I finally had the chance to get to the movie theater and check out "The Black Phone." Every trailer on this film that I saw was screaming at me to go see this film. Usually when a film is so hyped up in your brain, it becomes a letdown when you finally get to see it. Not this film! It was much more elaborate than I thought it would be, in a minimalistic sort of way. Maintaining a creepiness throughout, the film starts off with you really getting to know Finney and Gwen, as well as their relationship with their father.
Scott Derrickson was working on "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" when he decided to direct this film while partnering up with C. Robert Cargill. The film is adapted from a short story by Joe Hill, Stephen King's son. Unlike Pennywise who utilized a single red balloon in a popular tale by his dad, The Grabber in this film went with a bouquet of black balloons. While the abduction of children is a primary focus of this film, it is the phone that keeps everyone on their seats. Past victims must have a permanent phone card from the afterlife because they will stop at nothing to ensure that Finney, who was captured, doesn't make the same mistakes that they did.
You can't help but envision 70's horror flicks when watching this one. The film is equally creepy as it is thrilling. Ethan Hawke has a knack for making a character real and this movie proved no different. James Ransone was annoying as The Grabber's brother. This super-sleuth was trying to solve the murders with a victim being stored right below him. While Gwen and Finney's dad was abusive, we were given a sneak peek into the loss of his wife and why he isn't too happy with Gwen's ability to see things.
Bullying also comes into play in this film, as one of his friends actually sticks up for him, utilizing his martial arts' skills. Although you were kind of expecting something more at the conclusion of this movie, the majority of this movie does its job with hitting on all thriller notes. While this film is riddled with great performances, Mason Thames was outstanding as Finney, while Madeleine McGraw was very convincing as the younger sister. Besides, how often does a horror film get ranked in the 80 percentile on Rotten Tomatoes. This is one worth checking out!