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Plot Summary: 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.

Director: Scott Derrickson

Writers: Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Runtime: 1 hour 42 mins

Main Cast:

• Mason Thames as Finney
• Madeleine McGraw as Gwen
• Ethan Hawke as The Grabber
• Jeremy Davies as Terrence
• E. Roger Mitchell as Detective Wright

Review by: Small Couch Reviews

Joe Hill is the mind behind one of Sam’s favorite stories of all time- Locke & Key. So when his name flashed in the beginning credits of “The Black Phone,” as the author of the book on which the film is based, the excitement was palpable. Thankfully, the film did not disappoint. It is an EXCELLENT ghost/horror film the likes of which we haven’t seen since “The Sixth Sense.” The best part? It’s just over an hour and a half so it wastes no time in getting to the good stuff and does not slow down until the end credits roll.

What We Liked:

There’s not much we didn’t like in this film as the short run-time made it pretty difficult to commit the common pacing/ story-telling mistakes. So, we’ll focus on what worked and we might as well start with the story. The trailer pretty much tells you what you need to know – Ethan Hawke plays a kidnapper (named “The Grabber” by the press) in the late 1970s who abducts children off of the street and holds them in a room. The room has a mattress, a toilet, and an old broken black telephone. Once taken, the latest victim Finn discovers he is able to communicate with the ghosts of past victims via the black telephone and with their help plans an escape.

This story is so straightforward – exactly as it’s told in the trailers but it is paced and executed so well that director Scott Derrickson deserves his flowers. Each ghost has a unique experience to share with Finn and each time they speak with him we are shown a brief flashback to understand what they were like and how they ended up being taken by The Grabber. This also goes into the excellent pacing and storytelling elements on display. It would be easy for this trope to become tired quickly but each ghost’s introduction is unique enough to keep it fresh, their flashback is long enough to gain an understanding of their character and develop a level of empathy, but also short enough that it doesn’t impede the main story of Finn trying to escape. This level of characterization and charcter development is not easy to accomplish, so it is very much appreciated and should be applauded. We honestly couldn’t believe how many stories we received in such a short time that were both interesting and also not overwhelming. There are loads of film studios that should take notes and pay attention to this masterclass in pacing a plot and storytelling.

That leads to the other awesome thing about this movie. That would be the three main leads in Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeleine McGraw. Ethan Hawke’s Grabber character doesn’t really receive a deep dive. We don’t understand his mind or why he feels the desire to do what he’s doing. Something like this usually annoys as it leads to an antagonist being evil just because (as we often see in superhero movies). Yet, the script and Hawke convey the character in a way where this actually works. Because we DON’T know why he’s kidnapping and torturing children, it makes him a real-life bogey man- and that is terrifying.

Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw portray siblings in this and their chemistry is strong. Honestly, it’s their performances that really carry the film and they deserve major kudos. Perhaps it was also due to the direction they were given, but these were some of the best child actors we’ve ever seen. Thames draws you in with his portrayal of Finn’s desperation, fear, and anxiety. It is incredibly easy to root for him and it’s not just because he’s a kidnapped teen. By far though, the scene-stealer is McGraw. Her character Gwen is both the comic relief and emotional core of this film. Half the reason you want Finn to survive is because of Gwen’s efforts on the outside to find and rescue her brother- you WANT her to succeed.

One last thing to mention is the horror elements; they really work here. This movie might be more thriller than horror but it definitely has its moments of tension and outright creepiness. There are also jump scares but they aren’t overdone and they are done well.

What We Didn’t Like:

There’s not much to say here. Honestly, the only knock against this film could be the inclusion of one or two characters that ultimately didn’t add to the plot at all. Yet, the movie is short enough that they aren’t involved long enough to detract.