The Black Phone is a 2022 horror thriller directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jason Blum. Written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, it is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill, the son of famed horror author Stephen King. The Black Phone had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 25th, 2021.

Just for some quick background on director Scott Derrickson, the guy is already a fixture in the film industry after his debut film The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), Sinister (2012), and a dabbling with the behemoth that is Marvel as he directed Doctor Strange (2016). Derrickson has proven that even though he is flexible as an artist, he undoubtedly feels most comfortable with the horror genre.

Finney, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer's previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

The cast includes Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Jeremy Davies.

The Black Phone made it’s debut only in theaters on June 24th, courtesy of Universal Pictures.

THE GOOD

I feel like it’s been years since the first trailer for The Black Phone released, and to say that I was excited would be a severe understatement. I am a horror fan through and through, and I love my guy Ethan Hawke so this had the makings of a day one viewing for me no matter what if I’m being honest. Now as we all know quality horror films tend to be a dime a dozen, but with director Scott Dickinson at the helm and Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures backing the project, something told me we may have something special on our hands. I waited, and waited, and waited (I hate you COVID!!), until this film finally made it’s debut in theaters with anticipation like you wouldn’t believe. So, did The Black Phone live up to my clearly unrealistic and admittedly unhealthy expectations?! Keep reading to find out!

Please excuse my language, but The Black Phone was fucking FANTASTIC! I promise you the profanity was necessary just to express my deep appreciation for this film, which I will do my best to discuss more in depth during this review (with less profanity, hopefully). The new and improved opening sequence for Blumhouse Productions is absolute fire, and kicks things off for one hell of an achievement in quality filmmaking. The Black Phone appealed to my strong appreciation for a variety of genres mainly because it effectively weaves the feel of top-tier horror and intense crime thriller seamlessly. For obvious reasons the overall effectiveness of the film hinged on the films primary antagonist, and the way that they set the stage for the feared child killer, known as The Grabber, was nothing short of amazing. I won’t give anything away but they take the very effective less is more approach as we are given just subtle glimpses of the man terrifying this small town and leaving detectives with no leads whatsoever. The overall feel of the film, the screenplay, the acting, it was all so ambitious yet so well-executed. Keep reading to find out more about why I loved The Black Phone so much as I touch on some of the finer points of the film.

The jumping off point that began the chain reaction resulting in the amazing film that is The Black Phone was undoubtedly the screenplay. Director Scott Derrickson co-wrote the screenplay along with his creative partner C. Robert Cargill. The two previously collaborated on Sinister (2012), Sinister 2 (2015), and Doctor Strange (2016). They have a fantastic working relationship which is proven yet again as they bring this immersive and terrifying film to life. But as I touched on briefly in the introduction, it all starts with author Joe Hill as he penned the short story way back in 2007, surely without thinking it would reach the big screen as a feature film no less. As the son of famed author Stephen King who changed his pen name to Hill in an effort to try and make his own way, it is undeniable that like his father, he has a pedigree for horror.

The story of The Black Phone is both terrifying and engaging, making it no surprise why it was made into a film. Derrickson and Cargill collaborated with Hill and kept the core of his story intact only making a few changes including changing the antagonist from a part-time clown to a part-time magician, and adding more victims to the story as the film was set to be about twice as long as the short story. Derrickson and Cargill filled in the gaps incredibly well, not wasting a second of the films one hour and forty two minute run-time. I was and still am infatuated with the story because it just includes so many great elements that made me a fan of film in the first place. Two of my favorite genres, horror and crime thriller, blend together to make for a film that will elicit every emotion from viewers while making for one heck of an entertaining ride. I loved every element of the story and commend all involved for a job well done.

It is truly terrifying how well Ethan Hawke plays the sadistic child murderer known as The Grabber, a man who lurks in the shadows and has become an urban legend of sorts for the kids in this small Denver suburb. I am a MASSIVE Hawke fan, and I wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see him playing a pivotal role in such a highly anticipated horror film, especially considering his connection to director Scott Dickinson after the 2012 horror film Sinister. He was sooooooo damn good in Sinister, but Hawke is arguably one of the most multi-talented actors working today. His performance in this without a doubt makes the film, and will leave viewers with a lingering sense of pure dread as they exit the theater. I can almost guarantee the majority of average film fans haven’t even seen a ton of the fantastic films he has appeared in mainly because the guy is willing to focus his talents on indie films which I greatly appreciate. Whether it be the 2017 horror thriller First Reformed, The Phenom (2016), Good Kill (2014), Predestination (2014), or the unique coming-of-age film Boyhood from Richard Linklater, the guy can do it all. I am a Ethan Hawke fan through and through, and seeing him just dominate such a difficult role with The Black Phone was incredibly satisfying for me. If his performance isn’t mentioned come awards time, I will be smashing some windows you can bet on that.

Right from the jump I knew the young Mason Thames was the real deal, he just exuded a certain on-screen confidence from the opening scene that only got stronger as the film progressed. Thames portrays the films main character, a 13-year-old boy named Finney. A bit of an outcast as he doesn’t quite fit into the popular crowd, Finney is a smart kid who has earned the respect of the toughest kid in school who is a bit of an outcast himself. Finney is also on the baseball team, and seems to be quite the pitcher. I realize I am getting off track a bit but I felt like Thames was nothing short of amazing, and a huge reason why this film worked as well as it did. The fact that this is the feature-film debut for Thames sort of blows my mind if I am being honest. This kid has a bright future so I suggest keeping an eye on him. He has another film in post-production called Boys of Summer where he stars alongside the great Mel Gibson, and I’m looking forward to checking that out.

Madeleine McGraw played a crucial role as she plays Finney’s sister Gwen who seemingly has dreams that allow her to see things, a trait she inherited from her late mother. Prior to Finney’s disappearance, detectives show up to her school asking questions as she seemingly has information they had never released to the public. Her reaction to the detectives is hilarious, and her character actually provides the limited comic relief for the film. The chemistry between Finney and Gwen is without a doubt a driving force for the film and helped me to get invested from the start. Right from the outset I felt their sibling bond and as I awaited the dreaded but expected abduction of Finney, Gwen’s inevitable reaction kept me on edge. When she knew her brother was taken and stormed out of the door of her friends house, I felt the panic she was feeling. The young actress who voiced Bonnie in Toy Story 4 left an immediate impact on me, and you can bet your ass she is going places in her career. After what she showed me in The Black Phone, I will support her here on out.

One of the biggest strengths of The Black Phone is it’s ability to get viewers invested in supporting characters who have very limited screen-time, which is no easy thing to do. As a credit to the screenplay and the actors taking on these roles, I loved all of the characters including each of the prior victims of The Grabber. I have to give credit to a very solid supporting cast as well with a great performance from Justified actor Jeremy Davies as the troubled alcoholic father of Finney and his sister Gwen. I like Davies a lot and will never question his involvement in a dramatic film or series. James Ransome, who plays a unique role in the film which I won’t give away, is one of those actors you recognize but can’t quite figure out why. He played a small role in the horror film Sinister I touched on earlier, but he has been etched in my brain ever since his role in the HBO series Generation Kill. An incredible series chronicling the first wave of the American-led assault on Baghdad back in 2003, Ransome’s sometimes annoying but often infectious role is very memorable. He also played a role in the 2019 horror film It Chapter Two. I loved Miguel Cazarez Mora in his first role as Robin, the toughest kid in school who takes a liking to Finney. I liked Mora from the outset and his character, however limited in the grand scheme of things, was crucial to the success of the film. I also really enjoyed E. Roger Mitchell as Detective Wright, and Troy Rudeseal as Detective Miller, the two men working all hours to solve these seemingly heinous crimes.

The Black Phone puts on an absolute clinic on the technical side of things, with everything working in perfect harmony to ensure the film had the dark and somber tone it was going for. First I have to talk about the incredible score and soundtrack delivered by Mark Korven, who previously scored The Witch and The Lighthouse. Korven is a master at setting the tone and the more tense scenes that involve The Grabber will definitely have you on the edge of your seat. He also threw in some great music to get viewers in the true feel of the late 70’s. I am huge on score and soundtrack and it was nice to see that they out a premium on this aspect of the film for The Black Phone. Cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz absolutely kills it, pun intended. This guy knows how to make sure every single shot matters, and the way he was able to help create this larger than life evil character known as The Grabber, was truly something special to experience. He helped to ensure the film felt immersive, and kept viewers filled with a feeling of dread as to what might happen next. I won’t get too much into detail, but at times I got a real It/Pennywise feeling during some of the films more artistic sequences, and it gave me chills. I also loved how they decided to shoot the film a really unique flashback style as well as a focus on the late 70’s era to give the film more what I felt was a more convincing element to the story.

I knew there was a reason why I loved the masks worn by The Grabber so much, and that is because of the legendary artist that is Tom Savini. Savini contributed to epic horror franchises including the Evil Dead franchise and one of my personal favorites, the Friday the 13th franchise. People may not realize this but the masks Ethan Hawke’s character would wear were viewed as a critical element of the film. The short story the film is based on gave the team a starting point but they reached out to five different companies before settling on Savini’s company, Callosum Studios. Savini himself invested a ton of time collaborating with director Scott Derrickson to make sure the masks were perfect, knowing that they would be the primary marketing tool for the film. If the masks weren’t convincing, it simply wouldn’t work. Derrickson was adamant that the masks had to have large holes for the eyes to ensure Hawke could still use his eyes as part of his performance. Plus, they realized that you don’t cast a talented actor like Hawke and just put him in a mask for an entire film. The various versions of the mask that they settled on were nothing short of exceptional and extremely terrifying, becoming a big part of The Grabber’s identity. Each mask worn seems to be specific to his mood at that time as it relates to the sick and twisted plans he had for his victims, whether it be a terrifying grin, a chilling sad face, or even a face with no mouth at all.

THE BAD

Listen, if you have been paying attention at all you surely don’t expect me to talk about much in this section of the review. The Black Phone is an exceptional film, but I suppose it does warrant some disclaimers. First of all, the films antagonist abducts and murders children, which is a sensitive subject for obvious reasons. Although I will say they keep things pretty classy all things considered in terms of the violence and the gore. But with that being said, the sheer terrifying elements of the film as viewers come face to face with a sadistic masked killer with his fair share of issues is enough to strike fear in even the most seasoned horror enthusiasts. So yeah, if you decide to watch you can thank Joe Hill and Ethan Hawke for the forthcoming nightmares. I also consider being traumatized a positive, so I guess I have altogether lost control of this review. Oh well.

THE VERDICT

A brilliant albeit terrifying realization of author Joe Hill’s masterful short story, The Black Phone is a generational horror thriller anchored by breakout performances from the legendary Ethan Hawke and newcomer Mason Thames. I loved everything about this movie, and I honestly can’t think of a single thing I would change. The overall feel was next-level thanks to a brilliant score and amazing cinematography, the acting was phenomenal, and the screenplay and source material was original and superbly satisfying. From director/co-writer Scott Derrickson, to writer C. Robert Cargill, to the entire cast and right down to every last person who worked on The Black Phone, this is one of those films that I personally considered to be an instant classic before I even left the theater. I talked about it quite a bit during the review but it’s worth revisiting, you don’t have to be a horror fan to appreciate everything this film has to offer.

Early on I was worried The Black Phone would get a limited release due to studios and their hesitancy to put too much stock in horror films these days, but Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures teamed up to make sure we had an opportunity to experience quality filmmaking on the big screen, and I personally couldn’t be more appreciative - it really was a long time coming. Please return the favor and see this work of art in theaters as soon as possible, you can thank me later.