SCREENING ALL CALLS FROM STRANGERS! Reviewing The Black Phone

Scott Derrickson has returned to do something he is very good at; writing and directing horror films. Co-written by C. Robert Cargill (Sinister and Doctor Strange) and adapted from the short story of the same name by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) is the latest Jason Blum-produced horror/thriller The Black Phone. 

The plot: Serial predator “The Grabber” is abducting boys from the streets of Denver, Colorado. The perpetrator is a masked magician driving a black van, and the youths disappear with nothing more than a black balloon left at the scene of the abduction. Finney Shaw is the latest abductee; a shy 13-year-old who begins to hear the voices of the previous victims via a disconnected black telephone on the wall of the basement he’s being held captive in. Finney’s younger sister Gwen, who has always defended her brother against bullies, has psychic dreams and is able to lead the police in their pursuit of the perpetrator. 

There is so much to love about this movie. I’ve never been a big Ethan Hawke admirer, but he is outstanding in his role as the masked villain (The Grabber) and delivers an unnervingly convincing performance. The Grabber is a literal boogeyman; the entity who had prowled in the depths of our darkest fears now manifested into flesh and blood and rotating a collection of masks that convey both his mood and his intentions. Hawke commands an ominous presence and reminds us, the viewer, that predators are very, very real and very terrifying. 

The film is atmospheric, to say the least, with a multitude of jump scares that should more than elate the masses. More importantly, though, there’s that ever-lingering sense of dread, and it’s not wholly exclusive to the Grabber’s scenes either. Finney’s home life is almost equally as grim in moments, his father is a drunk with an extremely disapproving sentiment on sister Gwen’s “abilities”. Their father’s notions of punishment are both severe and spiteful. Finney himself is an assortment of complexions that range from endearing to pitiful, and back again. 

James Ransone (Sinister, It: Chapter 2) plays Hawke’s brother Max; a cocaine-loving conspiracy theorist who is monitoring the local abductions and conducting his own conclusions; a slant within the narrative that feels superfluous and sadly his demise becomes an all too familiar expectation. In actuality, there are plenty of foreseeable moments in this film and, the story does feel as though it comes up a little shy of the measured screenplay. I would have liked to have seen a bit more character development and substance because there are definitely some discernable inconsistencies happening plot-wise. 

It’s easy enough to overlook these flaws, however. Mason Thames gives an outstanding performance as Finney and likewise does Madeleine McGraw who portrays Gwen. Both young actors accomplish some remarkable emotional range and their sibling relationship is the real driving force of the film.

The Black Phone is a simple but well-executed movie. Aside from a few minor divergences, the narrative flows well and the characters are appealing. Withholding motive and back-story for the film’s villain was a real risk that actually paid off. Hawke’s predator has a menacing mystique that augments the reality of his purpose; he is a despicable fiend who commits atrocities. The message of the film: stay away from creepy mask-wearing men who drive black vans. Always!