User reviews

A sadistic abductor and child killer, who masquerades as a Clown, known as The Grabber has taken a young boy and imprisoned him, inside his cell is a black phone, which somehow links him up with previous victims.

This film isn't going to be for everyone, it is such a bleak and macabre story, some may find it upsetting, it has a similar feel to IT, the original that is. That said, it is very original, tense and loaded with suspense, if you're into it you'll have so many questions, and you'll want to know the outcome. Maybe some of it's ambiguous, but that is on the film's favour I think.

The Grabber is almost an iconic villain, that hideous mask, the hat and general appearance, there's definitely a vibe of The Child catcher about him, he is played to perfection by Ethan Hawke, he is a daunting presence.

The youngsters are all terrific, there is a lot of talent on show here, Mason Thames, who played Finn was terrific, what a future ahead.

Well worth a look, 8/10.

"The Black Phone" is a horror film based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill. Directed by Scott Derrickson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose", "Doctor Strange") and starring Ethan Hawke, it works well with its interesting premise and features some solid performances from its cast.

In 1978, young Finney Blake (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) live in a small suburb in Denver, Colorado. At school, the physically weak Finney often faces off against bullies while Gwen's psychic dream abilities attract the attention of the local police. One day, Finney is kidnapped by a masked murderer known only as "The Grabber" (Ethan Hawke), who locks him away in a soundproofed basement with a disconnected phone mounted on the wall. While Gwen aids the police in finding Finney's location, the latter starts to receive calls from the phone that belong to the disembodied souls of The Grabber's victims. As Finney answers more of their calls, the victims start to give him advice on how to avoid meeting the same fate as them.

Though not many people would be familiar with the author Joe Hill, I'm certain virtually everyone knows who is father is - Stephen King. Following in famous father's footsteps, Hill is slowly but surely crafting a name for himself with stories such as "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Horns" all making waves within the horror-fiction community. Aside from the moderately successful TV series "Locke & Key", which is based on a set of comic books he wrote, Hill has had very few other adaptations of his work that are worth mentioning. Now with 2022's "The Black Phone", Hill finally has an adaptation that can be considered a true defining point in his career as a writer, because it succeeds not only as a good horror film but as a pretty decent coming-of-age film too.

Much like his father before him, Hill's storytelling technique manages to combine the two genres together to create something that sets itself apart from most other similar films. We get to properly know our lead characters through the conditions they grow up in and the type of people they are surrounded by. For instance, Finney is a supportive older brother to Gwen, whom the latter faces frequent abuse from her alcoholic father. Although his intentions are honourable, Finney can never quite muster the courage to stand up to injustice and instead relies on others to do the job for him. Over the course of the film, we get to see how Finney grows as a character, gradually finding ways to build his self-confidence through various methods, either through the people he meets or on his own merits. Without divulging too much else, the film does a solid job at establishing Finney as a well-rounded protagonist that practically any young teen watching can find ways to identify with.

However, the one major problem I have with the film is Hill's overreliance on the story tropes pioneered by his father. While I was watching, I couldn't help but pick out nearly all of the typical Stephen King clichés that were being used left, right, and centre. The insecure alcoholic parent, the young child with unexplained supernatural abilities, the subtle slighting against Christianity, the school bullies attacking the protagonist, and even the small town setting are all used here prominently. The only thing that seemed different was that the story takes place in Colorado instead of Maine (I guess that would have been too obvious). I understand that Hill has taken a lot of influence from his father's writing style, which is fine, but if he wants to form his own identity, he really needs to do a whole lot more to create something unique for himself that won't leave him remembered as being simply "Stephen King's Son". With that in mind, the tropes still make for an effective horror story, even if we've seen them all many times before.

Under the direction of seasoned horror filmmaker Scott Derrickson, the film has just the right amount of flow and pacing to properly carry itself along without wearing out its welcome. Derrickson goes for a classic approach to horror, relying primarily on mounting dread rather than straight-up blood and gore. Whenever something frightening happens after the appropriate build-up, it always felt earned and wasn't simply shoehorned in there as a cheap jump-scare. If anything, Derrickson's directorial style is reminiscent of John Carpenter, in that he uses suspense and atmosphere to set the tone of a particular scene, allowing for a more streamlined horror experience.

The audience is also given little information about what The Grabber's motivations are other than to abduct children and keep them prisoner for an extended period of time. This works well because while it's obvious his intentions are sinister; we never quite get to see the extent of how bad things could get for someone like poor Finney. Instead, we are drip-fed small moments of what The Grabber is truly capable of through the phone calls Finney receives, which allows the audience to use their imagination to fill in the blanks of what atrocities have been committed. Sometimes, minimalism works best in scenarios like this and Derrickson uses all of that to the film's advantage.

Another thing that helps the film in the long run is the performances from its main cast. Mason Thames manages to hold the audience's attention throughout scenes that could have dragged on if a less talented young actor played the role. Best of all, he actually acts like how a real person might if they were trapped in a situation such as this. He never comes across as an annoying teenager resorting to extreme measures when trying to escape but instead as an intellectual using more practical means to break free. Thames's chemistry with his on-screen sister Madeleine McGraw felt like a real sibling relationship, with the two of them looking out for each other during the worst of times. McGraw does a nice job balancing the story out with Gwen's psychic powers providing a "Shining"-esque method of hunting down her brother's kidnapper. Although I wish we could have had more scenes of her using these abilities throughout the film, what we ended up getting in the end was satisfactory.

Additionally, Ethan Hawke takes a threatening turn in portraying "The Grabber". While this isn't the first time Hawke has played a villain, I don't believe we've ever seen him play one this unhinged and unpredictable. Apart from the fact that he wears a large scary mask that looks like it came straight out of "The Purge" series (which coincidentally starred Hawke in the first film), it's alarming to think that there really are abductors out there like him who would do such evil things to children. I was always curious to see what his true intentions were with Finney and without giving away spoilers it was eventually explained as the film went on. All you need to know is that he is a dangerous man who derives sick pleasure from what he does.

As both a horror film and a coming-of-age film, "The Black Phone" is just as entertaining as any Stephen King-inspired story should be, with its well-developed characters and involving plot. In the future, I just hope that Joe Hill finds a way to distinguish himself better by writing something a bit more original that doesn't feel like he's borrowing heavily from his old man. If you're willing to look past its overused tropes, then the film still functions as an efficient treat for horror fans craving a quick fix. With that said, I know I got mine.

I rate it 7/10.

In the end, I'm disappointed. It started off fine, but it stayed fine for the rest of the film and in short I was expecting something more than just fine. I was waiting for some questions to be answered, some revelations, some explanations. I was most puzzled by the ending, which seemed too quick, almost cut off. Not to criticize, I liked the time setting. It added a bit of magic. At least for me. Summary. Bottom line. It was okay, but I was expecting a little more. A little more depth to the story. I missed some revelation or explanation. For me, an above average horror film that I would only recommend to fans of the genre.

The Horror genre needs a revamp in terms of definition and perhaps instituting different sub-genres to it. As it is, the one classic "Horror" title isn't ever going to cover it all, and each horror film's ratings and acceptance will always be low and divided.

Take The Black Phone for example. It is excellently acted by almost every one of the actors, the 70's feel to it was perfection, the story was good, it was suspenseful, it had dark moments and a dark subject matter, it had mostly interesting characters. Granted, some of the characters were not as fleshed-out or utilized as much as others, but the pacing was great, there were supernatural elements and some gore. It had pretty much all the right ingredients for a film that would be marketed as a "horror" flick... and yet, we see a disconnect somewhere in how the film was perceived.

Until we allot some distinct titles such as Gory Horror or Dramatic Horror, Fantasy Horror, etc., GOOD films like The Black Phone, will be lost in a sea of horror fans, each looking for something different.

Indeed, well entertained I was - a fine cast and solid production (takes us back to the late 70s), and that blend of thriller with a good shot of supernatural horror made The Black Phone a nice entertaining trip. The cast is really good, especially the younger ones too. Recommended if you like such movies as The Lovely Bones, Split, Chained (Vincent D'Onofrio), House at the End of the Street and so on.

Judging by the reviews this really seems to be quite a polarising film. I'm not sure what some of the lower scores would have wanted to see maybe seeing children getting tortured and then killed on screen perhaps I dunno?

But me I found this to be a rather enjoyable flick. Hawke is brilliant as the antagonist but it's really the child stars that shine in this film and make it all that more immersesble.

One reviewer did say that a bit of a depth and backstory could have been nice, but do we always need that? Sometimes you've just gotta take things at face value and enjoy them for what they are. That's my train of thought anyway.

Personally I'd class this more as a thriller rather than a horror and not having seen the trailer maybe they amped it upto 11 to make it more marketable and scary and coz honestly this movie wasn't scary.

But if you like slow burn films, sprinkled in with a bit of mysticism and the unknown, good storytelling and great acting I don't think u can go wrong with this one.

I don't watch many trailers for films and prefer to go in blind not knowing what's going to happen that way you're either gonna find a dud or a gem and I would put this film in the latter category.

Easily an 8 out of 10 from me. But don't just believe what I say watch it and decide for yourself 😎👍

7.4/10

This movie was definitely a solid 7 and is absolutely worth seeing in theatres.

The chemistry amongst actors was really good. I especially found that Mason Thames (Finney) and Madeline McGraw (Gwen) were adorable as brother and sister. Their relationship reminded me of the one I have with my sister so I was able to make the story more personal. Ethan Hawke was very methodical and creepy without getting too close to the extreme, but definitely could've reached even better heights of true discomfort. His chemistry with Thames worked really well for their interactions.

The story was very engaging. Everything flowed so well that the hour forty-five minute runtime flew by. While it's in the title of the movie, the black phone was actually an uncomfortable aspect of the film because you never know when it will go off and the jump scares are perfectly timed to match. There was discomfort throughout the entire film, but it never hit the extremes it could've.

If I had to relate this film to another of similar aspects it would have to be "The Kid Detective". However, instead of focusing strictly on the search for the missing person, we get the benefit of seeing the missing person suffer.

Why should you go see this film? Because it's actually scary. So much so that those in the theatre actually jumped and a couple may have thrown an audible scream out. While the story could've been darker, for what were given it's actually pretty good. And like I said above the chemistry is really good. This film was not a disappointment and I suggest you go see if you want a good movie to watch.

Thank you for reading my review. Tune in tomorrow for my review on "Elvis". Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

An intense movie, worth a watch. May make your skin crawl/

Takes me back to my days as a kid growing up in Houston and the Houston Mass Murders. Wiki one of the killers, Elmer Wayne Henley for the story.

In 1978, in Denver, the siblings Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen Blake (Madeleine McGraw) live with his widower alcoholic father Terrence (Jeremy Davies). They miss their mother, who had psychic abilities and committed suicide. Finney is bullied at school by three mates, but his friend Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora) defends him. When a child abductor known as "The Grabber" kidnaps a boy named Bruce (Tristan Pravong), Gwen has a dream and mentions reference to black balloons unknown by the public. Detectives Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Miller (Troy Rudeseal) come to the school to interview Gwen, but they do not believe in her statement. But when Finney is abducted by "The Grabber", he is locked in a soundproof basement and learns that the black phone on the wall is disconnected. But out of the blue, Finney receives phone calls from the beyond.

"The Black Phone" is a tense and creepy horror movie, with a good ghost story. The character "The Grabber", performed by Ethan Hawke, is scary and his masks are frightening. The acting of the cast is top-notch. Fortunately, the screenplay does not show any scene of child abuse and is not too graphic. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Telefone Preto" ("The Black Phone")

Ethan Hawke is at it again, I loved the vibe of the movie, director came in clutch with this movie, it was truly surprising. Didn't expect it to be even remotely good, when this movie does fully release in theaters please do watch it in the big screens you will not regret it, child actors are incredible. I thought i saw the whole movie in the trailers, oh boy I was wrong.

This film really got me with the actors' performances and the atmosphere of the film. Stylistically, it definitely taps into a late 70s gritty suburban nostalgia, a la Stephen King or John Carpenter (think IT or Halloween). Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw carry the film with standout performances as two siblings trying to deal with bullies at school and at home, in addition to the lurking Grabber. Subtle quirks in characterization such as Finney sitting down and watching tv with his sister after her beating, or the camera lingering on Gwen skipping her way to a friend's house really show the director investing in the characters, not just the plot. And yes, Ethan Hawke is assuredly creepy as the villain, someone you can't wait to be taken out. Thematically, the film is about standing up and sticking together; certainly not the most original themes, but it does its job as a result of good direction, a tight script, and stellar acting. My litmus test for thrillers is if I feel invested enough in the characters that I actually want everything to be resolved, it means the movie's done it's job-this one definitely passes.

Thought it would be better. It's entertaining, yes, but has lots of plot holes. We have seen much better movies with similar stories. However, we see great performances mostly from Ethan Hawke. He is really twisted and creepy here.

But again, one of those films that you forgot quickly.

This film definitely keeps your attention, which is important for any film; however, I'm a viewer who often looks for a greater theme.

I really enjoyed the fact that the film takes place in the 70s, establishing a particular tone. Also, the setting, which is supposed to be Colorado, is in fact North Carolina, and adds to the eeriness in Stephen King fashion.

In short, the plot revolves around a brother and sister who are in middle school and live with their alcoholic father. One day, a classmate goes missing and it's correctly presumed that he's been kidnapped. Shortly thereafter, other kids begin to disappear, including the protagonist brother. The kidnapper is a mysterious masked man, who lures the kids with "magic tricks." While Finney, the protagonist brother, is held captive in a basement, he uses a disconnected phone to supernaturally communicate with the other victims. Will the ghosts on the other line help him escape? Watch the film to find out.

I'd like to know if other viewers at least expected the kidnapper to provide a motive, or some kind of moral to the story was supposed to ultimately be revealed. Honestly, I kind of wanted a bit of both. I think King and Shyamalan would have at least sought out some deeper theme, but hey, maybe there is one, and I just happened to have missed it. Maybe it's all pretty clear and I just felt a little underwhelmed.

Nonetheless, if you're looking for an engaging horror/thriller, I'd give it a watch.

Set in North Denver, Colorado in 1978, brother and sister Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) live with their drunken abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies). Finney is abducted by a serial child snatcher/murderer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) who locks Finney in a soundproofed basement before eventually escalating to killing him. Inside the basement is a black phone that is disconnected, but despite this it rings and Finney answers it and hears the voices of The Grabber's previous victims who give him hints and clues to how Finney can fight back against the Grabber. Meanwhile Gwen experiences vivid dreams that are tied to The Grabber and tries to find her brother before it's too late.

The Black Phone is an adaption of the short story of the same name written by horror writer Joe Hill. The film reunites Writer/Director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill the two having previously collaborated on Sinister and Marvel's Doctor Strange and the duo determined this would be their next project after finishing Doctor Strange 2 which the two eventually left due to creative differences. The film was initiated during the covid-19 pandemic with actor Mason Thames' audition actually taking place over Zoom. The movie has been warmly received by critics and audiences, and rightly so because The Black Phone is a great horror film.

The movie does a nice job of setting up its characters and situation before actually diving into the main crux of the story with the opening half hour dedicated to character building and a big part of that comes down to the casting which is pitch perfect. Both Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are well defined and memorable characters who despite being brother and sister also have an enduring friendship with the two of them serving as anchoring points in their dysfunctional family due to the barely held together father Terrence who alternates between being in a drunken stupor and bouts of rage. Jeremy Davies plays Terrence and despite this character type being very common to this type of story Davies and the writers give more depth to this character than you usually see with some good scenes of emotionally vulnerability. Last but not least is Ethan Hawke as The Grabber and Hawke is terrifying as this masked unhinged killer who barely conceals his violent predisposition behind not only an unnerving mask but also a demeanor that's not too dissimilar from a psychotic 12 year old bully. It's a solid performance from Hawke and he's really creepy in the movie. The movie gets a lot of mileage out of its usage of the phone with the rules for how the ghosts communicate being fairly consistent and Finney being reasonably intelligent to pull it off. Sometimes the movie does show that it's based off a short story as there are instances where the plot contrives circumstances to keep itself going, but for the most part The Black Phone did what it was supposed to and made me care about the characters and wonder whether they'd make it out alive.

The Black Phone is high concept horror done right with a simple story featuring complex and defined characters. The movie is an unnerving cat and mouse game with solid performances by relative newcomers Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw in the leads, and Jeremy Davies and Ethan Hawke giving usually reliable supporting performances. It's really solid entertainment and if you're a horror fan I highly encourage you to seek this out.

I feel like we are in a time and age where everything that's different and doesn't follow a generic movie scheme automatically gets praised to the maximum. I just left the theater and I'm really confused about all the high praises giving this movie a 8/9/10 rating. This movie is a solid 6 in my opinion. I felt it didn't have me at the edge of my seat, the plot was pretty straight forward, no big twists or turns I didn't see coming and it wasn't horror to me. 2-3 jump scares don't justify this being called horror. It's a thriller. A good one time watch thriller, but a bad horror movie, if that's what you want to label it. The plot development was pretty foreseeable and the movie really was missing a backstory and explanation. I felt like I left unsatisfied and wanting more out of everybody's characters. You just get thrown into the movie and the town and certain habits of people and they expect you to just accept it without any explanation. This movie was a solid 6 but that's about it to me. Sorry...

The 103 min runtime and decent pacing was cleverly used to maintain atmospheric and unnerving constant suspense. The directing and cinematography was spot-on with an excellent score. Casting and performances were great, especially Ethan Hawke and the feisty and talented Madeleine McGraw, who stole the spotlight. Sure it could've used some more gore and guts, but that would've made the story less authentic and too cheesy. It's a great film well put together for the horror-thriller genre.

Such a creepy movie, with great nostalgia. I just wish the Grabber's character had been more developed - it would really have been an incredible film!

Am I glad I saw it? Sure-it was a good enough horror flick at a tight 1h42m. You'll enjoy it enough if you turn your brain off.

The kids were a little beyond their depth in some scenes, being asked to deliver emotions they didn't have the chops to sell convincingly.

Would I ever watch it again? I'll pass. There's a good handful of genuine scares but things fall apart if you think about the plot elements, characters' convenient blind spots, and one character's glossed-over superpower too much.

Nothing scary and the only tension was during the opening intro music, which was great. Movie felt lazy, predictable and no back story or information about the Grabber. This sums up the modern day movie scene when people are giving this 9s and 10s. The standard has gone downhill badly and scriptwriting has become a lost art. There are reviews stating this is terrifying and the stuff of nightmares. I'm guessing they have never actually seen a genuine horror film before or are 10 years old.

So many people saying this is one of the best horror movies out there, and I was excited to see it. It's not a bad film, but it could've been so much better.

First I'll say the lead kids did an excellent job. The soundtrack was really good too, and not just the licensed songs either. It starts out really well developing characters and environment. Their dad was really good too.

But then, the dad goes from drunk intimidating father to kindhearted. It felt weird. Then there's the sister. She has premonitions, and somehow convinces not only her dad but the local cops on what to do next. Riiiiiiiiight.

Then there's the basment. Kidnapper locks kid in basement is nothing new. The issues I had were why there are three rolls of carpet just randomly sitting down there? Why is the entire prison cell concrete except a small portion of the floor which is just tile with dirt underneath???? Huh?? The kidnapper says he built it himself...so what's the deal? And the only reasons are- to help move the plot. Those things made the movie feel forced.

Then the ending. I was expecting more. A lot more. There still questions that haven't been answered and it felt like a rush job. No cool little twists or anything. Nothing. It's just, "button it up and call it a day."

Decent little film, set in the 70s, definitely has the Blumhouse vibe to it. It's a thriller not a horror and has the classic survival story. It has some plot holes, the backstory isn't fleshed out but it's worth a watch.