The Black Phone Film Review

“Your arm is mint.”

IMDb

The Black Phone is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson who also directed films such as Sinister (2012) and Doctor Strange (2016). The film is based on the 2004 short story of the same name which was written by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King. The film follows the character of Finney played by Mason Thames who is a teenager that gets abducted in broad daylight and is locked inside a soundproof basement by a child killer known as The Grabber played by Ethan Hawke. Locked away and trapped Finney gets calls on a disconnected landline phone from the deceased children that were victims of The Grabber that give him clues and advice needed for him to escape. Meanwhile, Finney's sister Gwen played by Madeleine McGraw helps lead the police investigation and has clues and details given to her through her psychic dreams.

IGN

If there were one word to describe The Black Phone it would be tense. The whole movie eases you into this time period of the '70s and gives a glimpse of what it was like at the time. There are the usual innocents of youth: baseball, old movies, and arcade machines but there's a dark undercurrent throughout the film that causes tension and dread. Even before The Grabber kidnaps Finney life is hard for him and his sister Gwen. Bullies are rampant, there are full-blown brawls with no adult supervision around, and Finney and Gwen both have to go home to a drunken father. Life is tough but Finney does get some relief from the kind people he meets such as the girl at school he has a crush on or his tough friend Robin who tries convincing him to stand up for himself against bullies. The Black Phone does such a good job at creating constant anxiety. Whether it be from the bullies, the adults, or The Grabber himself the film is like a ticking timebomb that's ready to go off at any possible moment. A great way the movie has a buildup for Finney's actual kidnapping comes from the interactions he has with other characters. A baseball player could be complimenting Finney and his arm at the end of a baseball game and in the next scene, that same player who is on his way home alone walks right into the path of the child killer's van. The missing child posters only feel more ominous and threatening as they keep popping up more and more lining up like they are saying you're next.

Digital Trends

When Finney gets kidnapped by The Grabber he starts getting phone calls from the deceased child victims who talk with him and give him ideas that they used to try and escape. The ideas themselves and how are they used are effective and smart whether it be a code on the wall giving away a lock combination or a hole in the wall that can be used to crawl out of. The child victims all act differently to Finney and some of them even show up right in the basement as Finney is talking to them on the phone. A great detail about the kid victims is their subtle descriptions of the other side after death. It's not cheesy and the conversations Finney has with the kids make them feel like real people that you get to know. They get flashbacks of their individual lives before getting kidnapped and each one has their own different mannerisms and way of talking with Finney.

MovieChant

The Grabber himself is horrifying. Ethan Hawke gives it his all playing this character. He is a character who does actually have conversations with Finney and at times you can even feel like you can reason with him but there is always some malicious intent with the actions he does. The Grabber has a personality that will shift on a dime as you have no idea when he'll attempt to kill Finney or what the rules are to his methods. He's completely unpredictable and his mannerisms to trick kids such as leaving the basement door unlocked only to be sitting patiently in his kitchen with a belt in his hands as he's wearing his mask is horrifying. One of the scariest aspects of The Grabber is that you get zero backstory or any true reason why he kidnaps kids in the first place. There is no past or motivations mentioned at all throughout the entire film and The Black Phone hardly even shows his entire face making it feel like The Grabber can be anyone. There is no secret motivation that Finney can use to his advantage against The Grabber because the only thing you know is that he's sadistic, and evil but also covers this up by acting normal and having an everyday house.

IndieWire

The Black Phone is a phenomenal horror movie that blends emotion, high-stakes, dread, character development, and triumph all at once. Finney played by Mason Thames does an amazing job and really gives it his all as a scared but brave kid trying his best to escape and see his sister again. Finney's sister Gwen played by Madeleine McGraw does a wonderful job as well with her performance as she is foul-mouthed to adults but has so much compassion and would do anything for her brother as she helps locate him the entire film. Ethan Hawke is of course a standout here as he is really putting in his all to make such a compelling and sinister character and finally all of the side characters from the kids on the phone to Finney's dad all do such a great job at fleshing out their characters and making the entire story feel believable. The pacing of this movie never drags and it is a film that has you invested and really caring about these characters and the world it builds from beginning to end. If you are an avid fan of horror go see The Black Phone as this is sure to become a new horror cult classic.