The Black Phone (2021)

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Description:
The story centers on Finney Shaw, a shy yet remarkably bright 13-year-old kid who finds himself snatched by a sadistic killer and locked away in a soundproof basement... When an old, disconnected phone hanging on the wall suddenly starts ringing, Finney discovers he can actually hear the voices of the killer's previous victims. And they are dead serious about doing everything in their power to make sure Finney doesn't end up meeting the same fate they did. (Source: IMDb)

Genre: horror
Director: Scott Derrickson
Screenwriters: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Michael Banks Repeta, Kellan, Rhude, J. Gaven Wild, E. Roger Mitchell, gin jun trailer

Trailer:

Has anyone actually made it to the theater to see this yet?

Total letdown. Honestly, this could have been so much, much better.

Spoiler alert!

The acting is top-notch, especially the little girl playing Gwen, but as a cohesive piece of cinema, the movie just falls flat. There is so much left hanging—so many plot points feel unfinished or completely unexplained. Take the villain played by Ethan Hawke, for instance; we learn absolutely nothing about him. We don't know the root of his sickness or the true motivation behind his actions. It lacks that deep psychological dive, similar to the way Lecter analyzes Buffalo Bill.

Regarding the titular Black Phone, I have no issue with supernatural elements or devices appearing in a story, but there needs to be some internal logic established. For example, in Beauty and the Beast, the magic is grounded in a curse cast because of an insult, which lasts until someone truly loves him. Why is this phone supernatural? What is its significance, and how did it come to be? Here, it just rings, and dead kids call to give the protagonist instructions on how to escape... it feels like a deus ex machina in its worst form.

The film throws a series of things at you without any real cohesion, and certain parallels feel totally aimless. For instance, why zoom in on the belt the killer uses to beat children, only to show a similar belt being used by Finnov and Gwenin's father? What is the point of that visual connection? It leads nowhere.

Then, of course, there is the subplot involving the Mexican boy being racially insulted... it feels like the movie is just checking a box to signal moral righteousness in line with the racial hysteria prevalent in the USA today.

All things considered, this movie isn't worth the price of admission. While there are occasional moments of well-crafted atmosphere, solid performances, and even a soundtrack featuring 70s rock hits, none of that can compensate for the total lack of internal logic. It doesn't fix the irritation caused by a surplus of underdeveloped ideas and associations that ultimately go nowhere. As harsh as it sounds, there were moments where the pacing was so repetitive and boring that I actually found myself wishing the Grabber would just show up and get it over with.

Honestly, the best part of this whole thing was the song during the end Credits.🤔
Everything else? Just mediocre. I really expected more, but it’s just one of those movies you watch once and forget. It was frankly boring... then again, I’ve never been a fan of movies centered around kids, so maybe that’s why I wasn't exactly blown away.🤔
I was genuinely hoping the director would use this project to actually level up, but instead, he just played it safe and stayed stuck in the same lane as his previous work...

Just watched it. It’s not bad—not a masterpiece by any means, but definitely not the worst thing I've seen lately. Honestly, out of the last five horror flicks I’ve sat through, this might actually be the best one... It kind of gives off those It vibes right at the start.

I also watched it yesterday; I was expecting more, of course, but I’d be lying if I said I left feeling disappointed.

It’s an atmospheric film in every sense of the word, especially those bullying scenes which were executed incredibly well—BUT as great as that part was, I found the whole antagonist subplot to be somewhat underdeveloped. Everything started off strong, but I never really grasped the kidnapper's true motives or his backstory. Honestly, until the very end, I was actually convinced that he and his brother were the same person (which would have made much more sense to me—childhood trauma leading to a split personality or something along those lines). Some of the fight scenes between the kid and the grown man felt a little naive, but even then, I let it slide for the sake of the narrative.

I think the biggest issue is our expectations; we were anticipating a gritty horror flick, but the movie is actually more of a psychological thriller with horror elements, focusing on a story of reclaiming oneself and a sort of coming-of-age journey. I can wrap my head around the supernatural elements—I don't particularly care about the origin of the phone itself (even though they mention the villain can hear through it)—but I feel like the film could have benefited greatly from more depth regarding the villain's characterization to make everything feel more cohesive. As it stands, I get the impression that (as I later discovered) the film was based on a short story and was stretched out to fit a feature-length runtime.

It reminded me of the Spanish film "Sleep Tight 2011," which follows a similar pattern, yet leaves you hanging at the end because the villain isn't explained at all, despite there being so much potential to do so.

Regardless, I still recommend giving it a watch. Not necessarily in a theater if you ask me, but definitely worth it just for the atmosphere and the soundtrack.

I honestly don't buy the argument that they over-explained the Grabber. There was plenty of subtext there for us to piece together ourselves—plus, the whole mystery surrounding why the phone works the way it does just fits the vibe and the premise perfectly for me.

The kids are awesome, especially the sister—she absolutely crushed it! And Hawke? He’s just great, so creepy and unsettling. Overall, the movie is solid and definitely worth a watch.

Okay, now for the gripes. There are some major logic holes here. First and most importantly: if one kid goes missing in the same neighborhood or suburb, fine—parents might still let their kids run wild, especially since it's set in the 70s. But if two or three kids disappear the exact same way in the same area? No way. Parents would be freaking out. They wouldn't even let them walk home from school alone; they'd be walking in groups or having an adult shadow them. It just doesn't track.

And second—this guy snatching kids in broad daylight in the single most suspicious van ever made, and somehow *nobody* ever sees anything? It feels a little ridiculous when you think about it.

neonfox65 said:Watched it. Not bad. It's not a masterpiece, but it's far from the worst. Out of the last five horror movies I've seen, I'd say this is probably the best. At the start, it kind of reminds you of It.

That's exactly how I felt too! At first, it totally gave off those Stephen King vibes—I actually thought it was based on one of his stories, but turns out it isn't.

Mark White11 said:I honestly don't buy the argument that they over-explained the Grabber. There was plenty of subtext there for us to piece together ourselves—plus, the whole mystery surrounding why the phone works the way it does just fits the vibe and the premise perfectly for me.

The kids are awesome, especially the sister—she absolutely crushed it! And Hawke? He’s just great, so creepy and unsettling. Overall, the movie is solid and definitely worth a watch.

Okay, now for the gripes. There are some major logic holes here. First and most importantly: if one kid goes missing in the same neighborhood or suburb, fine—parents might still let their kids run wild, especially since it's set in the 70s. But if two or three kids disappear the exact same way in the same area? No way. Parents would be freaking out. They wouldn't even let them walk home from school alone; they'd be walking in groups or having an adult shadow them. It just doesn't track.

And second—this guy snatching kids in broad daylight in the single most suspicious van ever made, and somehow *nobody* ever sees anything? It feels a little ridiculous when you think about it.

That's exactly how I felt too! At first, it totally gave off those Stephen King vibes—I actually thought it was based on one of his stories, but turns out it isn't.

Only the fact that it’s by his son is the connection, since he writes with basically the exact same style...😁

briskhound2 said:Only the fact that it’s by his son is the connection, since he writes with basically the exact same style...😁

Oh man, I totally blanked on the fact that Joe Hill is his son. It makes so much sense now!

I actually fell asleep halfway through. Such a letdown, honestly... I was expecting way more from this.

briskhound2 said:Only the fact that it’s by his son is the connection, since he writes with basically the exact same style...😁

Mark White11 said:Oh man, I totally blanked on the fact that Joe Hill is his son. It makes so much sense now!

Oh, wonderful, I didn't realize that—I suppose I'll have to do a little Googling.
Speaking of those vans... I feel like we've already traumatized an entire generation of kids with that imagery. I was driving my little girl to practice a few weeks ago and parked near one of those vans, and she just looks at me and asks, "Why there? Do you want someone to kidnap me?"

briskhound2 said:Only the fact that it’s by his son is the connection, since he writes with basically the exact same style...😁

Thanks for the heads up. I actually had no idea. Are there any other works out there?

mellowskipper said:Oh, wonderful, I didn't realize that—I suppose I'll have to do a little Googling.
Speaking of those vans... I feel like we've already traumatized an entire generation of kids with that imagery. I was driving my little girl to practice a few weeks ago and parked near one of those vans, and she just looks at me and asks, "Why there? Do you want someone to kidnap me?"

That almost happened to me once—some random guy actually called out to me to come over toward a van while I was walking home from school.

Just finished watching this, and honestly? I'm pretty disappointed. The movie drags—it’s actually quite boring, especially during that first half hour. I was almost ready to turn it off. The one saving grace is Ethan Hawke; he really held his own here. Everything else felt tedious, predictable, and just plain silly. For instance—SPOILER—how did Hawke not realize the kid had ripped those window bars out? Or how he managed to smash through a thick wall right next to the fridge? And don't even get me started on the logic: in a city gripped by mass kidnappings, nobody even steps outside when the kid is screaming for help during the escape? Just flip a light switch, people! Between that, the scene with the brother getting axed, the sister leading the police to the wrong location, and the ending with Hawke’s character—where the kid somehow holds his own against a massive, buff grown man—it was all so predictable. Overall, it was a tough watch. 4/10

Christian Myers said:Just finished watching this, and honestly? I'm pretty disappointed. The movie drags—it’s actually quite boring, especially during that first half hour. I was almost ready to turn it off. The one saving grace is Ethan Hawke; he really held his own here. Everything else felt tedious, predictable, and just plain silly. For instance—SPOILER—how did Hawke not realize the kid had ripped those window bars out? Or how he managed to smash through a thick wall right next to the fridge? And don't even get me started on the logic: in a city gripped by mass kidnappings, nobody even steps outside when the kid is screaming for help during the escape? Just flip a light switch, people! Between that, the scene with the brother getting axed, the sister leading the police to the wrong location, and the ending with Hawke’s character—where the kid somehow holds his own against a massive, buff grown man—it was all so predictable. Overall, it was a tough watch. 4/10

Dude, you clearly haven't seen Star Wars. The kid had the high ground, so obviously he could take him down. 😁

neonfox65 said:Thanks for the heads up. I actually had no idea. Are there any other works out there?

There are a few novels and two short story collections—The Black Phone was actually adapted from one of them. He’s got a novel called NOS4A2 that was turned into a two-season series—it's actually pretty decent—and then there's Horns, which also hit the screen starring Harry Potter. Two of his novels, heart-shaped box and The Fireman, are still waiting on movie deals even though the rights were picked up ages ago. Both heart-shaped box and NOS4A2 have been published here in the States.

You totally forgot his best work. Over here, we had Darkwood handle Locke and Key, but I think you guys have it under Fibra. It’s an absolute top-tier read.

briskhound2 said:There are a few novels and two short story collections—The Black Phone was actually adapted from one of them. He’s got a novel called NOS4A2 that was turned into a two-season series—it's actually pretty decent—and then there's Horns, which also hit the screen starring Harry Potter. Two of his novels, heart-shaped box and The Fireman, are still waiting on movie deals even though the rights were picked up ages ago. Both heart-shaped box and NOS4A2 have been published here in the States.

I'm strictly a movie guy—don't really touch books...👍

There isn’t a single shred of horror to be found here, honestly; it was just a tedious, mindless slog through a pretty dumb plot.

3/10