The Black Phone is Worth Seeing: 5 Reasons To Watch Why It Won Us Over

The Black Phone is one of the most successful horror films that we will see this summer at the cinema and in the following months on streaming platforms. The director of the first film dedicated to Doctor Strange returns to his horror roots, giving a film that transforms a very solid and throbbing story into a well-acted, well-made, non-slip feature film: a real gift to lovers of the genre. 

What surprises and convinces you about The Black Phone is how closely you remember the stories of the first Stephen King, the king of terror. A legendary writer, who has had as much luck in the bookstore as unfortunate and bad adaptations to the cinema and on TV. This film is inspired by a story by Joe Hill, a writer close to King also genetically: he is the son of the author of The Shining, who has cut his teeth both in the comic and in the literary world, hiding behind a pseudonym the most as long as possible, to prove one’s worth without the uncomfortable weight of the paternal surname.

It is not the first time that writing by him has reached the cinema and on the small screen: the Netflix series Locke & Key and the film In The Tall Grass are based on works by him. The meeting between Joe Hill and Scott Derrickson, however, brings out the best of both, under a Blumhouse production that ensures the film a respectable appearance and technical sector. If you love horror and in particular you like Stephen King’s style, here are 5 reasons to absolutely see The Black Phone: 

The Plot Of The Black Phone, Between Realism And Supernatural

Set in 1978, Black Phone follows the heinous deeds of a teenage serial killer who terrorizes a small US town north of Denver. The whole story is followed through the eyes of Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), a skinny boy and a constant subject of bullying who helplessly watches the disappearance of many friends and bullies who attend his same school.

His turn will also come: a mysterious man driving a van will kidnap him, locking him in a bare underground room, with only a mattress and a black phone (hence the title). Even if unplugged, the phone will start ringing: Finney will hear the voices of the Raptor’s previous victims, who will try to help him save his life.

Although there is a supernatural element and a hint of an afterlife that only a few know how to converse with, the reconstruction of Finney’s kidnapping and imprisonment are tremendously realistic. Black Phone first of all tells the psychological game that the boy plays with an adult man whose goals and thoughts are difficult to guess, and whose stakes are survival.

Who is The Real Black Phone Villain?

One of the most interesting aspects and one of the strongest echoes of Stephen King’s literature is the question that runs through the film: who is the real Black Phone villain? The answer seems obvious: the Raptor. However, the role of Finney and Gwen’s dad is crucial to the story, almost always in a negative way. Played by Jeremy Davies, the protagonist’s dad has far too many points in common with the killer to dismiss them as coincidence.

Finney is in a sense “advantaged” in the abducted position because his father’s violent anger has taught him to live his life by always being on the alert and trying to make as little noise as possible. On the other hand, however, the terror that Finney feels towards his heavy drinking and violent father towards his children has always paralyzed him, making him an easy target first for bullies, then for Race. Black Phone tells how Finney learns not to hide anymore and openly fights for his life.

Gwen and Finney: The Child Protagonists We Like

In projects like The Black Phone, it is essential to find the right interpreters. Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw never betray their very young age and are two of the reasons why Black Phone has done so well, along with the rest of the young and perfectly fitting cast. Their acting is realistic, heartfelt, never strained, based on captivating characters but still built within all the limits that the condition of a child has in a world dominated by adult violence.

Mason Thames is an absolute rookie and convinces, dueling very well with Ethan Hawke in the difficult victim-executioner relationship.  Madeleine McGraw is truly amazing: despite her very young age, she has a long career behind her (remember the adorable daughter of the protagonist in Ant-Man?). Here she faces a brutal scene of violence and makes the Magone come, but she manages to show how much courage and perseverance can be hidden in a child, even when she is constantly forced by her father to limit her potential.

A Great Role For Ethan Hawke

What the great year 2022 is for Ethan Hawke, an actor who after a few missteps doesn’t miss a beat. The great relaunch of him is thanks to Paul Schrader who wanted him as the protagonist in 2015 in First Reformed. In The Black Phone, he plays a not easy role. It is never trivial to embody absolute evil, a killer who enjoys tormenting the little ones but is consumed in turn by delusions and delusions. Plus, for much of his evidence, Hawke wears a grotesque mask over his face or a bandana that covers part of his face.

Yet the fear it inspires is true, palpable, and never farcical. His Raptor is the worst kind of violent: the one who pretends to set rules but can’t wait to get you to fall for them to punish you. A Luciferian performance played on the body, which confirms the actor’s golden moment (much more than his villain in Moon Knight).

The Black Phone’s Past is Seen Without Nostalgia

One of the most successful aspects of Black Phone is how, just like in the best King titles, you tell the childhood and adolescence of a group of kids without gilding the pill. The film is set close to the 80s, but we are light years with the dreamy and golden atmospheres that certain revivals of these years give to those years. Black Phone America is an inhospitable place for almost everyone, where children are exposed from a very young age to violence and racism, almost forgotten by parents traumatized by the outside world and unable to protect them.

Their only salvation is to strengthen each other, among brothers and friends. In the basement of Black Phone just this happens: the victims cheer for Finney, even if they did not know him or even tormented him. In a world where adults and the police are useless if not harmful, little ones must learn to fend for themselves.