By Robert Scucci | Published
Have you ever been to one of those escape rooms where you pay to get trapped in a small space and solve puzzles so you can eventually exit through the gift shop? It’s a bit like that The black phone is played, except in this case you are locked in a dank basement against your will by a psychotic serial killer known as “The Grabber”, and must communicate with the disembodied spirits of his former victims VIA a rotary phone as they leave you cryptic clues. which allow you to plan your bold departure from imminent death. The black phone has been on my radar for a while now, and while I admit to sleeping on this unexpected hit, I knew I had to watch it sooner or later, especially now that its upcoming (and well-deserved) sequel will be released later this year . .
A supernatural horror like no other
The black phone doesn’t have a complex plot, but it’s executed to perfection. After a series of child kidnappings and murders strain a community in north Denver, Colorado, we are introduced to The Grabber (Ethan Hawke); the ever-elusive person of interest who operates from a black van filled with black balloons as he searches for his prey. Driving around town and picking up children undetected, The Grabber picks up his next victim, Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a socially awkward 13-year-old.
Finney’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), has psychic visions that offer insight into the whereabouts of The Grabber, as well as the fate of his former victims, but their alcoholic and abusive father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies ), discourages her from talking about it or taking action. her abilities because her mother had the same gift of clairvoyance, which ultimately led her to suicide.
Finney, holed up in The Grabber’s soundproof basement dungeon, begins receiving calls from the black (and disconnected) rotary phone mounted on the wall, and they’re all from kids he remembers from school before they disappearance. The disembodied spirits of Finney’s dead friends give him explicit instructions on how to act so that he can foil The Grabber, as they attempted to make a daring escape using the limited resources they had, but ultimately met their demise after failing to penetrate the basement.
Finney, who has the advantage of hearing multiple victims’ perspectives, has the ability to develop an escape plan using all the information he hears through the black phone.
Meanwhile, Detectives Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Miller (Troy Rudeseal) encounter Max (James Ransone), a man who is obsessively trying to discover the identity and location of the Grabber because the authorities have clearly need help trying to do this. locate all missing and presumed dead children.
Great performance everywhere
If you think that The black phone the plot seems almost too simple to be effective, which is where you are seriously mistaken. Not only do you want to support Finney all the time as he is guided by voices from beyond the grave, but his tenacity and willingness to trust forces beyond his understanding while conforming to the rules of The sadistic games Grabber make it an admirable performance from Mason Thames. , the protagonist of the film. Finney goes from scared to completely in control of the situation as he learns more about the weak points of The Grabber’s master plan.
Ethan Hawke is absolutely terrifying as The Grabber, whose personality is so disturbing because of the flamboyant manner in which he carries out his sadistic crimes. Switching between voices of childish curiosity and guttural growls, Hawke’s performance will keep you up at night as he somehow comes across as a nice guy who can’t control his impulses until you realize that all this does part of his twisted game.
Watch the black phone
The black phonewhich is based on the short story of the same name by C. Robert Cargill, is masterfully suspenseful and absolutely worth an on-demand purchase. My biggest regret is not having thrown away the $4 while waiting for the title to make its streaming rounds. The black phone 2the upcoming sequel, is currently scheduled for release in October 2025, and you better believe I’ll be checking it out on opening day.
After watching The black phone on demand via Apple TV+, Google Play Movies or Fandango at Home, you’ll want to discover V/H/S/85 for the short film “Dreamkill”, which takes place in the same universe as The black phonebut seven years after the events depicted in the film.
