Director Scott Derrickson bring to screen what is really one of the more riveting thrillers of 2022. While “The Black Phone” almost always runs the risk of getting lost in its obvious influences of Stephen King and Amblin, “The Black Phone” ends up being a truly engaging and often scary hostage thriller. This one thinks somewhat outside the box bringing us not only in to the hot seat of the character that’s been kidnapped, but it also gives us a look at the echoes that emanate with every victim that villain “The Grabber” has ever victimized and murdered.
Finney Shaw is a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who’s being held in a soundproof basement by a sadistic, masked killer. When a disconnected phone on the wall starts to ring, he soon discovers that he can hear the voices of the murderer’s previous victims — and they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
Whether or not the entire scenario of the victims of the past coming back to haunt their murderer is an aspect consciously left ambiguous for the audience to debate long after the movie has ended. The whole story element of Finney receiving visits from the victims of the past who aide him in finding a way out of “The Grabber’s” clutches is something of a stroke of genius. Is “The Grabber’s” deeds finally coming full circle to become his own undoing? Is there a higher force working to help Finney? Did “The Grabber” muster up something unearthly that worked against him, rather than with him?
Why is Finney’s sister receiving premonitions, too? It’s never actually clarified for the audience, but the whole aspect of Finney receiving the aide from victims of the past is a wonderful dramatic device that competently raises the suspense and terror aspect. The writers also use it to subvert our ideas of what kidnapping victims should look like. Not only does “The Grabber” target young teen boys, but he targets often strong and dominant teenage boys that have the tenacity to fight until the bitter end. That clicks in to his sadistic streak which makes his whole mission against Finney so much more horrifying.
Derrickson’s excellent direction matched with the stellar performance by Ethan Hawke who, as “The Grabber” is just downright horrifying. His abusive streak along with his ambiguous origin make him a memorable boogey man, and one that is as cunning and clever, as he is murderous. “The Black Phone” is a pure horror gem, one that builds a new villain centered on real world anxieties, and how often times fate and nature can come full circle and destroy darkness.