AT THE MOVIES

by Isy Jordan

The Black Phone
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Scott Derrickson, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Cazarez Mora, and more.


After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.

As a fan of Joe Hill, I was excited to see a film based on his short story "The Black Phone." One of the most terrifying things about the story was the fact that we know little about the "Grabber" (Hawke). Then there's the fact that the story is under 20 pages. The film was going to put meat on the putrifying bones of this mean little story. But how?

br> I'm happy to report that the film didn't change the fact that we know little about the antagonist. Hawke doesn't play villains often but he pulled this one off with chilling results. His take on the character was a wild blend of evil glee and barely contained rage. So far he's killed five other boys who never came home. Then he grabs out protagonist, Finney, early in the film.

The film is set in 1978 and fleshes out the story of the 13-year-old boy. He has a sister with sight, a mother who killed herself apparently because she had similar abilities, and abusive father. Finney's situation seems hopeless before he ever ends up in the Grabber's basement. The creepy devil masks the Grabber favors conceals his true identity. The story takes us back to a time before the internet and smartphones.

There is a black phone on the wall and Finney discovers early it's not connected. The Grabber himself explains that it doesn't work. But it does. Finney knew two of the boys who were taken before him and the phone starts ringing. It doesn't take our hero long to discover they are the voices of the Grabber's victims, trying to help him live.

The heartbreaking search and claustrophobic basement settings reminded me of Silence of the Lambs in a good way. The pacing just pushes your anxiety higher until you're ready to climb under your seat or flee from it. The performances were amazing, particularly that of Mason Thames who plays Finney. The simple story would have fallen flat if not for that. There are some jump scares and a massive dose of fear and dread. There's not a lot of gore here but really, you don't need it.

At roughly an hour and 45 minutes, the film is a good length. When it's over, you breathe a sigh of relief that you made it through. It's rated R but older teens should enjoy it. All horror fans need to go see this one.

Isy