The Black Phone
The Black Phone
Starring Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Starring Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Way back in the long ago, back before the world changed forever, in February 2020, there was a film called "The Invisible Man," which was a modern-day re-telling of the iconic classic movie monster that focused on misogyny and victimhood starring Elisabeth Moss. While Moss did an exemplary job, I found the entire film to be a complete and utter mess filled with nonsensical narratives and plot holes you can drive several semis through, but it seemed I was in the dissenting opinion - it was praised by both critics and general audiences alike, earning a 92% (critics) and 88% (audience) ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe I've seen too many horror movies, or maybe I'm just a cynical old man, but I found so many errors in the film I couldn't ignore them. "The Black Phone" is another such film - currently receiving 84% (critics) and 90% (audience) score on Rotten Tomatoes - where I found myself unable to enjoy it due to its continual plot holes and thinly written plot that deterred me from any horror aspect that the film might've had.
In a small Denver suburb in 1978, a man known only as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) has been abducting children, and he has eluded the police at every turn. Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) are worried, but they're more concerned about their alcoholic abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies), who takes out his frustrations and the suicide of his wife on his children. The siblings couldn't be any different - Finney is timid, weak, and doesn't offer a fight, while Gwen is hot-headed, potty-mouthed, and doesn't shy away from a fight - and she also has visions of the Grabber and his victims, but the police seem reluctant to listen to her. One day while walking home from school alone, Finney is abducted by the Grabber and taken to his basement dungeon. Gwen receives visions and attempts to find Finney on her own, while Finney is aided in the dungeon by a black phone with no connection, as the souls of the former children aid him in getting out of his predicament, turning him from a weakling to a warrior in his attempt to stop the Grabber and make it out alive.
"The Black Phone" is based off a short story by Joe Hill, who's name hardly anyone has heard of, until they hear his father's name - Stephen King. In his own right, Hill has crafted a successful career for himself by concealing the name of his heritage due to not wanting to be seen as Stephen King's son, and I think that's a solid decision: people will always compare his work to the Master of Horror. Yet it's unmistakable when you see the film, as you feel like you're watching something set in a Maine suburb with children outside riding bikes, an idyllic suburban setting, and even a scene of a child riding a bike in the rain in a yellow slicker, when I whispered to my friend, "we all float down here." Whenever you adapt a novel to a film, you always lose something in the translation, and this one is a weird one - despite the source material being a short story, not only did they have to elongate it, but it seemed to just cycle itself on repeat without delving into anything truly substantial.
I won't go into the plot holes in the film because it would give the film away, but honestly after watching the trailer you pretty much get a strong idea as to what will happen. In what seems like the easiest escape plan ever, not only does Finney's sister have vivid premonitions and visions of where he's being held, he gets supernatural assistance by the fallen children who've each contributed a different means of escape that, when put together, turns into a Kevin McCallister inspired plan. The film follows an almost episodic approach, as it splits its time between Finney getting a new phone call with a new escape plan and Gwen literally cursing at Jesus for not giving her more visions of where her brother is. This back-and-forth serves as the main thrust of the film, and while it does offer a few fleeting moments of excitement, it doesn't really feel like there's a dire need for escape. Again it might be the fact that I've been jaded by seeing so many excellent horror films, but this one felt like there was no high stakes, as I felt that Finney would eventually escape somehow - but maybe it was just my naive optimism.
The real horror, to me anyway, is twofold, and neither has to do with the supernatural calls with the cheap, ineffective jump scares that follow, but instead it's the real horror that the film touches on. Finney and Gwen's father is an abusive alcoholic, and there's one graphic scene of him taking out his frustrations on his children, particularly Gwen, that's visually unnerving. This is a true horror that millions of children face in the world, and director Scott Derrickson does an amazing job at portraying it in such a way that it's completely alarming. The other focuses on child abduction and how it's still as prevalent now as it was back when this film takes place, with millions of children being abducted and tortured (or worse) by monstrous adults, and in that respect Finney's horror is all too real - but unlike Finney, no real children get the added benefit of ghosts of children helping them escape.
Scott Derrickson directed the first "Doctor Strange" movie for the MCU, but he's better known for what scientists say is the scariest movie ever made: "Sinister" (well, that was back in 2020 before "Host" took that top spot), which they concluded based on audiences' heart rates during the movie. While I thought the film was amazing and really creepy, I wouldn't list it as the scariest movie ever made, not even top twenty (even after showing it to my friend, he also agreed it was creepy, but not the scariest). So from an audience standpoint, Derrickson had a lot to live up to, and it seemed that lightning would strike twice due to the perfect trifecta once again coming together: Derrickson's direction, co-writer Robert Cargill, and star Ethan Hawke coming back together to form another insanely scary thrill ride. Maybe some people (like another friend of mine who loved this film) will pay the for the ticket, but I wanted my money back.
The set designs were top-grade, with Patti Podesta transforming the scene into 1978 with precision, accuracy, and strong attention to detail and crafting a totally creepy dungeon-like setting for Finney's incarceration: a soundproof room with only a chained bed and toilet, who's walls were rusted and dotted with dried-up blood leaving your mind to fill in the gaps as to what atrocities occurred there previously. Brett Jutkiewicz's cinematography also shined, with fascinating camera angles, a toned-down color palette, and dark moody lighting that added to a sense of dread, while Mark Korven's musical score resonated with every beat.
When it came to the performances, each actor gave a strong showing. Ethan Hawke stole the show as the elusive, reclusive Grabber, who donned a different demonic-looking kabuki-style mask each time he was seen that masked his face (fun fact: each mask was designed by horror maestro Tom Savini, who's famous for crafting horror cinema's most iconic prosthetic makeup effects for films like "Friday the 13th," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2," "Creepshow," and "Maniac"). While Hawke committed himself to the role, it felt very underdeveloped to me - we don't get a full backstory on why he does what he does, and he only serves as the mysterious boogeyman figure that's well enough on its own, but I wanted to know more. Dare I say if they made a prequel focusing on his character, I might like it more than this.
Then there's young newcomers Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, who both show acting prowess that'll serve them well for a long, successful film career. McGraw's Gwen is a young femme fatale, not afraid to stand up to bullies or cops, but also shows a tender side toward her brother, as well as a truly frightened one around her father. She wears the metaphorical masks as well as Hawke wears his physical ones. Likewise, Mason Thames' Finney is your typical bullied kid who, while he doesn't stand up for himself, always manages to stand up after being knocked down. His transformation in the dungeon from weakling to warrior is superb, even if it's a bit generic and something you've seen in countless other movies. Both these child actors will undoubtedly go on to even bigger and better things, as their careers are just taking off, and it'll be exciting to see where they go from here.
So what went wrong with this film in my eyes? It's the numerous plot holes, inconsistencies, lame jump scares, and generic horror tropes that littered the landscape. It really had nothing to do with the performances or set designs, which were both top notch, but rather the way the story was brought to the screen, and again I won't go into it but you can watch it for yourself to draw your own conclusions. I went with two friends, and while I didn't much care for it, my other friend thought it was fine, and my other friend absolutely loved it. Three people, one movie, three different feelings towards it: that's the magic of cinema.
The Score: C+
In a small Denver suburb in 1978, a man known only as the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) has been abducting children, and he has eluded the police at every turn. Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) are worried, but they're more concerned about their alcoholic abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies), who takes out his frustrations and the suicide of his wife on his children. The siblings couldn't be any different - Finney is timid, weak, and doesn't offer a fight, while Gwen is hot-headed, potty-mouthed, and doesn't shy away from a fight - and she also has visions of the Grabber and his victims, but the police seem reluctant to listen to her. One day while walking home from school alone, Finney is abducted by the Grabber and taken to his basement dungeon. Gwen receives visions and attempts to find Finney on her own, while Finney is aided in the dungeon by a black phone with no connection, as the souls of the former children aid him in getting out of his predicament, turning him from a weakling to a warrior in his attempt to stop the Grabber and make it out alive.
"The Black Phone" is based off a short story by Joe Hill, who's name hardly anyone has heard of, until they hear his father's name - Stephen King. In his own right, Hill has crafted a successful career for himself by concealing the name of his heritage due to not wanting to be seen as Stephen King's son, and I think that's a solid decision: people will always compare his work to the Master of Horror. Yet it's unmistakable when you see the film, as you feel like you're watching something set in a Maine suburb with children outside riding bikes, an idyllic suburban setting, and even a scene of a child riding a bike in the rain in a yellow slicker, when I whispered to my friend, "we all float down here." Whenever you adapt a novel to a film, you always lose something in the translation, and this one is a weird one - despite the source material being a short story, not only did they have to elongate it, but it seemed to just cycle itself on repeat without delving into anything truly substantial.
I won't go into the plot holes in the film because it would give the film away, but honestly after watching the trailer you pretty much get a strong idea as to what will happen. In what seems like the easiest escape plan ever, not only does Finney's sister have vivid premonitions and visions of where he's being held, he gets supernatural assistance by the fallen children who've each contributed a different means of escape that, when put together, turns into a Kevin McCallister inspired plan. The film follows an almost episodic approach, as it splits its time between Finney getting a new phone call with a new escape plan and Gwen literally cursing at Jesus for not giving her more visions of where her brother is. This back-and-forth serves as the main thrust of the film, and while it does offer a few fleeting moments of excitement, it doesn't really feel like there's a dire need for escape. Again it might be the fact that I've been jaded by seeing so many excellent horror films, but this one felt like there was no high stakes, as I felt that Finney would eventually escape somehow - but maybe it was just my naive optimism.
The real horror, to me anyway, is twofold, and neither has to do with the supernatural calls with the cheap, ineffective jump scares that follow, but instead it's the real horror that the film touches on. Finney and Gwen's father is an abusive alcoholic, and there's one graphic scene of him taking out his frustrations on his children, particularly Gwen, that's visually unnerving. This is a true horror that millions of children face in the world, and director Scott Derrickson does an amazing job at portraying it in such a way that it's completely alarming. The other focuses on child abduction and how it's still as prevalent now as it was back when this film takes place, with millions of children being abducted and tortured (or worse) by monstrous adults, and in that respect Finney's horror is all too real - but unlike Finney, no real children get the added benefit of ghosts of children helping them escape.
Scott Derrickson directed the first "Doctor Strange" movie for the MCU, but he's better known for what scientists say is the scariest movie ever made: "Sinister" (well, that was back in 2020 before "Host" took that top spot), which they concluded based on audiences' heart rates during the movie. While I thought the film was amazing and really creepy, I wouldn't list it as the scariest movie ever made, not even top twenty (even after showing it to my friend, he also agreed it was creepy, but not the scariest). So from an audience standpoint, Derrickson had a lot to live up to, and it seemed that lightning would strike twice due to the perfect trifecta once again coming together: Derrickson's direction, co-writer Robert Cargill, and star Ethan Hawke coming back together to form another insanely scary thrill ride. Maybe some people (like another friend of mine who loved this film) will pay the for the ticket, but I wanted my money back.
The set designs were top-grade, with Patti Podesta transforming the scene into 1978 with precision, accuracy, and strong attention to detail and crafting a totally creepy dungeon-like setting for Finney's incarceration: a soundproof room with only a chained bed and toilet, who's walls were rusted and dotted with dried-up blood leaving your mind to fill in the gaps as to what atrocities occurred there previously. Brett Jutkiewicz's cinematography also shined, with fascinating camera angles, a toned-down color palette, and dark moody lighting that added to a sense of dread, while Mark Korven's musical score resonated with every beat.
When it came to the performances, each actor gave a strong showing. Ethan Hawke stole the show as the elusive, reclusive Grabber, who donned a different demonic-looking kabuki-style mask each time he was seen that masked his face (fun fact: each mask was designed by horror maestro Tom Savini, who's famous for crafting horror cinema's most iconic prosthetic makeup effects for films like "Friday the 13th," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2," "Creepshow," and "Maniac"). While Hawke committed himself to the role, it felt very underdeveloped to me - we don't get a full backstory on why he does what he does, and he only serves as the mysterious boogeyman figure that's well enough on its own, but I wanted to know more. Dare I say if they made a prequel focusing on his character, I might like it more than this.
Then there's young newcomers Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, who both show acting prowess that'll serve them well for a long, successful film career. McGraw's Gwen is a young femme fatale, not afraid to stand up to bullies or cops, but also shows a tender side toward her brother, as well as a truly frightened one around her father. She wears the metaphorical masks as well as Hawke wears his physical ones. Likewise, Mason Thames' Finney is your typical bullied kid who, while he doesn't stand up for himself, always manages to stand up after being knocked down. His transformation in the dungeon from weakling to warrior is superb, even if it's a bit generic and something you've seen in countless other movies. Both these child actors will undoubtedly go on to even bigger and better things, as their careers are just taking off, and it'll be exciting to see where they go from here.
So what went wrong with this film in my eyes? It's the numerous plot holes, inconsistencies, lame jump scares, and generic horror tropes that littered the landscape. It really had nothing to do with the performances or set designs, which were both top notch, but rather the way the story was brought to the screen, and again I won't go into it but you can watch it for yourself to draw your own conclusions. I went with two friends, and while I didn't much care for it, my other friend thought it was fine, and my other friend absolutely loved it. Three people, one movie, three different feelings towards it: that's the magic of cinema.
The Score: C+
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