Countdown to Halloween series: “The Black Phone”

This weekend one of the most anticipated horror movies of the year, “The Black Phone 2,” opens nationwide and at the Dietrich! So, since it has been a little while since I have seen the first movie (in fact, I have only seen this movie just one other time after it was released) it was time to get a little revisit and add it to my Countdown to Halloween series!

Finney, a shy but clever 13 year old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims.

And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

If you are a fan of the horror genre and haven’t had the chance to check out “The Black Phone,” I highly suggest you do! This 2022 horror flick (originally scheduled for a 2021 release) delivers some very intense moments that lead to some truly effective scares. The movie also introduces us to the memorable character The Grabber.

One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this tense thriller is that it wasn’t too reliant on jump scares, which some movies in the genre can get too reliant on. “The Black Phone” does a really great job building the tension and the suspense, which creates a generally thrilling and disturbing experience for viewers.

Throughout the movie, there are quite a few thrilling sequences that show Finney trying to escape the basement with the help of the previous victims’ voices. Even the slight supernatural element of involving the victims contacting Finney through the phone adds an intriguing and really effective touch to the story.

Ethan Hawke gave a rather chilling and, at times, unsettling performance as The Grabber. One thing that’s really intriguing is that the movie never reveals a true motive of The Grabber’s kidnappings and murders (which adds more tension to the story). The character also plays mind games with his victims which also shows how twisted he can be. It’s rumored that the upcoming sequel could reveal some of The Grabber’s backstory.

“The Black Phone” also effectively examines the effects of trauma as Finney and his sister Gwen are traumatized by the recent loss of their mother and living with their alcoholic father. We also get a few glimpses of Finney also being bullied while being in school, which also adds to the emotional aspects of the story. There’s also one or two moments where his younger sister yells and curses at the bullies which can honestly make you chuckle a bit.

“The Black Phone” does an amazing job blending a chilling serial killer story with a

supernatural ghost story. This movie successfully creates a tense and suspenseful atmosphere and also explores themes of abuse, childhood trauma and the power of self-worth.

Trivia: “The Black Phone” is based on a short story written by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King. The movie was first delayed from 2021 to January 2022 due to the theater slowly opening throughout 2021. It was then delayed again to June 2022 due to the unexpectedly great preview showings and the studios thought it deserved a summer release date.

MPA: Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use   (103 minutes)

You can currently stream “The Black Phone” on Peacock or rent it through various PVOD services.

• Mason Thames (Finney) said that after every take with the The Grabber, Ethan Hawke would ask him if he was alright and would give him a "noogie" on the head.

• The Grabber is a clown in the short story, but Joe Hill himself suggested in a post-Stephen King's IT world, they couldn't keep that, and should instead switch him to a magician. Early drafts of the script also described the masks as leather ones with a smile or a frown, but Scott Derrickson knew they'd be the centerpiece of the film's marketing, so he spent a lot of time in designing it.

• The Grabber dons several creepy masks throughout the film, each exposing different portions of his face. They were designed by legendary prosthetic makeup artist Tom Savini. Mason Thames said that the first time he saw the mask, coupled with Ethan Hawke's bone-chilling performance, he was terrified.

• The movie was delayed from its initial January 2022 release to June 2022 due to unexpectedly great preview showings. Once Blumhouse realized just how great early reactions were, they gave it a summer release date.

• Ethan Hawke went as his character The Grabber for Halloween in 2022.

• The Grabber uses black balloons to abduct his victims. This is reminiscent of the painting the daughter does on her bedroom wall in Sinister (2012) which feature a figure holding black balloons, by the same writer/director Scott Derrickson and also starring Ethan Hawke.

• Scott Derrickson made this his next project after leaving Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) over "creative differences." However, he remained on as executive producer on that film.

• (at around 11 mins) Robin (Miguel Mora) mentions going to the drive-in cinema to see The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). Although this movie was set in 1978, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" played at many late night drive ins for years after its premiere release.

• The Grabber is based on real life serial killers Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Bundy would use a ruse to lure victims to help him to his car. Gacy would use a belt on his victims, who were all young boys. Dahmer had one victim escape from his apartment, only to be re-captured.