The Black Phone turned out way better than I thought it would be based on the idea that it was another serial killer movie, this thing could have gone completely off the rails with that whole idea of a kid stuck in a basement getting phone calls from dead people but Scott Derrickson somehow made it work without turning it into some cheesy mess. When you first hear about the concept you think okay this sounds interesting but theres no way they can pull this off for a full two hour movie. Ethan Hawke is absolutely terrifying even though you never really see his face the entire time because of that creepy ass mask he wears with multiple stages like no mouth or nose, the smile, the sad face, the dude manages to be scary just through his voice and the way he moves around, very Mandalorian like when Pedro Pascal bring the character to life. You got these kids dealing with some really dark shit at home with an abusive drunk father who beats them with a belt and then on top of that you got this serial killer running around town snatching up children left and right, but the center of the movie is the relationship between Finney and his sister Gwen. Those two kids can actually act and you end up caring way more about what happens to them than most horror movies, specially Gwen who has this mouth on her that made me laugh because she is swearing out adults and talking shit to cops and praying to Jesus in the most hilarious ways, that moment she wakes up and pulls a "Jesus what the fuck, no dreams?", she has these psychic dreams that show her clues about where the kids are getting taken witch ties into their dead mother who also had visions and ended up killing herself because of it. The jump scares actually work here too, most movies just throw them in for no damn reason but in this one they feel earned and they add to the tension instead of feeling cheap and lazy, Scott Derrickson knows his way around horror because the guy made Sinister witch was creepy as hell so you know he understands how to build up that suspense and make you feel uncomfortable without going completely overboard with the gore and violence.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7144666/
- Platform: PRIME VIDEO
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Ethan Hawke dissapears into this role as The Grabber, you forget your watching the guy from Training Day because he becomes this twisted psycho who kidnaps kids and plays these sick games with them before killing them, the mask design is brilliant too because it comes in different pieces so he can change up his expression depending on what kind of mood hes in or what kind of game hes playing. The devil horns on top and then the bottom part can be a smile or a sad phase or nothing at all, that was a very creative touch, when Finney rips the mask off near the end and The Grabber just completely freaks out at first I though it was because he had to be disfigured or something but then I realize thats his safe place, the mask gave him some kind of power, he cant handle being seen without it because then he probably dont want to do those things in the first place, makes me think someone really abuse him as a kid. The whole movie has this vintage 1970s look to it that really works, it feels like your watching something from that era with the way they shot it and the colors they used, everything has this kind of washed out look that makes it seem more real and less like a polished Hollywood production witch adds to the whole atmosphere of danger and isolation, specially during Gwen dreams. The dead kids calling Finney through the disconnected phone could have been really dumb but it works even when kids disappear like they were just ghosts, each one gives him a different piece of the puzzle to help him escape, some of them work but others dont, its how each one of them try to escape, like one kid tells him about the hole in the floor, another one tells him about the cable in the wall, another one gives him the combination to the front door lock. Its like each of the dead kids are doing there part to make sure this bastard finally gets stopped so there deaths werent completely pointless and meaningless, the kid who plays Finney does a great job of showing how terrified he is but also how he was slowly building up the courage to fight back, you can see the change in him as the movie goes on from this scared kid who cant even stand up to bullies at school to someone whos willing to bash someones head in with a phone to survive.
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The movie does have some issues tho, like theres a bunch of stuff that gets left hanging at the end with no real answers or closure, you never find out why The Grabber is doing this, like what his deal is or why he targets these specific kids or what his childhood was like. The movie hints that maybe he was abused as a kid in that same basement but they never actually confirm it or go into detail, his brother Max is staying upstairs the whole time doing coke and working on this investigation into the kidnappings without realizing his own brother is the damn killer witch is pretty funny in a dark way but also feels like wasted potential because they could have done more with that character. He just seemed like a strange addition without much purpose except to show how oblivious people can be to whats happening right under there nose, the whole subplot with Gwens psychic dreams and the detectives feels like it belongs in a different movie sometimes because it takes away from the tension of Finney being trapped in that basement trying to survive. Every time it cuts away to her riding her bike around town looking for the house from her dreams it kills the momentum, but at the same time her character is so damn good that you dont mind it too much, she absolutely steals every scene she is in with that mouth of hers and the way she talks to adults like they are idiots. The pacing drags a bit in the middle too when your waiting for something to happen but Finney just keeps getting this calls that end up on failed attempts to escape, there are moments where it feels like the movie is spinning around instead of moving forward, but then it picks back up again when things start getting intense with Finney trying different escape plans that the dead kids give him through the phone.
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The ending is badass tho, Finney uses everything the dead kids taught him and sets up this improvise trap, he trips The Grabber into the hole with the cable, smashes his face with the dirt filled phone, rips off his mask and then strangles him to death with the phone cord while the ghosts of the dead kids talk to him through the receiver telling him to finish it, although it was kinda convenient for Finney that taking the mask did the trick because The Grabber totally breaks down when that happens and didnt even try to fight back but just covers his face. It was satisfying as hell to watch this kid who started out so scared and helpless turn into this survivor who takes down a serial killer, the whole sequence is brutal with Finney finally loosing it and going full savage mode, you really feel every hit and every moment of Finneys rage coming out after everything he has been through with his abusive father and the bullies at school and now this psycho trying to kill him. When he finally gets out of that basement Gwen was waiting for him right outside the house, well she though it was the house across the street, theres this sense of relief but also this understanding that things are never going to be the same for this family, they all went through hell and came out the other side but not without some baggage. When Finney goes back school was one of the most satisfiying moments as now everyone respects him without even saying a word even the kids who use to bully him, showing how the experience changed him and made him stronger even if it also messed him up, Scott Derrickson and Ethan Hawke make a hell of a team because there previous collaboration on Sinister was awesome and this one just set the bar higher for them.
I give The Black Phone like an 8 out of 10, its defintely worth watching if you want a horror movie that actually tries to be scary and tell a real story instead of just relying on cheap jump scares and gore, the acting is solid across the board especially from the kids who carry most of the emotional weight. The atmosphere and cinematography are on point, the villain is creepy and menacing without being over the top and it keeps you locked in for the whole movie even when it drags a bit in the middle during those slower moments, it is not perfect because of the pacing issues and the lack of answers about The Grabbers backstory leaving room for a sequel or even a franchise, plus that whole psychic sister subplot sound like unnecessary at first but latter on plays out very well, but overall this is one of the best horror movies to come out in recent years because it feels like it has some actual substance, story and heart to it instead of just being another forgettable slasher or evil possession story. The relationship between Finney and Gwen is really what makes the movie work because you care about these kids and want to see them make it out alive, the 1970s setting adds a lot to the dread too by making everything feel more isolated and dangerous since there are no cell phones or internet to call for help, just a disconnected phone that somehow connects to the dead witch sounds ridiculous but works surprisingly well , if your looking for a solid horror movie that will actually keep you interested and maybe even make you jump a few times then give The Black Phone a shot, just dont expect all your questions to get answered by the end because some things are left hanging there without closure.
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