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The Black Phone

2021, Horror/Mystery & thriller, 1h 42m

What to know

Critics Consensus

The Black Phone might have been even more frightening, but it remains an entertaining, well-acted adaptation of scarily good source material. Read critic reviews

Audience Says

With a terrific villain and a twisty story stacked with edge-of-your-seat thrills, The Black Phone is a must-watch for fans of suspenseful horror. Read audience reviews

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The black phone videos, the black phone photos.

Finney, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer's previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn't happen to Finney.

Rating: R (Language|Bloody Images|Some Drug Use|Violence)

Genre: Horror, Mystery & thriller

Original Language: English

Director: Scott Derrickson

Producer: Jason Blum , Scott Derrickson , C. Robert Cargill

Writer: Scott Derrickson , C. Robert Cargill

Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 2022 wide

Box Office (Gross USA): $89.9M

Runtime: 1h 42m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Blumhouse Productions, Crooked Highway

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Ethan Hawke

The Grabber

Mason Thames

Madeleine McGraw

Jeremy Davies

James Ransone

E. Roger Mitchell

Michael Banks Repeta

J. Gaven Wilde

Robert Fortunato

Police Officer #2

Scott Derrickson

Screenwriter

C. Robert Cargill

Executive Producer

Christopher H. Warner

Brett Jutkiewicz

Cinematographer

Frédéric Thoraval

Film Editor

Mark Korven

Original Music

Patti Podesta

Production Design

Amy Andrews

Costume Design

Terri Taylor

News & Interviews for The Black Phone

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Critic Reviews for The Black Phone

Audience reviews for the black phone.

This is the movie that director Scott Derrickson made after departing Marvel over "creative differences" with the Doctor Strange sequel, differences I feel like I can agree with. Based upon Joe Hill's short story, The Black Phone is a return to Derrickson's horror roots, along with regular screenwriting collaborator C. Robert Cargill, and you can feel the director's reflexes resetting. It's like three movies in one, not all of them needed or entirely coherent. It's about generational trauma and abuse, a survival thriller about escaping a psychotic serial killer, and a little kid trying to hone her nascent psychic powers. The stuff with Ethan Hawke as "The Grabber," a kidnapper of children who imprisons them in a locked basement dwelling with a broken black phone attached to the wall, is great, and Hawke is fascinating and unsettling. Each mask he wears seems to come with a slightly different persona attached, so with each appearance we get another sliver of who this disturbed man may have been. The story of survival is made even more intriguing when our protagonist, young Finney (Mason Thames), learns that the past victims can communicate with him through the mysterious black phone. The scene-to-scene learning and plotting is fun and efficient and requires Finney to be a little bit of a detective, exploring his dank surroundings and the failed escape attempts of the other kids to utilize for his own hopeful plan. The ghost kids also have limited memory of their experiences, which is smart so that he isn't given a clear advantage without limitations. The parts that drag are where Finney's little sister tries to convince the skeptical police officials that her dreams are real and can help find her missing brother. There is one hilarious moment where she prays to Jesus for guidance and then profanely expresses her disappointment, but otherwise it feels like a Stephen King stereotype leftover (Hill is the his son; apple meet tree) that doesn't amount to much besides padding the running time. It doesn't even lead to big breakthroughs for Finney to be rescued. As a small-scale creepy contained thriller, The Black Phone is an engaging survival story with a supernatural twist that works as well as it does. It doesn't have much more depth or meaningful characterization, it's really just about a kid using the power of neighborhood ghosts to escape a crazy man, and that's enough at least for a passably entertaining 100 minutes. Nate's Grade: B

I love when a great, independent thriller comes along and surprises me. Upon hearing that Ethan Hawke would be portraying a character who abducts young boys, I was turned off, because he never plays roles like this. I also know him to be a stellar performer regardless though, so I was all in no matter what. I'm glad I could excite myself enough to see this one in theatres because I think it was well-done all around. If you're a fan of thrillers in any way, here's why I think you should check out The Black Phone. In a small town, young boys begin to go missing, with the only similarity between every abduction being that black balloons are always found at the crime scene. The man responsible for these kidnappings is known all over town as "The Grabber". The main focus of the film is on Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). Being bullied at school and having an abusive father has made Finney very strong-minded. He is the next in line to be kidnapped as well. Captured and brought into an underground cellar, he must figure a way out. I haven't seen Mason Thames in anything before, but for being a relatively new young actor, I think his work here was terrific. On top of that, Ethan Hawke gives a very creepy performance, which makes for some very tense scenes of dialogue between the two of them. The title of the film obviously implies that there will be a phone at some point throughout this film and the meaning behind the phone is what sold the movie to me. How it plays into everything happening was terrific. It kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Overall, if I had to complain about something, it wouldn't be about any filmmaking aspects or storylines because everything is very solid here. Where I feel the film almost hurt itself is in the final two minutes, right before the credits rolled. Without giving anything away, I just don't feel that the final scene fit the tone of the rest of the film at all. It was a little silly, to be honest. I was able to look past it, but I found it to be a very bizarre choice. From the score to the performances, or the thrills to the downright unnerving sensibilities of "The Grabber", this film is simply great all around. It's simple, quaint, and yet very effective. The Black Phone is now playing in theatres, and for fans of this genre, I highly recommend it.

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The first time a film left me shivering in the dark and white-knuckling bedsheets was when I was 13, watching a slideshow of gore and brutality in Scott Derrickson ’s " Sinister ." Even upon rewatch, after 10 years and the addition of countless horror movies to my watch log, it still makes me quiver.

Upon hearing of "The Black Phone," a triple reunion with Derrickson, co-writer Robert Cargill, and star Ethan Hawke , I was filled with excited dread. Derrickson’s victims are tethered by their consequences. Where "Sinister" had them spun in a web inherent to their demise, "The Black Phone" connects its victims with a thread crucial to survival.

Based on the short story of the same name, written by Joe Hill , the son of Stephen King , "The Black Phone" chronicles a suspenseful tale of The Grabber, a child killer who snatches teen boys in broad daylight never to be seen again. When Finney ( Mason Thames ) becomes the next captive, held in a soundproof basement, he begins to receive phone calls from The Grabber’s previous victims through a disconnected landline.

Stylistically, the film is nostalgic, reminiscent of vintage photographs and the era of striped baby tees, flared jeans, and The Ramones. Warm browns and oranges, film grain, and filtered light flood the screen. But this idyllic '70s suburbia is corrupted by Derrickson’s horror.

The only interruption of the otherwise consistent color scheme is the vibrancy of blood and the neon of police lights, making these moments all the more jarring. The weathered concrete of the basement is painted with brushstrokes of rust and blood: an evidential mural of violence unfettered. The upbeat '70s soundtrack is interrupted by a bassy, resonant score that reverberates in your ribs, sinks into your eardrums, and at times sounds like you’re hearing it from underground in the Grabber’s basement. The film’s opening credits flash through nostalgic B-roll of the halcyon everyday occurrences of suburban youth—popsicles, baseball games, and sunny avenues—only to be interlaced with the vision of bloody knees and stacks of missing persons posters.

This juxtaposition of calm and collection being face forward while violence festers underneath is not only stylistic, but thematic. Timid Finney and his spunky sister Gwen ( Madeleine McGraw ), after dealing with belligerent bullies at school, go home to not be raised by their abusive alcoholic father. “I’ll look after Dad,” becomes a pattern of dialogue throughout the film, when Finney is left to return home while his sister stays with a friend. Son looks after father and siblings raise each other, kids protect each other from bullies while school staff is absent during adolescent brawls, Gwen (with her clairvoyant abilities) leads the police investigation, and past victims communicate with Finney while he’s in the clutches of a killer. It’s this commonality of a child-to-child support system in the absence of reliable adults that makes "The Black Phone" more than a simple story.

Derrickson and Cargill craft a nuanced, multi-layered narrative that takes horror elements and supports them with attentive discussion of cycles of abuse, trauma, and the bond of youth. Hawke’s Grabber is characterized by personality reversal. His faux-jolly disposition flaunts animated mannerisms and a high-pitched voice. It’s eerily childlike, hitching itself to a suggestion of trauma-based age regression behavior, and juxtaposing with the adult-like profanity and maturity with which the kids speak. But the zany harlequin act is fleeting, leaving Finney at the mercy of a total change: a husky, deep tone of voice and unforgiving, violent demeanor.

It’s in these moments where Hawke flexes his performance and versatility. His villainy is unpredictable and volatile. He expertly tiptoes a dissonant line of sprightly youthfulness and depravity. Switching on a dime, and with a mask covering the lower half of his face for most of the film, his acting relies on body language and the emotive flickers of his eyes. Though he was hesitant to play a villain , Hawke more than succeeds, and the emotional dramatic acting that’s laid the foundation for his celebrity translates perfectly to an adversarial role.

Though Hawke haunts the screen, it is the performances of the child actors that pack marrow into the bones of "The Black Phone." The finesse with which Thames and McGraw seamlessly balance a wide range of emotions is a feat. Fear, anger, desperation, and indignation drizzle delicately into moments of youthful glee and adolescent comedy. The punchlines in "The Black Phone" are natural with how the film centralizes young teenagers.

Both Thames and McGraw receive moments of spotlight, and use every minute of individual attention to shred any emotional distance afforded by the screen. Yet some of the most poignant scenes occur in their wordless moments together, where they potently portray an airtight sibling bond in the face of abuse and adversity.

"The Black Phone" is a saga of support and resilience disguised as a semi-paranormal serial murderer flick. Underpinned by emotional performances across the board and a commanding atmosphere, "The Black Phone" aces its foundational qualities and allows its nuances to take control. The gore is secondary to the story, with character development taking first string, but by no means does the film neglect to thrill. Rather, it’s your care for Finney and the intensity of the film’s skillfully crafted suspense that draws your knees to your chest and your nails to your teeth.

Available in theaters tomorrow.

Peyton Robinson

Peyton Robinson is a freelance film writer based in Chicago, IL.

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Film Credits

The Black Phone (2022)

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use.

102 minutes

Ethan Hawke as The Grabber

Mason Thames as Finney Shaw

Madeleine McGraw as Gwen Shaw

Jeremy Davies as Mr. Shaw

James Ransone as Max

Michael Banks Repeta as Griffin

Spencer Fitzgerald as Buzz

Scott Derrickson

Writer (based on the short story by)

C. Robert Cargill

Cinematographer

Brett Jutkiewicz
Frédéric Thoraval
Mark Korven

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The Black Phone Review

Childhood is terrifying..

This is an advance, spoiler-free review of The Black Phone, which will debut in theaters on Feb. 2, 2022.

The Black Phone had big shoes to fill. Nearly a decade ago, the team of C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson debuted Sinister . Their terrifying spectacle would strike fear in our hearts, with one scientific study ruling it the “ scariest movie of all time ." Five years prior (nearly to the day) to Cargill and Derrickson scaring the pants off ofus with Baguul and several nightmare children, Joe Hill was publishing his short story “The Black Phone.” Now, the stars have aligned and The Black Phone is making its way to the big screen with horror maestros Derrickson and Cargill adapting Hill’s chilling story -- and their take thrillingly exceeds the already high expectations they've set up for themselves.

The first third of the film follows Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen Shaw (Madeleine McGraw) as they navigate pre-teen suburban life in the '70s. Unfortunately for these siblings, bullies and scraped knees aren’t all they have to contend with. In addition to their drunk and sometimes abusive father (played by Jeremy Davies), there’s a kidnapper on the loose in their town, and he’s snatching up little boys left and right. It’s not long before Finney finds himself trapped in the basement of the terrifying mask-wearing Grabber (Ethan Hawke), and Gwen finds herself in a race against time to find her brother before it's too late.

This story is personal to both Cargill and Derrickson, a fact that's highlighted not just by the relatability of the kids’ story, but through the stark set pieces of the ‘70s that play a more pivotal role than some may expect. While some viewers from the younger generation may balk at parents' use of belts and fists, plenty born before 1990 may sink back in their chair and recall some not-so-fond memories from their childhood. Was it monstrous? Sure. Was it commonplace? More than “kids these days” will ever know. The Black Phone feels like a time machine with no interest in stereotypical nostalgia. It doesn’t look like the '70s. It feels like it. There’s a grit there, and it’s not just because of the dirt basement. The authenticity of the backdrop paired with the honest portrayals of youth in that era make it clear that there’s a connection here between the creators and their story. Said authenticity is what makes it so easy to find yourself lost in and subsequently terrified by the world that they’ve created.

Because a good chunk of The Black Phone takes place in the aforementioned dirt basement, the film has to rely on the talents of its cast to keep us intrigued more than some other stories. Thankfully, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw were up to the challenge. At the film’s Q&A at Beyond Fest, Derrickson revealed that they held the production for McGraw when scheduling conflicts arose. The studio wanted to recast, but Derrickson refused. It's easy to see why the director was so staunch, and it was absolutely the right move. A lot of attention — and thus, a lot of the praise — will rightfully be for Thames’ stellar performance as his character is forced to stand up for himself in the face of a monster. But McGraw’s contributions to The Black Phone cannot be understated. The fierce little sister trope may have become more common of late, but this kid’s comedic timing is impeccable. She effortlessly switches between snark, despair, and fear.

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Hawke — who doesn’t typically play villains — has to emote solely through his eyes while relying on the painted expressions of whichever mask his character was wearing at the time. Given his filmography, we’ve always known what the actor was capable of bringing to the table, but The Black Phone presented new challenges that Hawke rises to meet on every occasion. The dude is terrifying. Playfulness shifts to sinister intentions on a dime, and it’s all showcased by a guy with a hidden face, a terrifying voice, and haunted, emotive eyes.

The scares here are never cheap. You’ll jump, to be sure, but every ounce of distress is well earned. The supernatural element supports the terror, but it’s the reality of Finney’s situation and Hawke’s unnerving Grabber that keep the tension throughout the story. Though abuse plays a role in The Black Phone, there’s never anything overtly sexual. You never have any question about the Grabber’s sick impulses, but the film expertly illustrates that you don’t have to show something so explicit for it to be real to the audience. It’s the threat of what he will do that keeps the story grounded. A more overt approach would've cheapened the story.

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The Black Phone is remarkable for a host of reasons — some of which we won’t discuss here because they’re best experienced in the film — but something that stands out is how much it feels like Sinister’s sibling. There are so many similarities between the movies, from creepy kids, home videos, and less-than-perfect parents. Despite those similarities, though, this film manages to be something completely independent. It’s hopeful in ways that Sinister never was (and shouldn’t have been), but there’s also seemingly no solution to the horrors that Finney and Gwen face. You’ll see strong parallels between the Grabber and the kids’ alcoholic father. One hurdle can be leapt if the kids play their cards right. The other, though, lays in wait even if Finney manages to be the first kid to escape his captor. The aforementioned hope is less in Finney and Gwen’s circumstance and more in their connection and power as a team, and it cannot be stressed enough how well these children play siblings. You’re going to care about a kid escaping this situation no matter what because, well, you’re a decent human being. But their relationship and relatability is what keeps you engrossed in their story.

The Black Phone, C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson's clear sister to Sinister, has managed to exceed extremely high expectations in nearly every aspect. The writing/directing team puts personal traumas on full display while expertly showcasing the complications of childhood in the '70s and the very real monsters of our world, while the performances of the child actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw take the already tight story to new heights.

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The Black Phone review – Ethan Hawke shines in a supernatural chiller

Director Scott Derrickson brings depth and dramatic detail to conventional horror themes

A fter a brief but well-regarded segue into the Marvel universe with Doctor Strange , director Scott Derrickson returns to his horror-drama roots with The Black Phone , a solid, spooky period chiller. Like his breakthrough picture, The Exorcism of Emily Rose , it combines conventional horror themes – in this case a masked child murderer (fully and terrifyingly inhabited by Ethan Hawke) and a supernatural element – with a rewarding depth of dramatic detail. The backdrop, blue-collar Denver in the late 1970s, is evoked through a nicotine and spilled Coors palette and the kind of parenting that is hands off apart from the occasional beatings.

Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) live in fear of two things: the Grabber, the mysterious man behind a string of child abductions, and their own father, who whips them when any hint of their mother’s psychic ability manifests in them. It’s this ability, however, that might just save Finney when he is snatched. A disconnected phone in the basement prison links him with previous victims, each with a crucial hint on how to escape.

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'The Black Phone' dials up great reviews as critics praise Ethan Hawke's 'skin-crawling' performance

Hawke has a bright future as an onscreen villain.

Vance Hopper (Brady Hepner) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in The Black Phone (2022)

You thought Moon Knight 's Arthur Harrow was creepy? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet! Taking on one of the first villainous roles of his celebrated acting career, Ethan Hawke is said to absolutely command the screen as the child-killing Grabber in The Black Phone . Hitting theaters this coming Friday (June 24) by way of Universal Pictures, writer-director Scott Derrickson's supernatural thriller currently holds a fresh 85 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Hawke's performance as "utterly skin-crawling."

Recently speaking to SYFY WIRE , the actor explained what drew him to the — ahem — sinister role. "I like complicated people, problematic people, but being the embodiment of evil was not something I was really dying to do," he said. "But I had such a wonderful time working on Sinister with Scott. If you're going to spend your life dedicated to acting, you better have at least one movie to play at midnight."

Based on a short story penned by Joe Hill and Derrickson's own childhood in Colorado, The Black Phone turns back the clock to the 1970s when young Finney Blake (Mason Thames) finds himself abducted and trapped in the basement of Hawke's sadistic murderer. The boy's odds of survival seem slim to none until a black rotary phone that doesn't seem to be attached to any discernible wiring starts to ring with messages from The Grabber's previous victims. Chock full of retro needle drops and other bits of nostalgia that perfectly evoke the time period, the film (written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill) presents a dark reflection of rose-colored Americana.

Madeleine McGraw ( Outcast ), Jeremy Davies ( Saving Private Ryan ), and James Ransone ( IT: Chapter Two ) round out the cast. Derrickson and Cargill produced the feature alongside Jason Blum. Ryan Turek and Christopher H. Warner are executive producers.

“ The Black Phone carries you along on its own terms — that is, if you accept that it’s less an ingenious freak-out of a thriller than a kind of stylized contraption. It’s a horror ride that holds you, and it should have no trouble carving out an audience, but I didn’t find it particularly scary (the three or four jump-worthy moments are all shock cuts with booms on the soundtrack — the oldest trick in the book). The movie plays a game with the audience, rooting the action in tropes of fantasy and revenge that are supposed to up the stakes, but that in this case mostly lower them." -Owen Gleiberman, Variety

"This is watchable entertainment that achieves a reasonable altitude with its jump-scares, and whose suspense-thriller aspect keeps it engaging on a human level: but there’s a kind of plot issue in the film’s second act, with Finney’s terrified life as the Grabber’s prisoner in which he seems to be able to get away with an enormous amount of undetected escape preparation. But Hawke, whose creepy bad-guy potential is a plausible new career direction, is unnerving, and there are really good performances from Thames and McGraw." -Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

" The Black Phone is set in the ’70s, but it’s not self-consciously trying to be a ‘70s horror movie. Yet its themes and atmosphere do reflect that era: a time when child abductions and serial killers became some of America’s darkest myths, when paranoia and mistrust were rampant, and when kids were allowed a lot more leeway and freedom in their lives, sometimes with sorrowful results. Yet it’s not a nihilistic film either. What is broken may not be easily put back together, if at all, but the characters in The Black Phone do their best to try." -Don Kaye, Den of Geek

" The Black Phone may be a Joe Hill adaptation, but it really does feel like a Stephen King work. That’s obviously a comparison both have tried to avoid in the past, but Scott Derrickson really does lean in to the King of it all. It meets Stand By Me , with a bit of Panic Room thrown in, isn’t the worst way to describe this flick. Fans of the short story will likely be pleased, but it’s hardly a prerequisite for enjoying his one." -Joey Magidson, Awards Radar

"Hawke, in a rare villain role ... gives a frightening and fascinating physical performance — since his face is masked for almost the entire movie, it’s his presence (sometimes dominant, sometimes playful, always creepy) and vocal work that most impresses. He swaps out the upper and lower portions of his devil-horned mask like some fucked-up psychological exercise — donning frowns that feel more like snarls, or malice-dripping Man Who Laughs grins. Sometimes, he exposes his eyes or mouth entirely. Hawke becomes one with those masks, perfectly moulded to his facial contours. It’s hard to look away." -Ben Travis, Empire

"Derrickson’s at his best in scenes where Finney explores the Grabber’s basement, pulling up floor tiles or digging behind solid-looking walls. Derrickson’s also smart enough to let Hawke suggest some things about his character through the abrupt shifts in the Grabber’s tone of voice and body language. That’s especially impressive since Hawke performs most of his scenes in a bifurcated mask that either hides or highlights his character’s leering, omnipresent smile." -Simon Abrams, TheWrap

"Derrickson excels at evoking the late '70s era throughout the movie without making it feel gimmicky or arbitrary. From the choices in fashion and interior decor to the music, Derrickson makes this feel like a familiar, lived-in world, with the Grabber personifying something of a suburban nightmare come to life. Derrickson and co-writer Cargill, who also produces the film, have expanded the lean source material into a large, terrifying world. Hill's story is all killer, no filler, running for about thirty pages. The Black Phone adaptation is nearly two hours long, giving its main characters more backstory and emotional depth while making its villain all the more twisted." -Sam Stone, ComicBook.com

"Hawke’s face is almost completely obscured the entire film behind a Tom Savini-designed mask, and it adds to Hawke’s utterly skin-crawling performance. The actor exudes a perverse, murderous creepiness that makes his constant threat of danger palpable. His portrayal goes far to convey the abject menace long before we see the aftermath of his depraved work. There are shocking bursts of violence and scares, but none of that holds a candle to Hawke’s decisive turn." -Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

The Black Phone hits the big screen this Friday — June 24.

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The Black Phone reviews land it a strong Rotten Tomatoes score

High praise for the horror.

preview for The Black Phone - Official Trailer (Universal Pictures)

The film, directed by Doctor Strange 's Scott Derrickson, is based on the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. It follows an abducted child named Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), who is able to communicate with the past victims of his kidnapper (played by Moon Knight 's Hawke) through a disconnected phone.

The movie received high praise following the world premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2021, and on Tuesday (June 21), it had a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating after 28 reviews.

Now with 71 reviews, that score has dropped slightly – but ending up in the mid-80s is very solid, especially considering the movie's genre.

ethan hawke as the grabber, mason thames as finney shaw, the black phone

Related: Moon Knight star's new horror movie gets rave first reactions

Among the reviews, IndieWire 's Marisa Mirabal described The Black Phone as a "sleek, stressful, and violent slice of horror that captures the audience's emotions as quickly as the film's antagonist kidnaps children in broad daylight".

"Every aspect of the film is emotionally arresting and tackles timeless fears with razor-sharp precision," she added.

Meanwhile, IGN 's Amelia Emberwing wrote that the film "managed to exceed extremely high expectations in nearly every aspect".

She added: "The writing/directing team puts personal traumas on full display while expertly showcasing the complications of childhood in the '70s and the very real monsters of our world, while the performances of the child actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw take the already tight story to new heights."

Related: Doctor Strange 2 director drops out of film due to "creative differences"

Critics also praised Derrickson's direction, who left Marvel 's Doctor Strange 2 due to creative differences before making this film.

"Derrickson and his crew took a neat little horror concept from an actually short short story and were able to expand upon it in ways that both make sense and don't feel like filler," said Eric Vespe of Slash Film .

The Black Phone will be released in cinemas on June 24, 2022.

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Shivani Dubey is a freelance writer covering entertainment, culture, social trends and lifestyle. She has been published in Vice, Vogue India, Refinery29, Mashable, i-D, Little White Lies, HuffPost and The Daily Beast among other titles. You can find her on Twitter .

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‘The Black Phone’ Review: Scott Derrickson Dials Into Realistic Terrors with Arresting Joe Hill Adaptation

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Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2021 Fantastic Fest. Universal Pictures releases the film in theaters on Friday, June 24.

“One minute you’re invisible and the next minute the whole state knows your name.” A young and phantom voice speaks this ominous fact over a rotary phone receiver into the ear of the town’s latest kid who’s gone missing. Isolated in a basement with a single window too high to access and an antiquated phone that won’t stop ringing, Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) accepts his new reality like he does every day in the outside world. He’s used to being the victim of everything kids fear: bullies, the death of a loved one, being unpopular, crossing an abusive caregiver, saying the wrong thing to your crush, even jumping too much while watching a scary movie alone. However, with a little help from beyond the grave, Finney may have just enough fight left in him to face his ultimate fear head-on.

Adapted from Joe Hill’s short story of the same name, “ The Black Phone ” is a sleek, stressful, and violent slice of horror that captures the audience’s emotions as quickly as the film’s antagonist kidnaps children in broad daylight. Ethan Hawke stars as a masked kidnapper (nicknamed “The Grabber”) who terrorizes a suburban Colorado town in the 1970s. Hiding behind the facade of a clumsy magician, he lures kids in with kindness before eclipsing their world with mace and a swarm of signature black balloons.

The story is told through Finney’s perspective as audiences get a glimpse into his home and personal life before he becomes the kidnapper’s latest victim. In between dodging his classmates on the prowl to beat him up, Finney has to walk on eggshells at home in order to avoid any further abuse from his alcoholic father. The only solace he can find is alongside his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), a sweet yet religious spitfire in pigtails, who has no qualms about cussing out cops or smashing a rock over a bully’s head.

However, support comes in supernatural form once Finney winds up in a derelict basement with bare resources sprawled about and a black phone on the wall. His kidnapper, donning a two-piece interchangeable mask (designed by the legendary Tom Savini) taunts him with a ritualistic game that has to occur in order for any torture and Finney’s subsequent death to unfold. Despite being informed that the phone does not work, Finney begins to receive calls from the kidnapper’s previous victims as they provide him useful information for his survival. All the while, Gwen investigates her brother’s disappearance by utilizing her dreams as a catalyst for her clairvoyant abilities.

Hill’s short story is a creepy bare-bones framework, which allows Derrickson and Cargill to deeply flesh out the characters. Finney and Gwen have an admirable relationship where they protect one another from the dangers that stalk them inside and outside of their home. Thames brings a tender sense of vulnerability to Finney but his character arc is exactly what audiences want to see from an underdog protagonist. From the start, McGraw is a force to be reckoned with and was described as “sunshine in the apocalypse” by Cargill during a post-screening Q&A when the film debuted at Fantastic Fest. Her performance as Gwen is a powerhouse of emotion, whether it’s crying for mercy at the hand of her father’s belt or bluntly asking Jesus why he won’t do more to help.

While Hawke typically avoids villainous roles, it’s clear that he enjoyed playing “The Grabber.” Throughout most of the film, his face is hidden, but Hawke uses this to his advantage by playfully adjusting his voice and fluctuating from a menacing captor to a calm presence that teases Finney at a potential release. There are elements similar to John Wayne Gacy present, but the abuse does not cross into sexual territory. What’s also great about this particular villain is that his character does not leave any cravings for a backstory. The “why” of his heinous actions is not a general focus. His behavior is simply summed up as a certain kind of inexplicable evil that is all too common in the news. The fact that Derrickson and Cargill chose to keep his origin story absent works extremely well with the film’s tone and overall dread the story elicits.

The supernatural aspect of dead children talking to Finney over the phone may sound bland, but is executed well through special effects and eerie editing. Their severed voices are coupled with a gory presentation of what “The Grabber” did to them in their final hours, a stark portrait that produces a handful of well-timed and effective jump scares. All the while, production designer Patti Podesta and costume designer Amy Andrews beautifully immerse audiences into the seventies in a naturalistic manner that does not feel forced or overdone for nostalgia purposes. To build upon this time frame, Brett Jutkiewicz adds texture to the film’s story with grainy cinematography and vintage light that captures the dichotomy of a sleepy town being ravaged by a prolific killer.

“The Black Phone” is a succinct and stressful terror blanketed with themes of friendship, family, and inventive portrayals of resiliency. Every aspect of the film is emotionally arresting and tackles timeless fears with razor-sharp precision. Derrickson and Cargill’s collaborative vision navigates horror down multiple avenues and preys upon traditional forms of strengths and weaknesses through aspects of religion and familiarity. For example, terror can live next door in the form of a murderer while simultaneously residing in your heart or simply walking down the hallways at school. The duo who brought audiences “Sinister” now provides a film with a bleak yet entertaining reminder that horror is omnipresent, but sometimes you can find a lifeline in the darkest of hours, if you just listen.

“The Black Phone” premiered at Fantastic Fest. Universal Pictures will release it in theaters in 2022.

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Screen Rant

Why the black phone's reviews are so positive.

Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone is getting rave reviews due to its premise, performances of its leads, and fresh take on the horror genre.

The Black Phone is out and its generally positive reviews show that critics and audiences agree: it's good. One of the most anticipated horror movies of 2022 , The Black Phone originally premiered at Fantastic Fest in September of 2021. Directed by Scott Derrickson and written by C. Robert Cargill and Derrickson, the film has quickly established itself as one of the highest-rated horror films released in 2022.

As of the writing of this article, The Black Phone boasts a critic's score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes . Of 128 critic reviews on the site, 110 of them certify it Fresh, with only 18 calling it Rotten. Even with 2022 being a year heavy with horror movies, The Black Phone has distinguished itself, with its current scores placing it in the top 10 best-reviewed horror movies this year.

Related: Does The Black Phone Have An After Credits Scene?

Derrickson and Cargill formerly teamed up to write 2012's Sinister . While it was a commercial success, Sinister didn't reach The Black Phone 's level of critical acclaim, with its Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 63% , over 20% lower than The Black Phone. Here's a roundup of the positive things critics are saying about The Black Phone.

The Black Phone is another impressive addition to Derrickson and Cargill's acclaimed cinematic partnership, balancing messy family drama with paranormal thriller sensibilities. Both a largely faithful adaptation and expansion of Hill's story, the movie promises future strong work from its young cast and gives Hawke an opportunity to showcase how well he can embrace malevolence incarnate.

Roger Ebert :

"The Black Phone" is a saga of support and resilience disguised as a semi-paranormal serial murderer flick. Underpinned by emotional performances across the board and a commanding atmosphere, "The Black Phone" aces its foundational qualities and allows its nuances to take control. The gore is secondary to the story, with character development taking first string, but by no means does the film neglect to thrill. Rather, it’s your care for Finney and the intensity of the film’s skillfully crafted suspense that draws your knees to your chest and your nails to your teeth.

The scares here are never cheap. You’ll jump, to be sure, but every ounce of distress is well earned. The supernatural element supports the terror, but it’s the reality of Finney’s situation and Hawke’s unnerving Grabber that keep the tension throughout the story.

“The Black Phone” ultimately works better than most other recent King-like or King-style horror pastiche. And while Derrickson and Cargill might’ve delivered a more essential variation on their movie’s familiar tropes if they spent more time rooting around the darker corners of Hill’s troubling story, they ultimately play to their creative strengths, with some help from their key collaborators.

Most positive reviewers reference the chilling performance of Ethan Hawke as The Grabber and Mason Thames' balanced and believable protagonist, Finney. The character work in the film is indeed top-notch and the dialogue works to highlight that. Not every review is entirely glowing, with some referencing a feeling that the film never quite found its cohesion. Here are some reviews from that other camp:

Screen Rant :

Black Phone is the rare scary movie that could have benefited from additional runtime and exploration of its numerous ideas, especially the film's supernatural components. Instead, despite quality parts (especially performances from Hawke, Thames, and McGraw as well as the movie's eerie 1978 setting and atmosphere), Derrickson struggles to build upon Hill's short story in enough significant ways to make the movie version any richer or more terrifying than its 30-page source material. The result is a beautifully shot and well-acted live-action short story, but one that's missing enough connective tissue, fresh ideas, and time spent between its characters to produce a lasting feature film experience.

Answer the call of The Black Phone if you dare. Just be aware that, much like the severed cord dangling underneath the device, there’s a crucial disconnect between the provocative ideas that it sets up, and what it ultimately delivers.

The New York Times :

Leaning heavily into the familiar narrative obsessions of Hill’s father, Stephen King — plucky kids, feckless parents, creepy clowns and their accessories — “The Black Phone” feels unavoidably derivative. But the young actors are appealing, the setting is fondly imagined and the anxieties of adolescence are front and center. For most of us, those worries were more than enough to conjure the shivers.

However, even its detractors tend to laud elements of The Black Phone . Most reviewers point to the impressive performances by the cast as being more than enough to captivate the film's audience, even if they don't love every choice the film makes. The Black Phone 's ending is also remarkable and fresh, not relying solely on classic horror tropes to tell its story. With scores higher than Derrickson's previous horror outings and a stellar ensemble and villain, The Black Phone proves that a film doesn't need to be perfect to be enjoyable.

Next: Black Phone & Sinister Exist In The Same Universe - Theory Explained

‘The Black Phone’ Review: Ethan Hawke in a Serial-Killer Movie with Some Nightmare Images but Less Fear Than Meets the Eye

Scott Derrickson's thriller has the trappings of a grungy dread-soaked nightmare, but it's too driven by fantasy to get under your skin.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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Ethan Hawke , in 30 years, has never played a flat-out villain before, so it would be nice to say that in “ The Black Phone ” he not only plays a serial killer — one of those anonymous madmen who live in a one-story house of dingy brick with a dungeon in the basement — but that he makes something memorable out of it. His mask is certainly disturbing. Hawke’s character, who is known as the Grabber, is a kidnapper of teenage boys, to whom he presumably does unspeakable things. He drives a black ’70s van with the word Abracadabra written on the side of it, and when he pops out of the vehicle to yank his victims off the street, he’ll be wearing a magician’s hat or carrying some black balloons. But it’s not until we see him in his home element that we take in the full hideous grandeur of that mask, which comes in removable sections and looks almost like it’s been chiseled in stone: sometimes it’s got a leering smile, sometimes a frown, and sometimes he just wears the lower half of it.

That this is Hawke playing a figure of evil is one of the principal hooks of “The Black Phone.” Yet serial-killer films, or at least the good ones, tend to have a dark mystery to them. By the time Hawke shows up in “The Black Phone,” in an odd way we feel like we already know him.

The movie is set in North Denver in 1978, which seems like the perfect setting for a serial-killer movie, especially since it colors in the era with a quota of convincing detail. We meet Finney (Mason Thames), the doleful, long-haired 13-year-old hero, when he’s pitching a Little League game; after he gives up the game-winning home run, we see the teams shuffle past each other, shaking hands and saying “Good game, good game” — a detail owned by “Dazed and Confused,” though at least the reference has its nostalgia in the right place. Finney and his precocious kid sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), discuss who’s the biggest heartthrob on “Happy Days” (she thinks it’s Potsie, but prefers Danny Bonaduce on “The Partridge Family”), and the movie weaves a resonant period vibe out of backyard rocket launchers, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” songs like “Free Ride,” and, tellingly, posters for missing children.

It seems there’s been a recent epidemic of them: five teenagers, all boys, pulled off the streets by the Grabber. And Finney, of course, is next. It’s not long before he’s been kidnapped and stuck in the Grabber’s dungeon — a concrete bunker, soundproof and empty except for a dirty mattress, with corroded walls marked by a rusty horizontal crack that looks like a wound. The heart of the movie is Finney’s experience down there and his attempt to escape. Now and then, the Grabber presents himself to the kid, hinting at terrible things to come, and giving him food, like scrambled eggs that look scarier than anything else in the movie (though they prove quite edible).

Yet despite the hellhole trappings, “The Black Phone,” as we quickly discover, is not a dread-soaked, grungy, realistic serial-killer movie, like “The Silence of the Lambs” or “Dahmer.” It’s more like “Room” driven by a top-heavy dose of fanciful horror, with touches of “It” and “Stranger Things.” We get a hint of where the movie is going early on, when Gwen has a dream revealing details about the killer, like the fact that he keeps those black balloons in his van. You might hear about Gwen’s nightmare premonition and think, “Cool!” Or you might take it as the first clue that “The Black Phone” is a horror film that’s going to be making up a lot of rules as it goes along. The director, Scott Derrickson , made the first “Doctor Strange” film (as well as the 2012 horror film “Sinister,” which also starred Hawke), and here, adapting a short story by Joe Hill, he has made a serial-killer movie that feels like a dark cousin to the comic-book world, with supernatural elements that drive the story, even as they get in the way of it becoming any sort of true nightmare.

The ’70s were an era when Middle American serial killers, the kind who would spread their crimes over decades in places like Wichita, appeared to be sprouting like mushrooms. Yet they were still in the process of becoming iconic; it would take popular culture to accomplish that. (“Red Dragon,” the first Thomas Harris novel to feature Hannibal Lecter, was published in 1981.) Now, however, they’re so iconic that they’re downright standard. In “The Black Phone,” the Grabber violates the bucolic setting but also fits rather snugly into it. The film presents him not as a complex figure of evil but as a pure screen archetype: the psycho with a dungeon next door. Hawke, apart from the Ethan-Hawke-as-demon mask, doesn’t have a lot to work with, and to up the creep factor he reflexively falls into mannerisms that may remind you of Buffalo Bill in “The Silence of the Lambs.” Hawke is such a well-liked actor that he’ll probably get a pass on this, but given the outcry that character caused 30 years ago in the LGBTQ community, you may wonder why Hawke allowed himself to drift into what amounts to a kind of sicko cliché.

In the dungeon, there’s one other object: an ancient black rotary phone hanging on the wall. The Grabber tells Finney that the phone doesn’t work, but it keeps ringing, and each timer Finney answers it the voice he hears on the other end belongs to…well, I won’t reveal it, but suffice to say that the movie has taken a leap beyond the everyday. Finney gets a lot of clues about the Grabber: what his games are, the weak points in the dungeon’s infrastructure (like a hole he starts to dig under loose tile, or a refrigerator hidden in a wall behind the bathroom). Much of this doesn’t lead anywhere, but it establishes that Finney has become part of a brotherhood of victims. He’s a bullied kid who’s going to learn to fight back!

“The Black Phone” carries you along on its own terms — that is, if you accept that it’s less an ingenious freak-out of a thriller than a kind of stylized contraption. It’s a horror ride that holds you, and it should have no trouble carving out an audience, but I didn’t find it particularly scary (the three or four jump-worthy moments are all shock cuts with booms on the soundtrack — the oldest trick in the book). The movie plays a game with the audience, rooting the action in tropes of fantasy and revenge that are supposed to up the stakes, but that in this case mostly lower them.

Reviewed at Tribeca Film Festival, June 18, 2022. MPA rating: R. Running time: 102 MIN.

Production: A Universal Pictures release of a Blumhouse Productions, Crooked Highway production. Producers: Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. Executive producers: Joe Hill, Ryan Turek, Christopher H. Warner.
Crew: Director: Scott Derrickson. Screenplay: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill. Camera: Brett Jutkiewicz. Editor: Frédéric Thoraval. Music: Mark Korvan.
With: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal, James Ransone.

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Here's What Critics Are Saying About The Black Phone

Ethan Hawke's new horror flick, "The Black Phone," is set to hit theaters on June 24, and the critics have already reached a consensus.

On the surface, Scott Derrickson's "The Black Phone" — which, as of this writing, has a 93% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes after 30 reviews — appears to be your typical '70s-era serial killer tale. The story is focused on Hawke's character, the Grabber, who abducts teenage boys and holds them captive before eventually taking their lives. One of the boys, Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), manages to communicate with some of the previous victims using a disconnected phone in the Grabber's basement, who attempt to give him clues about how to escape. When you start reading the critics' reviews of the film , however, it becomes apparent that "The Black Phone" isn't just some jump-scare maniac movie — it's a captivating character study propelled by Hawke and his young co-stars.

"'The Black Phone' carries you along on its own terms — that is, if you accept that it's less an ingenious freak-out of a thriller than a kind of stylized contraption," wrote Variety's Owen Gleiberman in his review. "It's a horror ride that holds you, and it should have no trouble carving out an audience."

Critics say The Black Phone is fueled by a great ensemble cast and talented child actors

When reading reviews about Scott Derrickson's adaptation, the main thing that critics have praised "The Black Phone" for is the film's ensemble cast and their performances. The young actors, in particular, portray characters who don't just deal with issues of abduction and serial killers but also domestic child abuse, bullying, and sibling bonding.

"Deliberately paced and restrained with its infrequent yet perfectly placed scares, 'The Black Phone' is primarily a character piece, and Derrickson has assembled an impressive ensemble of child performers," writes critic James Marsh for the South China Morning Post . "Thames carries the drama impeccably, while 11-year-old Madeleine McGraw is an absolute riot as Finney's younger sister Gwen, whose dreams may hold the answers to her brother's whereabouts," Marsh says.

TheWrap's Simon Abrams writes: "Mostly thrills, thanks partly to its strong ensemble cast." Little White Lies reviewer Anton Bitel explained that "The Black Phone" does a great job of doing things outside the typical Hollywood horror box, writing, "Gwen is a great character, sweary and kickass where a typical cinematic medium would be fey and ethereal."

Critic Marisa Mirabal describes Thames' Finney in her IndieWire review as perfectly vulnerable and exactly what a viewer would want from an "underdog protagonist," as she describes him. Talking about his on-screen sister, Mirabal says: "From the start, McGraw is a force to be reckoned with." However, at the end of the day, one performance stands out above the rest, and it comes from the movie's biggest star.

Ethan Hawke is delightfully terrifying

Whether audiences love or hate the film, critics say Ethan Hawke's performance as the sadistic Grabber character is undeniably impressive. Bloody Disgusting reviewer Meagan Navarro notes how Hawke's face is obscured for almost the entirety of "The Black Phone" by a Tom Savini-designed mask , making his already impressive acting skills even more incredible.

"It adds to Hawke's utterly skin-crawling performance," Navarro writes in her review. "The actor exudes a perverse, murderous creepiness that makes his constant threat of danger palpable," she wrote, adding, "His portrayal goes far to convey the abject menace long before we see the aftermath of his depraved work." Even reviewers who aren't big fans of "The Black Phone" say that Hawke does a fantastic job of keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Entertainment.ie's Brian Lloyd writes, "The Black Phone' might be a standard enough horror, but Hawke's performance is anything but and just about saves it from forgettable mediocrity."

Over the years, Hawke has famously shied away from villainous roles — with "The Black Phone" and Marvel's "Moon Knight" series being the only bad guy projects he's ever done (via Variety ). He told Total Film in December 2021 that one of his inspirations was Jack Nicholson and his performance in "The Shining" (via SyFy ). Hawke said, "He taught the world to see his malevolent side, how to see his madness, and once you do that really well, audiences don't unsee it. It can be a cumbersome piece of baggage, and I think that's what I was scared of. But also, you know, there's something a little shamanistic about my profession and the idea of inviting all that darkness into my life just never really felt worth it before."

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‘The Black Phone’ Review: The Dead Have Your Number

Ethan Hawke plays the big bad in this 1970s-set child-abduction thriller.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

More touching than terrifying, Scott Derrickson’s “Black Phone” is less a horror movie than a coming-of-age ghost story. In place of gouting gore and surging fright, this enjoyable adaptation of Joe Hill’s 2005 short story has an almost contemplative tone, one that drains its familiar horror tropes — a masked psychopath, communications from beyond the grave — of much of their chill.

The movie’s low goose bump count, though, is far from ruinous. Set in small-town Colorado in the 1970s, the story centers on 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames), an ace baseball pitcher burdened by a dead mother, school bullies and an abusive, alcoholic father (Jeremy Davies). An early lecture from a new friend (a charismatic Miguel Cazarez Mora) about fighting back will prove prescient when Finney becomes the latest victim of The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a clownish magician and the abductor of several neighborhood boys.

While light on scares and short on specifics (The Grabber is a generic, somewhat comic villain with an unexplored psychopathology), “The Black Phone” is more successful as a celebration of youthful resilience. As Finney languishes in a soundproofed cement dungeon, his spunky little sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw, a standout), is using the psychic gifts she inherited from her mother to find him. Finney also has help from the killer’s previous victims, who call him on the ancient rotary phone on the wall above his bed, undeterred by the fact that it has long been disconnected.

Revisiting elements of his own childhood and adolescence, Derrickson (who wrote the screenplay with C. Robert Cargill) evokes a time when Ted Bundy was on the news and “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” was at the drive-in. The movie’s images have a mellow, antique glaze that strengthens the nostalgic mood while softening the dread. (Compare, for instance, Finney’s kidnapping with Georgie’s abduction in the 2017 chiller “It” : both feature balloons and a masked monster, but only one is terrifying.) It doesn’t help that Hawke is stranded in a character whose torture repertoire consists mainly of elaborate hand gestures.

Leaning heavily into the familiar narrative obsessions of Hill’s father, Stephen King — plucky kids, feckless parents, creepy clowns and their accessories — “The Black Phone” feels unavoidably derivative. But the young actors are appealing, the setting is fondly imagined and the anxieties of adolescence are front and center. For most of us, those worries were more than enough to conjure the shivers.

The Black Phone Rated R for bloody apparitions and blasphemous words. Running time: 1 hour 42 minutes. In theaters.

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‘the black phone’: film review | fantastic fest 2021.

Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of a Joe Hill story stars Mason Thames as a boy who receives supernatural help in his attempts to escape a serial killer played by Ethan Hawke.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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The second feature film (after several TV projects) based on the work of horror author Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson ’s The Black Phone expands on a short story in ways that feel very true to the source material while significantly enhancing its theatrical appeal. It was never in doubt that this would be a more commercial outing than the deeply odd (but effective, in its way) 2013 adaptation Horns , but the picture also dovetails nicely with the current vogue for retro-set genre fare, lightly scratching a nostalgic itch without seeming at all like it’s trying to ride Stranger Things ’ coattails. (Or those of Hill’s father and Stranger inspiration, Stephen King, though this story could easily be one of his.)

The Black Phone

Venue: Fantastic Fest

Release date: Friday, Jan. 28

Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone

Director: Scott Derrickson

Screenwriters: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Like the boogeyman in King’s It , the Grabber approaches his prey in the garb of a clown. But this is a vastly more straightforward thriller, whose menace has nothing to do with the supernatural. Ethan Hawke ’s nameless character, whose motives we’ll never dig into, is simply a man who kidnaps teenage boys while posing as a party entertainer, keeps them locked up for a while, and presumably murders them.

Here, the spirit world is in contact only with the good guys, even if its attempts to help often scare them. Like her absent mother before her, Gwen is troubled by prophetic dreams. Her visions predicted the most recent kidnapping, with a specificity that brought her to the attention of local detectives. (Interacting with them and other authority figures, McGraw steals scenes with foul-mouthed impatience.) But she has no advance warning that Finney will be next.

Derrickson and writing partner C. Robert Cargill set us up to wonder if what’s in store between Finney and the Grabber will be a two-handed psychodrama. Once he has kidnapped Finney and locked him in his large, nearly empty basement, the Grabber is nearly gentle to the boy. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he promises, tacitly suggesting that Finney isn’t like the boys who preceded him. But do those promises come from the man Hawke is playing, or from only one facet of him? The lower half of the Grabber’s mask can be switched out to depict different expressions, from no mouth at all to a Joker-like, menacing grin; each may represent a psychological state distinct from the others, as in M. Night Shyamalan’s abduction thriller Split .

But while the interactions between the two, and Finney’s attempts to find a way out, work well enough to sustain purely reality-based suspense, that’s not all we get. An old rotary phone hangs on the basement wall, and it rings an awful lot for one whose cord hangs severed beneath it. Finney starts getting calls from the spirits of the basement’s previous residents, each of whom has his own piece of advice for the kid. Clearly, none of them escaped, so Finn will have to add his own abilities to their know-how — and maybe benefit from Gwen’s as well — if he hopes to get out.

Even when projecting utter desperation, Thames is spirited enough to keep the film from becoming utterly bleak, and the action aboveground offers some lighthearted moments of hope — from Gwen’s increasingly grouchy interaction with a God who won’t deliver visions on demand, to the involvement in the case of Max (James Ransone), a coked-up wild card whose efforts as a civilian detective may be more valuable than the cops think.

A couple of effective jump-scares aside, the film runs on ticking-clock suspense, knowing that whatever the Grabber says, it’s unlikely Finn will stay in his good graces for very long. The story’s final third works even better than the buildup would suggest, shrugging off some of the atmospherics and, with a clever nod to a classic in the serial-killer genre, focusing all the movie’s energies on a sequence that delivers. Happy or sad, this episode will certainly be immortalized in neighborhood lore, the kind of half-factual legend repeated from one school year to the next, until something more exciting happens.

Full credits

Venue: Fantastic Fest Distributor: Universal Pictures Production company: Crooked Highway Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone Director: Scott Derrickson Screenwriters: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill Producers: Jason Blum, C. Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson Executive producers: Joe Hill, Ryan Turek, Christopher H. Warner Director of photography: Brett Jutkiewicz Production designer: Patti Podesta Costume designer: Amy Andrews Editor: Frédéric Thoraval Casting directors: Sarah Domeier Lindo, Terri Taylor

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The Black Phone review: Ethan Hawke answers the call as a horror baddie

Scott derrickson and c. robert cargill are back with another terrifying horror tale..

What to Watch Verdict

The Black Phone is as horrifying as Sinister through different means and stars Ethan Hawke in a phenomenally despicable role.

Does the scary-spookies right

Takes the time to establish stakes

Ethan Hawke goes bad so well

Finds a way to highlight paranormal terrors and true crime simplicity

Some might not like how much time it takes to get "horrific"

Balances many plates and one or two might wobble at times

The horrors of Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s The Black Phone are on par with the duo’s decade-defining nightmare Sinister , albeit for different reasons. Their Joe Hill adaptation embraces spectral haunts after the second act intensifies, as 70s suburbia hardships — alcoholic parents, bloody-knuckled bullies — usher in a serial killer’s stranglehold over a small town.

Sinister valued the art of every scare as the demonic Baaghul torments Ethan Hawke’s mindfully broken writer. The Black Phone , meanwhile, allows Hawke to stalk and terrify as the child-snatching “Grabber,” a villain of our earthly realm. The films couldn’t be more narratively at odds and yet their cores are so interconnected — children fight for survival, others become ghosts and grainy home videos present information in a stick-to-your-brain manner.

Mason Thames stars as 13-year-old Finney Shaw, a late 1970s North Denver boy who is the target of bullies and lives under a liquored-up single father’s violent care (Jeremy Davies as the bleary-eyed Mr. Shaw). As if childhood wasn’t hard enough, other male classmates Finney’s age continue to vanish as The Grabber — a local kidnapper and murderer — continues his nightmarish spree. Finney doesn’t dare utter the psychopath’s name, but that doesn’t keep him safe.

One Friday afternoon after school, Finney is abducted by The Grabber and locked in a dingy soundproof basement. The only tool Finney has is a black rotary phone with a snipped line, but it still rings. When it does, the voices of past victims try to help Finney be the one who defeats The Grabber once and for all.

The Black Phone is a balancing act. Derrickson and Cargill must establish Finney as an all-American boy who’s timid yet withholds strength; we must believe he’s soft enough to be petrified and capable enough to evolve when pushed to the brink. Finney’s rebellious sister Gwen — played tremendously by Madeleine McGraw — is the stronger of the two. She bashes "jackasses" and curses like a sailor, but she also inherited her mother’s premonition powers.

The first act-and-a-half mirrors Richard Linklater movies — little league games, "Free Ride" needle drops and household dramas that shed tears. It’s all necessary table setting before Finney enters the mental and physical gauntlet that is Grabber’s subterranean lockbox, but it does eat away at the film’s duration.

Lesser films have stumbled when attempting to piece together the human elements of their horror tales. The Black Phone succeeds because of the lengths taken to ensure Finney, Gwen and even The Grabber are familiarized before evil strikes.

Derrickson’s gives Hawke all the weapons necessary for an out-of-bounds, unsettling performance. The Grabber’s toys with Finney in an "immersive" game called "Naughty Boy" — leaving the cellar door open, grasping a belt in hopes Finney tries to escape — which parallels Finney’s own father’s relentless beating of him and Gwen. Derrickson and Cargill draw upon scars from their childhood to create the monster that Ethan Hawke plays repulsively well. So much is conveyed only through The Grabber’s eyes from behind a devilish mask with either a smile or frown, but that’s all Hawke needs. He loses himself to the deranged mindset of a serial madman whose perspective has been poisoned by adolescent mistreatment and who now causes pain as a way to soothe his own traumas.

In simpler terms, Ethan Hawke doesn’t typically wade into malevolent waters, but The Black Phone is a testament to an actor saving this beast within for a grand reveal.

Through it all, The Black Phone still embraces fantastical horrors outside true crime molds. Every time the phone rings and Finney presses the receiver to his ear, the air grows cold and anxiousness overtakes. A collection of lost souls recall their experiences and aid Finney by dropping clues, all of which expand the dank, moldy basement confines.

Gwen’s role as the paranormalist who dreams about kids before their "grabbings" are not part of Joe Hill’s original short story, but allows for the haunted elements of The Black Phone to shine. Her visions are reminiscent of Sinister , yet never become a recreation of the movie that helped establish Blumhouse as a genre powerhouse.

Derrickson’s shot selection is just as crucial as Thames’ breakout performance or Hawke’s imposing turn from behind a macabre magician’s smirk. Cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz works with Derrickson to frame with devious purpose, whether blocking figures just out of view or outlining The Grabber as he stands in the doorway holding a tray with scrambled eggs and Sprite.

It sounds like an obvious statement, but Derrickson only allows you to see what he wants you to see — no better example than The Grabber frozen in the shadows, speaking in one tone of voice (example: happy), then emerging into the revealing light wearing an unmatching mask (example: angry).

Derrickson is so confident, meticulous and methodical that no inch of screen goes to waste. The Grabber’s basement feels larger than a mansion and yet smaller than the casket from Buried . What a trick and treat.

The Black Phone is a more proficient display of innocence robbed than Summer Of ‘84 or The Boy Behind The Door . Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill pour themselves into a vulnerable and very frightening kidnapping thriller that shows the many ways horror filmmakers can scare their audience. Mason Thames stands eye-to-eye with Ethan Hawke’s sickly snatcher, both stealing scenes from each other as their mind games escalate. Sequences will make you laugh as Madeleine McGraw cusses out Jesus then choke back tears as Jeremy Davies lashes McGraw’s rump raw as a punishment.

The Black Phone is a multifaceted horror story that frightens, devastates and still remains hopeful throughout. A total package tale that proves the kids aren’t alright — but they will be, despite all the atrocious behaviors we force them to face.

The Black Phone was screened as part of the 2022 Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans. It releases exclusively in movie theaters on June 24.

Matt Donato is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic who stays up too late typing words for What To Watch, IGN, Paste, Bloody Disgusting, Fangoria and countless other publications. He is a member of Critics Choice and co-hosts a weekly livestream with Perri Nemiroff called the Merri Hour. You probably shouldn't feed him after midnight, just to be safe.

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'The Black Phone' Review: Don't Answer That Call

The Grabber's gonna get you!

The Black Phone was probably the horror movie I was most excited for this year. Based on a Joe Hill short story, and directed by Scott Derrickson , who directed one of my favorite recent horror films, Sinister , it seemed to have everything going for it. I was ready to love it.

And yet, I did not.

Set in 1978, in a small, working-class suburb in West Denver, the town has been besieged by a series of child kidnappings. Interestingly, no one seems particularly terrified by these seizures. There has been no curfew installed, and no one seems to change their daily routines. It’s weirdly background fodder. Maybe because our main kids, siblings Finney ( Mason Thames ) and Gwen ( Madeleine McGraw ), have an abusive, alcoholic father and neighborhood bullies to deal with. They can’t be worried about The Grabber ( Ethan Hawke ) – as the news stations have dubbed him – getting his grubby paws on them.

Until he does. Driving around in a black Abracadabra-branded minivan, The Grabber uses a bouquet of black balloons to hide a canister of gas which he uses to knock out his victim. He uses this on Finney as he is walking home from school. When Finney wakes, he is in a soundproofed basement, with only a bare mattress, a toilet, several rolled-up rugs, and a disconnected black phone on the wall.

Though that phone is disconnected, it still rings, and on the other end are the ghosts of the boys who had been kidnapped before Finney. They all offer various tips on how to escape, but none of them work. On the outside, Gwen has vaguely psychic dreams that she – and the police – hope will lead them to her brother. These dreams were a gift that was handed down from her mother, who killed herself over her own “gifts.” Gwen’s psychic gifts felt like an afterthought, or an underdeveloped red herring. It felt shoehorned into the story.

RELATED: 'The Black Phone': Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and Everything You Need to Know

I am probably going to sound like a sadist for saying this… but there didn’t feel like there was any real danger for Finney here. He spent most of his time alone, in that basement. The Grabber didn’t touch him. He didn’t threaten him. He hardly even came downstairs and did anything weird or alarming. He could have done a bizarre dance or told a befuddling joke… anything, really. He had virtually no contact with Finney at all. It was mostly just Finney and the ghosts of dead children trying to figure a way out.

On top of that, we never knew anything about The Grabber. I’m not talking about knowing his motivation; we knew nothing . We don’t know anything other than he likes to abduct and kill adolescent boys, and there is a hint at the beginning that he was once held in a basement like the one he holds Finney in. That’s it. If we are getting a hint that he was abused as a kid, I want to know more, I want to know how that translates into a troubled adulthood. How does the mask tie into that? Why does he panic if it is removed? Is he really a magician? Why is the color black so important to him? How does he choose his victims? How long does he keep them alive? When and how does he decide to kill them? Is it a ritualized murder?

There are very few classic hallmarks of horror films in The Black Phone. They arrive in the third act, but before that, it is a lot of… nothing. Talking. No cat-and-mouse chasing. No killing. Not even any suspense. You know Finney has been kidnapped; you know who took him; you know that the previous kids are dead.

I will say that things picked up at the end, but I don’t want to say anything more for fear of spoiling it. But boy… it was a struggle getting there.

New horror movie remake based on divisive film gets terrifying trailer, and it might feature James McAvoy's most disturbing performance yet

Speak No Evil follows a holiday from hell

The first trailer for Speak No Evil is here, and it’s pretty chilling. Based on a 2022 Danish film of the same name, the new remake stars James McAvoy as a host from hell.

As can be seen above in the first look at the new horror, it all kicks off when an American family makes friends with a British couple on vacation and are invited to their idyllic country estate. However, when they arrive, it turns out not all is what it seems and something deeply disturbing is going on with this family.

The trailer features some chilling moments, including a terrifying twist on country hit Cotton Eye Joe, as well as a tease that this may feature one of McAvoy’s most chilling performances yet. The film also stars Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, and Aisling Franciosi, and comes from Blumhouse, who are also producers of iconic horrors like The Black Phone, Get Out, and The Invisible Man .

It’s based on a Danish thriller, which is pretty divisive among critics and fans. Generally praised in reviews for its sharp satire and tense action, the film’s audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is significantly more mixed with some calling out its pacing.

Speaking about the new horror at CinemaCon 2024 (via Variety ), director James Watkins shared of McAvoy’s performance: "It’s remarkable what a kind, generous, funny, charismatic person my friend James is because he’s also capable of plumbing into some pretty disturbing depths in his roles."

Speak No Evil is released on September 13. For more chills, check out our guide to all the new horror movies on the way and our selection of the best horror movies of all time.

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I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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Scoop puts the focus squarely on the booker, Sam McAllister ( Billie Piper ), who was determined to shoot for the stars in nailing an interview no one really thought possible. I mean why would a member of the Royal Family submit for this kind of interrogation on a hot-button story when these accusations have already done irreparable harm to his reputation, the Queen, and the family at large? Director Philip Martin, working with an exceptional script from Peter Moffatt & Geoff Bussetil, slowly and methodically shows how it was done in highly suspenseful style.

It doesn’t matter that we already are well aware of how it turned out — obviously not well for a sweating Prince Andrew ( Rufus Sewell ) fumbling all the questions posed by the no-nonsense veteran anchor Emily Maitlis ( Gillian Anderson ), who played it cool as a cucumber in letting the Prince basically hang himself. Scoop is more about the way it all happened rather than the main event itself, even though the infamous interview is meticulously re-created and played for all it’s worth by Anderson and Sewell, both careful not to turn this all into a couple of not-credible imitations but rather two pros getting right at the essence of the real-life and still-living subjects they are playing.

Sewell is superb in more than suggesting the real Prince Andrew without turning it into a exageration. The same goes for Anderson, playing a living person for the first time and meeting the challenge of making a giant of the news business believable, even considering this woman has been on the air in people’s living rooms for four decades. But it is Piper who simply nails the tenacity and drive of McAllister, who would not give up against all odds of landing this interview. The moment when she is told Andrew’s private secretary is on the phone is simply thrilling. That character, Amanda Thirsk, is played brilliantly, and with admirable restraint, by Keeley Hawes , serving as sort of the key to the whole enterprise. Also excellent is veteran Romola Garai as the very sane and dedicated editor who knows this could turn around everything for her show and the BBC if they nab this interview.

If Scoop doesn’t quite reach the levels of the aforementioned film classics that have focused on what goes into bringing the truth and the goods to the public in the form of credible and reliable hardcore journalistic ethics, it certainly comes close on its own modest terms. And significantly, it manages to keep us on the edge our seats even if we do indeed know how it all ends. No small task.

Producers are Hilary Salmon and Radford Neville.

Title: Scoop Distributor: Netflix Release Date: April 5, 2024 (streaming) Director: Philip Martin Screenwriters: Peter Moffatt & Geoff Bussetil Cast: Billie Piper, Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell, Keeley Hawes, Romola Garai Rating: TV-14 Running Time: 1 hr 42 min

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