Hearing a disconnected phone ring would be unnerving no matter what, but in The Black Phone, the latest from the team behind Sinister – it could also be your salvation. Based on Joe Hill’s short story, it’s a claustrophobic, murderous child abduction thriller with a fair share of tricks up its sleeve, twisting a simple concept into something sadistic yet sublime. Having said that, those anticipating to be utterly paralyzed by fear will leave to some degree unfulfilled. It’s intense without being all out scary, but beware of the few solid jump scares that’ll have your heart racing.
It’s the ‘70s in Northern Denver, where a shy and kindhearted 13 year-old named Finney (Mason Themes) is throwing some heat during a baseball game, his childhood in full swing. But off the field he’s subjected to plenty of abuse from school bullies and his own father (Jeremy Davies). His only real friend just happens to be his little sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). She’s following in her mother’s footsteps with her discreet psychic powers that will certainly come in handy in a town where kids are getting snatched up by a maniacal magician known as The Grabber (a bloodcurdling Ethan Hawke).
As the missing child flyers pile up, it’s only a matter of time before Finney’s luck runs up and is thrown in a gross stone basement where an old-timey black rotary phone hangs. This will become his lifeline as The Grabber’s past victims call in with their own vital clues, making sure Finney doesn’t make the same mistakes and end up like they did. These chats are highly effective and gripping in the way they’re executed. And it’s in these walls where Finney finds that fight within that he’s never had the courage to show before. I guess fucked up situations such as these can bring that out in a kid.
The Black Phone is about what should be a fun, innocent time when you’re young getting ripped to shreds by adults, violence, and a serial killer. For director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill, they fantastically establish a frightening feeling that never lets up, and when The Grabber shows up – you know things are about to get nasty. Hiding behind creepy masks designed by Tom Savini and Jason Baker, Hawke is as evil as it gets, though carries a kind of complexity to the role that only he is capable of. Selfishly, I would have liked to have seen more of him in this, but every time he appears, so do the chills.
When the supernatural elements come in to play involving Gwen’s dreams, the film loses a bit of steam. There’s a reason for her visions, but still feels less interesting and almost forced due to its main purpose in eventually uncovering The Grabber’s wicked ways. Regardless, McGraw is extraordinary and has the best, sharp-witted lines that anyone at her age (or any age) would love to say out loud. Likewise, what a discovery Themes is. His first acting role and he hits it out of the park. He exhibits the trauma and torment like an old pro, and with Finney’s survival depending on it – his smarts aren’t to be underestimated. What Themes and Hawke churn out at the end is what we’ve all been waiting for.
Answering The Black Phone‘s ring will have you stressing, gasping, and cheering.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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