The Black Phone [DVD] [2022]

Absolutely great film went to the cinema to watch this and it was really good I enjoyed it

Better than I expected?Well yes. The synopsis put out to promote it, just about, covers it. The basic plot line is very simple and the story employs all the traditional cliches for this type of movie. It's based, as so many of these are, in middle America, exactly where is never made that clear, but like Springfield in the Simpsons it could be anywhere and nowhere anyone ever goes unless they were born there. The kids, yes it employs the sterotypical American kids, that go to the school that looks just like all the other schools in these movies with the same bullying and laxed parenting.That's what I expected and yes that's what I got and yes the story is very simple. But what they do with it to make it maintain your interest for the full duration of the movie is quite clever and it does maintain your interest from start to finish. To maintain that interest it slowly has to turn up the level of trepidation incrementally so each scene is just that bit more traumatic than the previous but still leave scope for the imagination and further scenes, without them crossing in absurdity, and maintain credibiltyVisually it's more of a thriller than a horror, but it qualifies as a horror for the subjects that it covers: child abduction, child murder, physical child abuse (corpral punishment) and the supernatural but no actual gore. There's a couple of jump outs, nothing to scary, just takes you by suprise with no lead up.For a low budget B movie it's quite good and if you just want a simple easy to follow kidnap thriller with supernatural overtones give it a go.

I WENT TO THE CINEMA TO SEE THIS AND I REALLY ENJOYED IT! CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT REMINDED ME OF THE "SIXTH SENSE", BUT THE MAIN PLUS POINT FOR ME IS MR. HAWKE AS THE (VERY) BAD GUY WHO NEVER TAKES HIS MASK OFF AND HAS TAKEN UP THE HOBBY OF GARABBING CHILDREN FROM THE STREET AND KILLING THEM AFTER KEEPING THEM IN HIS BASEMENT FOR A WHILE. VERY GOOD PERFORMANCES GIVEN BY ALL THE YOUNGER ACTORS AND ACTRESSES TOO!

I’m not going to go on a long rant. The title of my review says it all.

*3 and a half out of 5*Director Scott Derrickson’s return to his horror roots after creative differences led him to leaving Marvel’s Doctor Strange sequel. The Black Phone sees Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), a teenager who is abducted by a sadistic killer (Ethan Hawke) and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of no 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.It’s always refreshing to see a truly nasty and grisly slice of horror arrive out of the Blumhouse camp and I have no doubt that The Black Phone will be a staple horror talking point once its widely released. Immediately shooting Ethan Hawke’s delightfully twisted ‘Grabber’ to the forefront of instantly recognisable horror iconography, boasting surprisingly engaging and raw coming of age and family drama and Derrickson’s slick direction at the forefront. All of which work to (mostly) overshadow the occasionally clunky tonal shifts and thin, familiar narrative traits.The film begins with a slow burn approach (with Hawke only properly fully emerging around 20 or so minutes in). With this originally being a short story, you certainly get the sense that Derrickson and co-writer Robert Cargill added more elements to help flesh out the characters. Though the writing isn’t always the sharpest (even bordering on melodramatic at times), the way fractured homelife, bullying and lingering aura of fear of the Grabber is presented is effective. After the kidnapping of Finney, the film quickly falls into a familiar structure and the investigatory side of the feature is largely bog standard (helped with the inclusion of a largely unexplained plot McGuffin character ability).Tonally the film draws comparisons to Malignant. Switching between uncomfortable and brutal child violence and incredibly goofy needle drops. It’s not as seamless as it could be, but it certainly helps give the film a distinguishable identity. The hallucinatory film grain effect utilised throughout is effective and the cinematography cuts a blend between gritty true crime realism and shadow doused, supernatural tinged slickness. Though never outright scary (unfortunately Derrickson can’t escape the unnecessarily loud yet predictable jump scare tactic), the atmosphere is incredibly seedy and unnerving at points.Hawke absolutely steals each scene he appears in (not quite enough in my opinion). A wheezing, giggling inherently creepy presence that absolutely showcases his physical and facial expression heavy capabilities. With the camera often just lingering on him sitting or standing and substantial emotion having to be solely delivered through his eyes due to the fantastically crafted mask being on for the majority. Mason Thames and Madeliene McGraw deliver really strong performances here, especially with the intensity of some of the material they have to face up against.The Black Phone is certainly a call worth answering. Despite its shortcomings, of which mainly surround the jarring tonal shifts and clunky, on the nose dialogue. This is a devilishly fun, disturbing, effectively paced solid horror flick featuring a brilliant scene stealing performance from Ethan Hawke.

In 1978, a 13 year old boy is abducted and kept in a basement where a disconnected black phone mysteriously starts ringing and the ghosts of the kidnapper's previous victims help the boy fight back. A slow burn future horror classic with an excellent terrifying performance from Ethan Hawke as the terrifying new horror villain The Grabber and very good child performances from the child cast. Vibes of TV series Stranger Things and It if they were set in the 70's with 70's nostalgia and 2 kids fighting a very human monster.

I'm consistently disappointed with the horror genre and this was no exception. Each time that I have high expectations following the hype, It Follows, Don't Breathe, Your Next, The Babadook etcetera etcetera I fall for it and expect something original, unique or a film that is guaranteed to deliver (X being another example). Yet again, nothing original, influential or genre defying here. Move along and read a book that can deliver on the horror, Descent by Sandy DeLuca being one that truly delivers the horror and disturbing aspects.