to cosplay for convention-goers.

SCORE: 5/5

TRIGGER WARNING: alcoholism, child abuse

movie review
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About the Creator

Will Lasley

I’m an actor and director of stage and screen. But I also dabble in standup, and on this site, horror movie criticism. I’m just a guy who loves horror movies, and I like to share that love with the world.

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