THE BLACK PHONE – Review

Ah, the sweet nostalgic dreams of long-gone childhood. Carefree days, full of budding romance, bonds of friendship, and exploring adventures are lovingly recalled. Now, in horror flicks, well…it’s not that endearing. As a matter of fact, so many kids are menaced in terror tales, that it’s almost a “sub-genre”. The wee-ones have been menaced in everything from the classic THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE to (what they say is) the final season of the streaming sensation “Stranger Things”. Now, one of the “young Turks” of the movie “nail-biters” is ready to put those “brats” through the “ringer”. And his story source comes from an author with a familiar “fear history”. Somehow the biggest creeps come out of the earpiece of a common household device. Do you dare take a call from (creepy announcer voice followed by maniacal laughter) THE BLACK PHONE?

It’s the suburbs of Denver back in 1978, and despite the schoolyard talk of Fonzie and Ritchie, the days are far from happy. Well, the first day we see starts out well enough as fifteen-year-old Finney (Mason Thomas) almost strikes out a batter in the last moments of the big schoolyard game. Almost. But triumph turns to tragedy as a mysterious child abductor called by kids (in hushed tones or he’ll hear) “the Grabber” claims another victim. It’s all the talk between Finny and his devoted kid sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). That devotion comes from the “united front” they form trying to deal with their boozy, abusive, surly single father Terrence (Jeremy Davies). Things hit even closer to home when Finney’s protector from a trio of bullies, Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora) vanishes. And things get more complicated when the police hear of Gwen’s “crime dreams”, complete with details unknown to the public. She’ll make use of her “second sight” when Finney stops to help a bumbling magician (Ethan Hawke) and is knocked out, tossed in a van, and locked in a dingy basement. Nearby the beaten-up floor mattress is a kitchen-style black rotary phone. Of course, it’s unconnected (says the Grabber), but it will ring due to static electricity. But when his captor leaves, Finney is awakened by the repetitive ringing. Out of annoyance, he picks it up…and someone answers. Could the weird voices on the other end be Finney’s ticket to survival and freedom?

Though the twisted images of the Grabber are being used as the film’s big selling point, the power of the production really rests on the young shoulders of Mr. Thomas. Sure, most of it comes from the fact that he’s in nearly every scene, but it all collapses if he doesn’t inspire us to be invested in his struggles, to “root” for him. And we do, from the moment his “big game” takes a lousy detour to his effort to escape his dire straights. In the opening act Thomas shows us that Finney has no sanctuary at home or at school, but he keeps pushing himself forward…leading to his eventual “test’. He’s ably complemented by McGraw, a gifted actress able to shift between comedy (her “prayers’ and police interview) and tragedy as she tries to accept her “dream talent’ even as her papa cruelly tries to drive it from her. Aside from her “visions’, any big brother would be lucky to know she’s “got his back”. Both siblings are bursting with the joy of youth, which makes for a stark contrast to their sullen, inebriated “old man” played with a melancholy rage by Davies. He just wants to quietly crawl into a bottle and drown, but that parental instinct can’t be held down, though his “methods” are often repugnant. Oh, and then there’s the “big bad” himself with Hawke a most unpredictable nightmare-inducer even through the marvelous masks created by makeup master Tom Savini and “legacy artist” Jason (son of Rick) Baker. At times Hawke projects an amiable nature (his goofy charm is part of the “lure”), but the beast explodes when things don’t fall into place as planned. Helping to ease some of the agonizing tension is the comic work of James Ransone as the hyper Max who thinks he can be a great asset to the frustrated cops (“so, we’re working together?”).

Oh, the “young Turk” I alluded to earlier, why that’s Scott Derrickson, who has made a name for himself by helming everything from a HELLRAISER sequel to a Marvel superhero, DOCTOR STRANGE (the first in the franchise). Almost from the start, he’s “toying’ with us, shifting from the “American pastime” right into every family’s worst fear. And then he’ll draw us back in with a wistful recreation of “simpler times” before the “interweb’ and media-savvy kids, but then shock us with a scene of “then accepted’ near-demonic parental abuse. That’s all neatly tied together by the screenplay he co-adapted with C. Robert Cargill based on the short story by Joe Hill. Oh, I also mentioned a “fear history”. That’s because Joe’s the son of Stephen King which may account for the inspirations from IT, STAND BY ME, and even MISERY. But it’s not a series of “touchstones” strung together. Derrickson is a skilled “spookster”, relying on quick cuts and inspired bits of subtle lighting and atmosphere, rather than cheap “jamp scares’ and a blasting music track thanks to the score by Mark Korven. Those wanting their “fright fix” will be more than sated, while many casual genre fans will be “grabbed” (sorry) by the 1970s vibe (though it often feels a few years earlier than the disco days of 78) and entranced by the polished performances by the young leads. And the youngest moviegoers may be stunned to see that their tiny, super-thin devices all sprung from clunky bulky boxes nailed to the walls just like THE BLACK PHONE.

3 out of 4

THE BLACK PHONE opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, June 24, 2022