‘They will find him…’
Scott Derrickson directed one of the best horror films of all time when he made Sinister, but his career since then has been a little disappointing for all the horror fans out there. 2014’s Deliver Us From Evil had its moments, but was largely forgettable, and then Derrickson was snatched up by the Marvel machine for the Doctor Strange franchise. The Black Phone sees the Colorado director return to the genre that made his name in spectacular fashion…
When kids start being abducted in small town America, ostensibly by a man nicknamed the Grabber (Ethan Hawke), 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) tries to keep his head down and stay safe. He also has neighbourhood bullies and his limitations as a baseball pitcher to worry about. Meanwhile, his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) tries to keep them both safe from their alcoholic abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies).
The Black Phone comes from mind of horror writer, and son of Stephen King, Joe Hill. And for King fans, there are plenty of familiar themes and motifs. The quiet horror of small town America (domestic abuse, bullying, prejudice etc). A world that parents don’t understand. Children banding together against a common enemy. The supernatural. All are present and correct. Derrickson even leans in to the King comparisons with a number of direct references to It and The Shining. That being said, this very much feels like an original work. Abducted children is not new ground for a horror film to break, but the aforementioned supernatural aspect adds a fresh perspective, as does Hawke’s chilling performance – aided by a spectacular series of masks created by practical effects legend Tom Savini.
The Black Phone, despite all of its visual bombast, is occasionally a little too predictable, but it does confirm that Derrickson does his best work when sticking to what he knows best. And that thing is making people feel terrified to step outside of their own home.