From the very first moments, Black Phone immerses the viewer in a familiar world: in a modest American suburb, teenagers coming home from school, posters on the walls and a killer driving a truck who kidnaps innocent people… be the starting point of Stephen King’s novel, and this is not accidental.
Black Phone relies on the codes of the horror genre – in the atmosphere of the seventies – only to better bypass them later. From co-writer and director Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange), the film focuses on every parent’s worst nightmare: child abduction. The story follows Finny Shaw, a young boy who is kidnapped and locked in a soundproof basement.
Above him, the killer searches for the slightest sound. But a strange phone on the wall will allow him to contact the spirits of his former victims, perhaps in hopes of finding freedom.
Produced by Blumhouse – the production house behind some of the biggest horror hits of recent years – Black Phone is much more than a thriller with a previously-seen script. Mixing hyper-realism with fantasy, it manages to create a constant sense of unease through stunning suspense and ingenious staging.
Ethan Hawke in “Black Phone”.
Although this is a pure Hollywood production, the film is striking in its darkness, especially in the way it addresses child abuse on screen – namely, head-on and unequivocally. Another great strength is the characters.
The story revolves around two characters: Finn (Mason Thames), a kidnapped boy, and his little sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). We immediately believe in the unwavering love that binds them together. If children’s characters are annoying in movies, here it is the opposite, and society wants only one thing more than ever: to get rid of them.
It must be said that the talents of these two actors are related. Facing them, in the shoes of an assassin, we find Ethan Hawke. It’s a good idea for Black Phone to never show its face, which is always hidden behind various masks. It is enough to transform a simple killer into a mythological creature.
The Black Phone is available on Netflix.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
