The Black Phone is a dark and scary story set in a small Colorado town in 1978 and based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill. Even if the film is not based on actual events, it will nonetheless be relatable to anyone who grew up during that era, when it was usual to see the faces of missing children on the sides of milk cartons.
In Scott Derickson’s (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) film, a number of children have vanished without a trace, as was the situation with many of these youngsters.
The identity of their abduction is unclear, but Gwen (Madeline McGraw), a little girl with psychic skills, provides hints about the Grabber, a bogeyman-like creature whose very name inspires fear in the neighborhood children.
When her 13-year-old brother Finney (Mason Thames) is abducted by this mask-wearing creature, Gwen convinces her father (Jeremy Davies) that he is responsible. The local police, eager for a good lead, listen to her and begin their search for the poor teenager, despite his reluctance to do so.
Finney, who is currently imprisoned in a dark cellar, begins to plan his escape. The Grabber is larger and stronger than him, diminishing his chances of survival. Thankfully, assistance ultimately arrives when the black phone in the room’s corner inexplicably begins to ring.
The calls are not called center employees urging Finney to move to a better broadband provider. Finney is advised by the ghosts of the Grabber’s former victims as to what he must do to avoid the dreadful fate that otherwise awaits him.
This is not the first film to focus on the misery of kidnapped children, but by incorporating supernatural elements into its horrific plot, it offers a fresh perspective on similar flicks.
With its themes of high school bullying, child abuse, and parental violence, it is quite distressing, and the suffocating atmosphere created by Derrickson adds to the darkness of the story he is weaving.
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There may be times when you will feel as trapped as Finney, with little chance for a happy ending as you watch the unfortunate teenager fail in his attempts to escape the killer’s grasp. Only when the black phone begins to ring might you begin to feel a glimmer of hope, but knowing that the calling spirits were unable to escape the Grabber, your heart may drop as you fear Finney will suffer the same fate.
If you are courageous enough to view this terrible horror film, you can learn more about the story’s twists and turns for yourself. This is one of the better horror films of recent years, thus I highly recommend that you watch it.
Hawkes is appropriately menacing as the child-snatching serial killer, and every time he appears on-screen, he chills the bones.
Despite the fact that he will likely be the most talked-about actor among those who view this film, Thames delivers the most impressive performance, as he must convey every scared emotion on his young face.
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If there is any justice in the world, he should go on to have an acting career comparable to that of Hawke, who made an early impression as a child actor himself in the 1980s.
With its small-town setting and kids-in-danger plot, clear comparisons can be made to IT and Stranger Things, but it is to Derrickson’s credit that he is able to convey a potentially more horrifying story.
Pennywise is certainly a horrible creature, but there is something far more monstrous about a human who kidnaps children for his own perverted pleasure than a transdimensional being with which none of us can identify.
The Grabber is frightening because we know there are individuals like him in the world, even if they do not wear terrible masks to conceal their identities. Parents who watch The Black Phone will likely reconsider letting their children roam the streets unsupervised after viewing this film.
This is generally suspenseful and frightening, with wonderful beginning passages in which we learn more about Finney and some of the other teenagers in his neighborhood. The abduction scenario is appropriately spine-chilling, and the moments in which we see and hear the ghosts of the Grabber’s victims are brilliantly realized.
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The only negative aspects of The Black Phone are the rushed finale and the lack of Grabber history. These are minor problems in an otherwise excellent picture, but if Derrickson had taken the time to develop a more intricate plot, he could have created a future classic.
Still, there is much to appreciate in this picture, even if “appreciate” is arguably the incorrect word to use when reviewing a film about the kidnapping and murder of children. It is one of the best Blumhouse films and will certainly haunt you for days.
It is undoubtedly Derickson’s best film (although Sinister is a good competitor) and demonstrates that horror films can still have the ability to evoke revulsion without a large number of violent scenes.