Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Have you ever been to one of those escape rooms where you pay to be trapped in a small space and solve puzzles to finally get out of the gift shop? Such a way Black Phone you’re kidding, except that you’re locked in a dingy basement against your will by a psychotic serial killer known as “The Grabber,” and you have to communicate with the spirits of his past victims who have been purged via a VIA rotating wire as it leaves you with cryptic clues. which allow you to plan your departure from imminent death. Black Phone has been on my radar for a while now, and while I admit I slept on this unexpected hit, I knew I had to watch it sooner or later, especially now that its upcoming (and well-deserved) sequel is coming out later this year. .
A Supernatural Horror Like No Other
Black Phone It doesn’t have a complicated plot, but it is executed perfectly. After a series of child abductions and murders put the community of North Denver, Colorado on edge, we learn about The Grabber (Ethan Hawke); a disinterested person who rides in a black van full of black balloons as he searches for his prey. Driving around the city and collecting children without being seen, The Grabber picks up his next victim, Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a socially awkward 13-year-old.
Finney’s younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) has psychic visions that offer insight into The Grabber’s whereabouts, and the fate of his past victims, but their abusive alcoholic father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies), discourages her from speaking or doing anything. her abilities because her mother had the same gift of clairvoyance, which eventually drove her to kill herself.
Finney, locked in The Grabber’s silent basement, begins receiving calls from a black (and disconnected) rotary phone attached to the wall, and they are all from kids he remembers from school before they went missing. The spirits of Finney’s dead friends give him clear instructions on how to outrun The Grabber, as they bravely attempt to escape using the limited resources they have, only to meet their demise after failing to break into the basement.
Finney, who has the opportunity to hear the opinions of many victims, has the ability to put together an escape plan using all the information he hears on the black phone.
Meanwhile, detectives Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Miller (Troy Rudeseal) meet Max (James Ransone), a man who has been trying to find out the identity and location of The Grabber because the authorities apparently need some help trying to help him. find all the missing and presumed dead children.
Good Jobs All Around
If you think that The Black Phone The layout sounds too simple to work well, and that’s where you’re seriously wrong. You just don’t want to root for Finney all the time as he’s guided by voices from beyond the grave, his tenacity and willingness to trust forces beyond his understanding while obeying the rules of The Grabber’s tragic games make for an impressive performance from Mason Thames. , the film’s lead. Finney moves from panic to complete control of the situation as he learns more about the weak points in The Grabber’s master plan.
Ethan Hawke is terrifying as The Grabber, his personality unsatisfied by the way he commits his heinous crimes. Switching between expressions of childlike curiosity and growling stomachs, Hawke’s performance will keep you up at night because he comes off as a good guy who can’t control his emotions until you realize it’s all part of his twisted game.
Watching Black Phone
Black Phonebased on a short story by C. Robert Cargill of the same name, is suspiciously artistic, and definitely worth buying on demand. My biggest regret is not dropping $4 while waiting for the title to make its rounds in the stream. Black Phone 2the upcoming sequel, is currently slated for an October 2025 release, and you better believe I’ll be checking it out on opening day.
After watching Black Phone if you’re on demand with Apple TV+, Google Play Movies, or Fandango Home, you’ll want to check it out V/H/S/85 for the short film, “Dreamkill,” which takes place in the same universe Black Phonebut after seven years the events presented in this film.
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