The Black Phone is a recent horror film from Blumhouse. The film Stars Ethan Hawke who reconnect with Director Scott Derrickson to bring The Black Phone based on the story told by Joe Hill. No Spoilers Review.
This was a surprisingly good movie, not great but it was well written and the performance by Ethan Hawke as the creepy serial killer abductor the Grabber. Ethan Hawke in my opinion gives one of his best performance in recent memory because he brings the right balance as a unpredictable creepy character that makes him extremely scary. Ethan Hawke uses a lot of his physicality to bring out this character alive. The tone the tension and grittiness makes it one of the best movies I have seen this year so far. James Ransone who plays Max the Grabber’s brother I thought brought the right balance of humor when the film need a blend of humor at the right moment.
This was more of a suspense survival thriller movie than a horror movie in my opinion. There are a few good jump scenes but the story, Ethan Hawkes performance, and the suspense in my opinion sells the movie. my criticism of the movie I thought the cops were portrayed like morons who could not figured anything out and had to depend on a little girl with physic ability than good detective work to figure out the patterns of the Grabber and finding him. Mason Thames as Finney, and Madeleine McGraw as his sister Gwen both did a good job with their roles. I do think some of important parts of the story was cut out that was relate to their mom.
At one point I thought The Black Phone biggest twist was going to connect to Sinister as a prequel movie, because Scot Derrickson, Ethan Hawke, and James Ransone connection to the first two Sinister movies but when I learned The Black Phone was based on a book that connection was thrown out the window. Sadly there wasn’t any surprise twist about the Grabber in my opinion he was an unpredictable serial killer who underestimate Finney.
OVERALL 7.5/10
It was good solid movie that is a one off. Scott Derrickson did a good job by directing a solid survival suspense thriller. I didn’t feel like this was a horror movie at all, but I enjoyed the movie as it shared similarities to another Blumhouse movie The Invincible Man that dealt with domestics abuse as it theme while this dealt with surviving a serial killer who takes inspiration from John Wayne Gacy and other child serial killers.
My Comic Book Opinion 