THE BLACK PHONE (2022) – Phone calls from the other side
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

The basis of The Black Phone looks like familiar territory from the outset. Set in a small suburban 1970’s town involving a bunch of kids who encounter something sinister in their neighborhood. Sounds a bit like a Stranger Things wannabe. However, instead of monsters from another world, we are dealing with something much more down to earth, a child grabber and killer!
Tales of homicidal killers playing a cat and mouse game with the law is nothing new, but The Black Phone manages to keep things interesting and engaging. It does this partly by cleverly mixing a but of the macabre into the plot to provide some elements of the unexpected. In addition, it has the good fortune of having two very capable performers to carry the bulk of the movie. Young actor 14 years old Mason Thames plays Finney, one of the victims grabbed by the killer. As Finney, he is always convincing and puts on a believable performance under well, a rather unbelievable situation. 4 times Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke manages to create a strong screen presence as the maniacal villain even though he wears a face mask for most of the screen time. Together the two actors provide enough energy to drive the movie through.
One of the film’s plot devices is the titular reference to The Black Phone. Here is where the element of the macabre takes plays. In the room where Finney is kept prisoner by his captive, there is a black phone attached to the wall in the bare room. The phone has its wires disconnected and is basically not working. Naturally the phone begins to eerily ring on its own for Finney to answer and uncover something that would frighten him as much as his real life tormentor!
While this may all sound a bit silly on paper, director Scott Derrickson succeeds in making The Black Phone a captivating watch from the start to finish. He is able to get the best out of his mostly young cast, while capturing the right mood and atmosphere to make all the silliness go away. Ethan Hawke is excellent as the villain. His performance is probably made even more remarkable as he acts behind a variety of hideous looking masks. This is where voice and body language performance takes over.
The Black Phone is far from being a classic, but it does deliver on the thrills and excitement without the use of excessive gore, vulgarities or sex. That makes its a class above many others in the genre.