The Black Phone is a 2022 supernatural horror thriller about an abducted boy who receives calls from his kidnapper’s previous victims.
Man, it feels so good to see another horror flick by Scott Derrickson! If you have seen his previous movies, you know exactly what you’re getting into. The Black Phone really does a good job showcasing his skills as a genre filmmaker. Based on a short story by Joe Hill, this is the feature adaptation produced by Blumhouse Productions, and it’s certainly one of their better titles. It stars an insanely talented cast of actors such as Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, James Ransone and Ethan Hawke. It’s another great collaboration between Derrickson and Hawke after they have previously worked on the first Sinister, which is also one of the most memorable horror movies out there. Get ready for a thrill ride!
Taking place in 1978, a young boy named Finney Shaw (Thames) gets abducted by the mysterious and terrifying serial killer known as “The Grabber”. He traps him in a soundproof basement where it’s pretty much useless to scream for help and no one will hear you. On the wall, he finds a disconnected phone that allows him to talk with the kidnapper’s previous victims who give him some advice on how to survive and face their murderer. Meanwhile, his sister Gwen (McGraw) has been trying to look for him, and we have ourselves a very engaging and unique premise. As mentioned in the intro, it’s nice to see the director return to the horror genre after making Doctor Strange.
Hawke is incredible as the villain, and he’s super creepy from beginning to end. You mostly see him with his menacing mask that you see on the poster, which definitely adds to the sinister nature of his character. The two young leads, played by Thames and McGraw, have a bright future ahead of them. They’re instantly relatable the moment you first see them on screen, and you’re rooting for them to reach their goal. That’s great character development! Derrickson has written the script with his collaborator C. Robert Cargill, and you can tell they have both really cared about this project. However, there is a character that has an interesting set-up, but then gets pushed to the side and feels unimportant to the rest of the plot. His arc feels kind of forced with no payoff, which is a bummer.
If you’re looking for tension, there is a ton of suspense throughout. This movie keeps you interested from start to finish, and you’re never bored. The first act does a great job setting up the characters, and then it becomes a compelling genre film that you would expect from Derrickson. The way he implements supernatural elements into a grounded world is quite fascinating. Some jumpscares admittedly do take you out of the movie, and they become sort of jarring. It does feel like Derrickson needs to keep his audience engaged with some cheap jumpscares, so you somewhat understand what he’s going for even if they don’t always work.
Overall, The Black Phone is a really fun genre flick, while also being a nice return to form for Derrickson as a horror director. It’s not perfect or anything, but it’s still remarkably entertaining! If we get more films like this from Blumhouse, it will certainly bring a smile to our faces.