Hi all!

Today I am sharing my review of The Black Phone. This horror follows Finney Shaw, a shy, but clever teenage boy, held in a soundproof basement by a sadistic, masked killer called the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he discovers he can hear voices of the murderer’s previous victims – and they are dead set on making sure what happened to them, doesn’t happen to Finney. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Spoilers ahead!

WHAT WORKED:

If you enjoyed Scott Derrickson’s: Sinister, you should be a fan of The Black Phone. It has a similar ‘droning’ type score and cinematography. I also want to commend the acting, in particular the siblings, Finney and Gwen Shaw. They truly stole the show. Their bond and love for one another had me in tears. Furthermore, I have to mention Ethan Hawke’s sensational performance as the Grabber. He was unlike any villain I had seen before. It felt like he was fighting a war within himself. You never truly knew what he was thinking. Similar to IT, this movie is set in the past (the 70’s), focusing on missing children, taken by a monster holding balloons. Some have speculated Pennywise uses red balloons to entice children, whilst the Grabber uses black, to show his contempt for them. There’s also a scene where Gwen is riding her bicycle in a yellow raincoat, much like Georgie Denbrough. As IT is my favourite horror novel and film, I was all for these parallels. Finally, I have to mention the soundtrack. Each song and piece of music, fit perfectly with the gritty, gloomy atmosphere.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

My biggest issue with both the film and novella (by Joe Hill), was the lack of backstory on the Grabber. Who was he? Why did he kidnap children? In the movie, why did he wear that particular mask? There were a lot of unanswered questions. In the final battle scene, Finney pulls off his mask and The Grabber screams in fright – exposed. Why? Is the Grabber supernatural? I also wish we had seen more of the villain in general. He wasn’t featured as much as I would have liked. The minimal context left me a little bit unsatisfied. Furthermore, I’m surprised his brother Max (who lived in the same house) never saw him dressed up, let alone the children he was murdering. Finally, some people hate jump scares, so be warned, this movie has a fair few.

OVERALL STAR RATING:

I gave it 4/5 stars. It was a solid horror film, I believe the majority will enjoy.

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if you’ve seen The Black Phone. Did you like it?

Peace & Love xoxo