‘The Black Phone’ Review – A Call You Won’t Regret Answering
One of the most anticipated horror movies of the year arrives this weekend. The Black Phone is worth the wait.
Black Phone is based on a short story by Joe Hill (one of the minds behind Locke & Key) and the script is from C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange). Derrickson is also directing – he’s got more than one horror title to his name. Plus it stars Ethan Hawke as a deranged serial killer with a mask fetish. For long time horror fans: the masks were designed by the legendary Tom Savini.
The story: shy and clever Finney Shaw is abducted by a sadistic killer nicknamed The Grabber. He’s trapped in a soundproofed basement where no one can hear him, but he’s not alone. A disconnected phone starts to ring and the killer’s previous victims are on the other end. They are determined to help Finney escape their fate.
The Black Phone Spoiler Free Review
The movie uses its hour and forty-five minutes effectively, but doesn’t rush. The story benefits from a lack of complication and aimless wandering around in extra time. In a time where three-hour movies are commonplace, it’s refreshing to get a well told story in under two.
The Black Phone is set in the ’70s. A time when Gen X was being raised by adults that were distant and involved in their own lives. The kids deal with bullies and are expected to raise themselves. Add this to the assumed safety of a quiet suburb and you have environment that was perfect for a serial killer to set up shop. It really shows what it was like to grow up in the time period. The kids are the driving force, the adults are just around.
via Blumhouse, Universal Studios
This story is about Finney (played wonderfully by Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw, who I can’t wait to see in more things), and the voices on the phone. Horror has a habit of forgetting the humanity of its characters for scares and tropes. Finney doesn’t fall into that; he’s not just an accessory to scares or a serial killer. He’s a sensitive kid with a lot of determination that gets up when he gets knocked down. You’ll be cheering for him. Gwen is louder, brash. She’ll make you laugh.
The Black Phone has the right mix of real and supernatural scares. Ethan Hawke is great as a kidnapper and murderer. His performance is both insane and restrained – its unsettling. The mask only adds to it. The disconnected phone is a character all its own. The black bakelite is a conduit, a weapon, a lifeline. The kids on the other end all have unique personalities.
via Blumhouse, Universal Studios
Should You See It?
Yes. Take a break from big budget action and CG. Go see a fantastic indie horror this weekend.
I’d talk more about what I liked specifically about The Black Phone, but I’d spoil it. It’s a stripped down horror movie that has a great cast and a story that will stick with you. It’s not terrifying or excessively gory, but it’s got great scares and suspense.
