Review Of English Movie The Black Phone

Producer Jason Blum and Blumhouse

Director Scott Derrickson

Star Cast: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and ensemble

Overwiew : The film is based on the Short Story by the same name.

Storyline : The Black Phone is set in 1978 Denver,  as we are introduced to its protagonist, young teen Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), an ace baseball pitcher who nevertheless finds himself subjected to constant harm by school bullies, as well as a single alcoholic father (Jeremy Davies) who is in over his head in raising Finney and his younger, foul-mouthed but quite religious sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). Gwen’s psychic dreams are given credence by local authorities (if not her own dad, who physically abuses her and orders her to stop) when she is able to pinpoint an abduction of one of the  town’s young teen boysIt seems a serial killer is on the loose and several boys are disappearing. Little does she know her beloved brother is about to become one of them as a black van stops and a clown-like magician (Ethan Hawke) appears, and using a gaggle of black balloons knocks out Finney and throws him into the back of the vehicle. Finney soon finds himself locked away in a basement, the latest victim of The Grabber the  masked man  .Assured he will suffer no harm, a cat-and-mouse game ensues between them. A black dial-up phone on the wall which The Grabber said was inoperative starts ringing and Finney finds himself in conversations with previous victims, now dead, but offering tips on how to escape without getting caught, something each of them failed to do. Meanwhile, the feisty and determined Gwen begins her own dreamlike quest to find the whereabouts of her brother and bring him to safety.. and how it happens forms the crux of the movie.

Technical Review : Technically it is a very well directed movie , though the script doos not have much to offer , but the visual scenes provide a complete picture ..they provide the thrills and chills

.Performances  :Mason as Finney a kid whose own awkwardness and ventual determination to survive has us cheering for him, and particularly McGraw as Gwen, who steals every scene she has with a seeming ease that says this movie will not be the last we hear of her. She is a true standout. Ethan Hawke as the grabber is too perfect , he will definitely give you chills .

Final Words :   It is gripping thriller of the best kind , a good watch this weekend

Rating : 3.5*/5*

Watch trailer here