Movie Review - The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: Horror/ Thiller
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
 
Description: After being abducted by a child killer (Ethan Hawke) and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy (Mason Thames) starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer’s previous victims.

Review: “Black Phone” is directed by Scott Derrickson, the man behind “Sinister”, which is one of the scariest horror movies I have every seen. His newest project is a shocking and serious horror thriller.

The biggest risk Derrickson takes is the reliance on child actors. Main character Finney is a fraught character; his father is an alcoholic, his mother has died, his best friend is missing and he himself now has to survive after being kidnapped by a psychopath. Although all this information is conveyed quickly and clearly with scenes that seem straight out of a Stephen King novel, its impact is really made clear by Mason Thames’ strong acting.

Even in the scenes with Ethan Hawke, who is obviously having fun with his deranged character, Thames is not overshadowed by the experienced actor. As a result, we get e good look at how Finney reacts to his situation, which provides a healthy dose of tension. As a result, “The Black Phone” is more exciting than it is scary, making the climax nothing short of bloodcurdling.

Unfortunately, the fact that the tension builds gradually does come at the expense of pacing early in the middle section. The film takes its time setting up the characters and the mystery, which leads to a slight dip in tension just after Finney’s abduction. This delay, in turn, does provide space to flesh out the character of Finney’s sister Gwen and add nuance to their home situation.

Perhaps the best choice Derrickson made was to incorporate supernatural elements into the film. Although they play a major role, little explicit attention is paid to their origins. The natural way the supernatural is incorporated fits the context of the story and also gives the film an opportunity to be creative with it.

“The Black Phone” is not a film that will turn the genre on its head. The simple story does combine several horror subgenres to then flesh out characters in a creative and nuanced way.

Rating: 3,5/ 5