Taglines: Never talk to strangers.
The Black Phone Movie Storyline. Adapted from Joe Hill’s short story of the same name, “The Black Phone” is a violent zeitgeist of a horror film 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 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.
“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 is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jason Blum. Written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, it is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. The film stars Mason Thames as an abducted child who can communicate with the past victims of his kidnapper, portrayed by Ethan Hawke.
In January 2020, Derrickson announced his departure from directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences with Marvel Studios. As a result, he decided to partner with Cargill on The Black Phone. The feature film was announced in October 2020, and filming began in February 2021. Principal photography took place for two months in North Carolina.
The Black Phone had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2021. It was theatrically released by Universal Pictures on June 24, 2022. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its faithfulness to the source material, Derrickson’s direction, and Hawke’s performance as the antagonist.
The Black Phone (2022)
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Ethan Hawke , Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Christy Connell, Kristina Arjona, Hailey Nicole Ralston, Braxton Alexander, Jacob Moran, Robert Fortunato
Screenplay by: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
Production Design by: Patti Podesta
Cinematography by: Brett Jutkiewicz
Film Editing by: Frédéric Thoraval
Costume Design by: Amy Andrews
Art Direction by: Shane Forbes Bates
MPAA Rating: R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: September 25, 2021 (Fantastic Fest), June 24, 2022 (United States)
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