The Black Phone

Alunauwie 9/29/2025 4:22:58AM 8.4

The Black Phone successfully adapts Joe Hill’s short story into a suspenseful film filled with eerie atmosphere and emotional depth. With strong direction, solid performances, and effective 1970s aesthetics, it delivers tension and mystery through a supernatural lens. While some backstories remain vague, the film still leaves a lasting impact and is worth revisiting. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

Nathan 7/15/2022 3:19:08PM 8.4

The Black Phone is a paranormal abduction thriller that balances the tension/despair of being trapped and the ghost elements very well. The movie does a great job setting up the main characters in the beginning that gives you a relationship with them and genuine desire for them to succeed. There are a few plot points that are a little questionable, but are they are minor nitpicks and didn’t pull me out of the story too much. The performances all around were great. Ethan Hawke does fantastic in his limited screen time. He conveys the mental state of the Grabber with such nuance, it really makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The children do very well too, especially in the more emotionally heavy scenes. A few of the classmates performances in the beginning were a bit awkward. Overall, I had a great time with this movie and it is a testament to the directors and writers that they could adapt such a creative thriller from a short story. **Verdict:** _Great_

Steve Parker 8/14/2022 7:06:21AM 8.4

THE BLACK PHONE is a haunting and suspenseful new thriller starring Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Ethan Hawke, and directed by Scott Derrickson. 13-year-old Charlie is kidnapped by a child murderer and locked in a soundproof basement. The previous victims of the killer start calling Charlie on an out-of-service phone. These chilling calls give the boy a chance to save himself and others from the killer's clutches. THE BLACK PHONE is suspenseful and scary without the need to have onscreen violence (the violence is mostly off-screen). The cast is excellent, particularly Thames and McGraw, who both give standout performances. Thames is particularly convincing as the terrified boy who is trying to make sense of the situation he's in. Hawke is also chilling as the killer, though his character is not as fleshed out as I would have liked. The movie is well-made and well-acted and has a solid story with some creepy moments — and the length is exactly right. An enjoyable addition to the genre.