Spoiler Warning: The Black Phone
For many, horror movies can be hit or miss. They can often feel hokey or underwhelming, relying more on practical effects and jump scares rather than true storytelling and acting. But the recent release of The Black Phone hit a little different for many viewers. While not all are familiar with the scary novella by Joe Hill, his writing gave the perfect foundation for a compelling horror movie.
The cast featured a couple of recognizable names like Ethan Hawke – whose daughter, Maya Hawke, you might know from Stranger Things and who will be on screen with him soon – but also featured mostly unknown actors as the main leads. The talent was abundant in this cast, and their skills pulled all the aspects of the story together, even the unique supernatural elements. The Black Phone was brilliant and well done for many reasons, but here are a few that should be highlighted.
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Ethan Hawke’s Villain
Universal Pictures
The movie’s villain, a kidnapper and murderer, known as The Grabber, is as sinister as possible. He lures the protagonist, Finney, in by dropping groceries, pretending to need help, and then thanking him with a magic trick. Like many dark minds, The Grabber feigns friendliness. As the movie goes on with Finney trapped in a dark basement room by The Grabber, we see more of what this villain is capable of, and many marvel at Ethan Hawke’s performance.
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His villain is always wearing a mask of some sort, some covering all of his face and some only covering the lower half. It switches depending on his mood or the emotion he wants to stir in poor Finney. Although the masks hide all kinds of truth from both the protagonist and the audience, there are moments in Hawke’s performance when you still see emotions in his eyes and body language.
He can make The Grabber look shrunken and sympathetic in one moment, then towering and wrathful in the next. The range of manipulative emotions and movements shown in this villain is truly something incredible that Hawke pulls off masterfully.
The Talent of the Child Actors
There are a lot of talented child actors in Hollywood right now, and so many of them have yet to really shine in a role. But the two stars playing Finney and Gwen in The Black Phone, Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, respectively, had their spotlight. Both are only known from a few minor roles or lesser-known productions, but they act like pros. They were able to show the fear they have not just for being kidnapped or bullied but also the fear and resentment of their abusive father.
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These two together on screen gave some of the most convincing performances and truly moved audiences while showcasing the storytelling of trauma in the movie. The angry tears from Gwen after being beaten by her father, the terrified, hopeless screaming of Finney trapped in the basement, and the hollow stares they give their father as he weeps and apologises once Finney has been saved are so realistic and heart-wrenching. At such young ages, these stars show so much talent and skill. We can only hope they get more chances to show off their talent and get the careers they deserve.
Supernatural Elements Anchored in Reality
With horror movies, a filmmaker can do all sorts of things to make it scarier. This includes using certain sound effects and music, tricks of lights, reversed footage, the list goes on and on. But many horrors and thrillers incorporate a supernatural element. Supernatural aspects don’t always work, though, as they can sometimes make a movie look and feel kind of cheap or hackneyed. What The Black Phone does right is smoothly incorporating the supernatural elements and making them feel anchored in reality.
Gwen’s ability to have prophetic dreams feels almost like an empathetic connection, shown first for the brother of her school friend, which only becomes stronger when her own brother is in danger. While she believes it comes from faith, her father fears it comes from her mother’s genetics, who it was alluded to took her own life due to a mental instability involving dreams and hallucinations. It’s clear that Gwen’s abilities are real, but the source of them being some kind of empathic connection or a supernatural element is a very blurred line. The audience is never certain why she has them, and this ambiguity makes it feel a little more realistic, more like a lucky skill than a superpower.
When Finney is talking to the ghosts through the titular black phone in the basement of the grabber, it’s clear to the audience that these are truly the ghosts of the previous children giving Finney advice on how to stay alive. However, even though these ghosts provide special information, there is a part of them that feels like a survival instinct. They feel like Finney’s own thoughts and realizations, presented secondarily as a coping mechanism, especially when he talks to Robin and teaches himself his friend’s fighting moves. Finney’s memories and his wits are what keeps him alive. The Black Phone incorporates the supernatural elements flawlessly, leaving audiences intrigued and on the edge of their seats as things come together in the film.
Overall, The Black Phone does many things right and brings a good name to horror and thriller movies. The whole cast and crew are full of massive talent. There’s been some teasing about a sequel film, but nothing has been confirmed yet. As more people get the chance to enjoy this incredible movie, we might just be able to see the story come back in a new chapter.
