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Have you ever been in one of those escape rooms where you pay to be trapped in a small space and solve puzzles to eventually leave the gift shop? Sort of Black phone takes place, except in this case you’re locked against your will in a dank basement by a psychotic serial killer known as “The Grabber” and must communicate with the disembodied spirits of his past victims via a rotary phone as they leave mysterious clues for you. which allows you to plan your daring exit from near death. Black phone has been on my radar for a while now, and while I’ll admit I was sleeping on this unexpected hit, I knew I had to check it out sooner or later, especially now that its upcoming (and well-deserved) sequel is coming out later this year.
A supernatural horror like no other
Black phone it doesn’t have a complicated plot, but it is executed to perfection. After a series of child abductions and murders put the community in North Denver, Colorado on edge, we learn about The Grabber (Ethan Hawke); the ever-elusive person of interest who operates out of a black van filled with black balloons and searches for his prey. The Grabber drives around town picking up children undetected and picks up his next victim, Finney Blake (Mason Thames), a socially awkward 13-year-old.
Finney’s younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) has psychic visions that offer insight into the Grabber’s whereabouts as well as the fate of his past victims, but their abusive alcoholic father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) discourages her from talking about it or acted. her abilities because her mother had the same gift of clairvoyance, which eventually drove her to commit suicide.
Locked in The Grabber’s soundproof basement dungeon, Finney begins receiving calls from a black (and unplugged) rotary phone mounted on the wall, all from kids he remembers from school before they disappeared. The disembodied spirits of Finney’s dead friends give him clear instructions on how to behave in order to outwit The Grabber as they attempt their own daring escape using the limited resources they have, only to meet their demise after failing to breach the basement.
Finney, who has the advantage of hearing multiple victims’ perspectives, has the ability to put together an escape plan using all the information he hears from the black phone.
Meanwhile, detectives Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Miller (Troy Rudeseal) meet with Max (James Ransone), a man who is obsessed with finding out the identity and location of The Grabber, as the authorities apparently need help finding all the children who have gone missing and are presumed dead.
Great performances all around
If you think so Black phone the plot sounds too simple to be effective, you are dead wrong about that. Not only do you want to root for Finney throughout as he is guided by voices from beyond the grave, his tenacity and willingness to trust forces beyond his understanding while following the rules of The Grabber’s sadistic games make for an admirable performance by Mason Thames. , the lead role of the film. Finney goes from terrified to in total control of the situation as he learns more about the weaknesses in The Grabber’s master plan.
Ethan Hawke he’s absolutely terrifying as The Grabber, whose persona is so unsettling because of the flamboyance with which he carries out his sadistic crimes. Hawke’s performance, which alternates between voices of childlike curiosity and guttural growls, will keep you up at night as he seems like a nice guy who can’t control his impulses until you realize it’s all part of his twisted game.
Black phone tracking
Black phonewhich is based on the short story of the same name by C. Robert Cargill, is masterfully suspenseful and definitely worth an on-demand purchase. My biggest regret is not dropping the $4 while waiting for the title to take off streaming. Black phone 2the upcoming sequel, is currently slated for an October 2025 release, and you better believe I’ll be watching it on opening day.
After watching Black phone on request via Apple TV+, Google Play Moviesor Fandango at homeyou’ll want to take a look V/H/S/85 for the short film “Dreamkill” set in the same universe as Black phonebut seven years after the events depicted in the film.
