Mini Film Review – The Black Phone

Yesterday I watched The Black Phone; and it was pretty good! Directed by Scott Derrickson, and starring Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke, and Madeleine McGraw; The Black Phone is a supernatural horror film, based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill. The film takes place in a small community, where children keep getting taken by a mysterious man called ‘The Grabber’, and the latest kid to be taken discovers the mysterious phone that is not plugged in, but still somehow rings. The film is nicely set-up, as it shows that these kidnappings are becoming more frequent, but at the same time it highlights the grim world the lead character is stuck in. Once he is taken though, the film changes pace, as he tries to find a way out, whilst also receiving mysterious phone calls from a broken phone. Meanwhile, the world outside is still going on, with a nice additional focus on the lead character’s sister, who channels her supernatural abilities to find him. The film builds up it’s conclusion at a good pace, leading to a decently satisfying conclusion, with all the messages and foresight all playing a major part. The film though does have some small issues. Firstly the clarity in the camera work in the basement scenes is a bit too grainy, compared to the more clear outside shots. Also, the lead villain does have his weaknesses, as firstly it’s never revealed as to why he keeps doing this, with plenty of suggestion there to lead to a nice reveal, also it is slightly disappointing that for a very vocal lead villain, that there’s very few conversations between him and the lead character. But, all those minor defects aside, it’s a pretty cool, albeit a very grim, supernatural horror film; with a great focus on both the inside, and outside world!