July 27 2022
Director Scott Derrickson takes us back to the late 70’s for a suspenseful abduction thriller that cleverly melds scarily realistic situations with intriguing supernatural elements. This is definitely not a standard Hollywood horror film with basic jump scares and stupid characters making idiotic decisions all the time. Instead we are treated with immersive situational terror that allows the main character Finney to figure out clues on how to escape. Mason Thames as Finney had the task of carrying this movie as the protagonist, and if this is any indication of where his career is going, he has an incredibly bright future. The young Mason did a phenomenal job at making the viewer believe he was terrified yet never came off as annoying and unlike so many dumb horror movie characters, the kid was resourceful, likable, and worth rooting for. Ethan Hawke perhaps gives his most terrifying and unsettling performance of his career as the Grabber, making for one of the more compelling horror villains in recent years. The way he wears different masks to suit his current moods made him all the more creepier. Madeleine McGraw plays Finney’s sister and she has some of the film’s most shockingly laugh out loud hilarious moments as well as somber emotional scenes. I cannot praise the efforts from the child actors enough. If you ever got bullied in middle school, I definitely think you’ll find a lot to relate to with this movie. The outcome of the film may be predictable, but what really makes it all work is the execution from both the actors and the director/technical personnel. Overall, The Black Phone is an airtight, tense, and edge of your seat thriller that follows through on its simple premise due to the excellent lead/supporting acting and brilliant use of in-movie supernatural rules that add extra layers to the film’s realistic slice-of-life themes.
GRADE: A-
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