The Black Phone
Finney Blake, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
- Released: 2022-05-29
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Genre: Horror, Thrillers
- Stars: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Banks Repeta, Kellan Rhude, J. Gaven Wilde, E. Roger Mitchell, Gina Jun, Ryan Cronan, Braxton Alexander, Andrew Farmer, T. Maxwell Martin, Brady Ryan, Jacob Moran, Jordan Isaiah White, Spencer Fitzgerald, Kristina Arjona, Tristan Pravong, Ron Blake, Robert Fortunato, Chris TC Edge, Mark Riccardi, Brady Hepner, Troy Rudeseal, Megan Petersen, Bay Allebach, Ray Strachan, Mike Bailey, Christine Connelly, Matthew Simmons, Ray Strachan, Ray Strachan, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Rebecca Clarke, Sheila M. O'Rear, Rocco Poveromo, Parrish Stikeleather
- Director: Scott Derrickson
Comments
- SeaStar1111 - 22 June 2024
Really simple and exciting story !
I love this movie whose story takes place in the 1970s. It is a non-commercial movie and its costs, I think, are low compared to the moves produced today that cost hundreds of millions.
The story is simple and the movie's actors are a group of very talented children, and everyone plays their roles with enviable merit.
The budget of the movie is small because it takes place most of the time in a school and the basement of a house (perhaps a movie studio), but the director of the movie managed the staff with great skill and you will never feel bored while watching the movie.
I advise everyone to watch this wonderful cinematic work... you will not feel bored while watching. - pkent-16454 - 10 May 2024
the lore is crazy
This is rlly crazy but i've heard on tiktok that it's impied that the grabber would 🍇 the kids like what how come it's so crazy
mason thames is rlly cute in this and omg the ships so crazy on wattpad (if u wanna see some follow me on wattpad @alexarelleno_ i'm rlly cool)
overall all this movie is amazing like the actors are so good and is probs one of my fav movies
if u liked this movie you'll probs like It, fear street and maybe the goldfinch depending on what you liked about the black phone
the lore is massive and when i say the wattpads go crazy i mean it like people are shipping vance and bruce like what they never met. - wajdi-41038 - 27 February 2024
excellent
I did not neglect the length of the film due to enthusiasm. Good and excellent, the suspense is great, one of the best horror films I have ever seen. Although it is in the horror category, it is not much except for some shots, but that is okay. The villain was very attached to him, and also the hero and the little sister were very kind and poor because she did not choose to have these kinds of dreams. It was good that the film did not contain pornographic footage The story is new and unusual for me. His character was wonderful. I thank the staff for this unique masterpiece of its kind, one of the best works. - vukaroo - 10 January 2023
Did I Miss A Deeper Theme, or Was I Just Expecting One?
This film definitely keeps your attention, which is important for any film; however, I'm a viewer who often looks for a greater theme.
I really enjoyed the fact that the film takes place in the 70s, establishing a particular tone. Also, the setting, which is supposed to be Colorado, is in fact North Carolina, and adds to the eeriness in Stephen King fashion.
In short, the plot revolves around a brother and sister who are in middle school and live with their alcoholic father. One day, a classmate goes missing and it's correctly presumed that he's been kidnapped. Shortly thereafter, other kids begin to disappear, including the protagonist brother. The kidnapper is a mysterious masked man, who lures the kids with "magic tricks." While Finney, the protagonist brother, is held captive in a basement, he uses a disconnected phone to supernaturally communicate with the other victims. Will the ghosts on the other line help him escape? Watch the film to find out.
I'd like to know if other viewers at least expected the kidnapper to provide a motive, or some kind of moral to the story was supposed to ultimately be revealed. Honestly, I kind of wanted a bit of both. I think King and Shyamalan would have at least sought out some deeper theme, but hey, maybe there is one, and I just happened to have missed it. Maybe it's all pretty clear and I just felt a little underwhelmed.
Nonetheless, if you're looking for an engaging horror/thriller, I'd give it a watch. - idares - 4 January 2023
Watchable Thriller
Recommended. The Black Phone is a scary thriller without excess blood and gore (there is some; it was tolerable for this reviewer, generally not a horror/gore fan). Maybe "horror lite."
Use of 1970s tv, movie, and songs in scenes for foreshadowing as well as setting makes this movie more artistic than might be expected. Overall a good watch, and good performances all around. The plot is a little lacking in 1 or 2 spots, but still good, scary fun.
This started as a tight, brief review, but more characters are apparently required. Threw in more words above. Pink Floyd's "On the Run" was particularly good. - rudahximenes - 30 December 2022
Increadibly weak movie
Despite it's a terror movie, there are no terror scene whatsoever during the whole movie. To make things worse, there is one weak scare jump, which is the laziest type of technique in a terror movie. The movie is completely disappointing and brings nothing new comparing to watch only the trailers. The movie plot is completely predictable and at the beginning of the movie you already knows almost everything you need to know At the middle you already knows everything and how the movie will end. Even low budget terror movies like The Blair's Witch and Paranormal Activity are way better and scarier then The Black Phone.
Make you a favor and do not waste your time watching this movie. - matthewgray-14462 - 28 December 2022
Way overhyped
This was a big snooze. I think people decided this was going to be good before watching it and stuck to their assumption. Almost turned it off. Very few sets. The mask you see on the cover is barely in the film and doesn't have anything important to do with the story. The child acting was a bit rough at times.
This was a big snooze. I think people decided this was going to be good before watching it and stuck to their assumption. Almost turned it off. Very few sets. The mask you see on the cover is barely in the film and doesn't have anything important to do with the story. The child acting was a bit rough at times. - TerribleKatherine - 11 December 2022
Unfortunately, Not Recommended
This movie was such a let down. It's very frustrating, because the premise is there and there was genuine promise in the villain of the story. I didn't know anything about the movie but was curioua about the creepy mask the villain was wearing. Well, the mask was the best and only interesting part about the movie.
The acting was alright, the kids did a good job which is usually rare in any movie. I liked the family dynamic of the main character and I liked how they introduced the villain to the audience. The beginning was very solid and genuinely brought the feeling of horror to the movie. Ethan Hawke did a great job and his mannerisms were creepy. But the further the movie got, it couldn't hold the atmosphere up.
I don't really know how they could've fixed it but at the end I was pretty much out of it. Perhaps a more grounded kidnap story would've made the villain better, consentrating on the dynamic between the man and the boy? - rainhardi - 19 November 2022
This movie is pretty mint, not the trailers though
The moment i saw the trailer, i felt like it had alot of potential. It seemed interesting and i thought it was a kid who's able to see ghosts and talked to the past victims. Instead after finding out that he was talking with them through a phone, i was rather confused. One thing ill admit is that the script writing was good. It was obvious it was neat, even until the very end, not a single thing went to waste. Though at one point the build up was a bit boring but thats fine. It felt like a simple film with good acting but if i were to recommend this to someone, i really wouldnt be surprised if they end up not liking it. It wasnt as scary too but that wasnt the problem for me.
The biggest problem about this movie isnt in the film but rather in the trailer. I feel like the trailer gave too much, i guess it wouldve been better if they had kept the Grabbers face a secret so itd be more of a surprise in the film but that really wasnt the biggest problem. After watching, i decided to do more research and found plenty of other official trailers where they show too much. One showed every single recommendation from the victims and if i had watched that before the film, i wouldve felt like only 20 minutes of the film would actually matter. - dakjets - 10 November 2022
One of the better horror films for the last years
It's so long between good horror movies... Sometimes one comes along that is worth watching, and this is one of them. If you're looking for a classic, well-directed horror film, but tense characters, tension and creepiness, you can go for this one.
The story may resemble many in the same genre. Small town America, children go missing, an evil out there. But here there are also surprises, and the right dose of superstition mixed in. A perfect popcorn movie for horror fans all over. Great that they got his one right.
In any case, I appreciated this one, and was both surprised, frightened and felt the tension along the way.
