A boy is being held captive in a soundproof basement by a masked killer. When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he soon discovers that he can hear the voices of the murderer’s previous victims. A film by Scott Derrickson, starring Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal, Miguel Cazarez Mora, and Ethan Hawke.
The BLACK PHONE
Scott Derrickson
(2022)
In 1978, the suburbs of Denver, Colorado are shaken by a series of mysterious child disappearances. What makes these cases particularly unsettling is the complete silence that follows — no ransom demands, no contact from the perpetrator. Police and journalists dub the unknown kidnapper “The Grabber,” but leads are nonexistent, leaving investigators with no trail to follow.
Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), Finney’s sister, possesses psychic abilities like her late mother. She shares her dream with Amy, the sister of the missing Bruce (Tristan Pravong). This prompts the police to question her about the details of her dream, in which she claims to have seen a van and black balloons in her dream – information that the police have never released to the public.
Later, The Grabber kidnaps Finney’s friend Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora). Finney begs Gwen to use her psychic abilities to find Robin, but Gwen explains that she can’t control her powers at will, making her unable to fulfill her brother’s request.
The next day, Finney (Mason Thames) becomes the Grabber’s latest victim. He falls for the perpetrator’s trap when the man pretends to be a local resident who accidentally dropped his belongings on the ground. The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) then acts as a magician to capture Finney’s attention. When Finney notices the black van with black balloons inside – matching his sister’s dream vision – the Grabber seizes the moment of distraction. He grabs Finney, sprays him with a sedative until he loses consciousness, then loads him into the back of the van and drives away.
Finney wakes up and finds himself imprisoned in a large basement room that contains only a mattress and a disconnected black phone. Suddenly, the seemingly broken phone rings. The whispered voice on the other end belongs to one of the previously kidnapped children – someone who is presumably no longer alive. The voice reveals that he has tried to call other children brought here before, but Finney is the first one who can communicate with him. He warns Finney to be careful and not fall for the kidnapper’s deadly game of traps.
Meanwhile, Gwen begins having dreams about the other kidnapped children, as if their spirits are trying to give her clues about the kidnapper’s true identity. At the same time, Finney must find a way to escape using guidance from the spirits who left behind certain items in the basement before they were killed.
Directed by American filmmaker Scott Derrickson from a screenplay he cowrote with C. Robert Cargill, THE BLACK PHONE is a gripping thriller-horror film that masterfully builds tension, gradually intensifying until it reaches an impressive climax. This film also marks Derrickson’s reunion with Ethan Hawke after their collaboration on SINISTER a decade earlier.
Ethan Hawke delivers a stellar performance as an unpredictable psychopath. His character’s terrifying presence is enhanced by a mask that conceals his face, forcing him to communicate through eerily calm speech, penetrating eyes, and calculated movements. What makes his villain so memorable is that the film doesn’t rely on flashbacks or exposition to explain his backstory – proving that sometimes, for this type of character, the unknown is far more frightening.
Mason Thames, in his debut film role as Finney, delivers an impressive performance. His face reminds me of Brad Renfro, and his strong acting abilities could potentially lead to a promising future in the industry.
The film’s main weaknesses include unnecessary jump scares (particularly scenes where ghosts appear to the audience but not to the protagonist who can’t see the spirits) and an ending that feels a bit too happy. Personally I half-expected a darker conclusion similar to “X” or something more ambitious and edgy.
The BLACK PHONE is based on a short story of the same name by Joe Hill, who is the son of renowned author Stephen King. Joe Hill’s first published work was the short story collection titled 20th Century Ghosts, which was released in 2005 by PS Publishing. This collection features fourteen of his short stories and received significant acclaim, winning both the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection and the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection and Best Short Story for “Best New Horror”.
The BLACK PHONE premiered at Fantastic Fest on 25 September 2021. It was theatrically released in the United States on 24 June 2022, by Universal Pictures. The film grossed over $161 million worldwide against its production budget of $18 million.
