The Black Phone

 I've already discussed four adaptations of Stephen King's works already. It might be five this year if that Salem's Lot movie materializes in September (where's the trailer?). In the meantime, we've got a film of his son, Joe Hill's short story, The Black Phone. Let's see how that is.

It's 1978 in Denver. Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) is a bully magnet who lives with his abusive dad Terrence (Jeremy Davies) and psychic sister Gwen (Madeline McGraw). Finney gets grabbed by the local serial killer, The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), and is held in his soundproof basement. There's a black phone that could bring the police over. If only it wasn't disconnected ...

But it still rings. The ghosts of The Grabber's victims call to help Finney survive their predicament. Finney spends much of the movie trying their escape plans. Meanwhile, Gwen uses her dreams to try to help Detectives Wright and Miller (E. Roger Mitchell and Troy Rudeseal) find Finney. A local weirdo, Max (James Ransone), has no idea how vital he is to the case. It all comes to ahead when Finney is forced to fight The Grabber himself.

It feels longer than the half-hour before Finney meets The Grabber. By then, we get to see how brutal Finney's dad and bullies are, and already wish ill on them. On the positive side, we get to see Finney and Gwen's endearing sibling bond. So, we're already invested by the time Finney gets grabbed. Finney growing from a timid kid to an action survivor is a captivating watch. Equally compelling is Gwen trying to make sense of her powers. It also helps that she has the best lines and a tough personality. Their final reunion is well worth it.

The Grabber is a perfectly eccentric scumbag. He presents himself as a jolly magician to lure his victims. He still tries being chummy even when he masks himself like a Kabuki Oni. His voice barely rises even when he's angry. We're given little reason to trust him, which becomes justified when he seemingly lets Finney go free. Overall, he's just as memorable as many of King's vilest villains, especially Pennywise.

Now for the rest of the cast. Terrence started out a hate sink, but surprisingly proved himself redeemable in the end. The bullies start out hate sinks and mostly stayed hate sinks, though one of them and Gwen share an awkwardly funny moment after she bashes his head with a rock. Max was entertaining, while Wright and Miller are fine good cops. The most memorable of the ghostly victims are tough kids Vance (Brady Hepner) and Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora), the latter of whom gives Finney the means to fight back.

The sound designers perfectly punctuate the film's jump scares. What's spookier than seeing a bloody ghost? Hearing them speak with static in their voices. Anyone in this situation has the right to be spooked out. Editor Frederic Thoraval gets some genuine suspense out of Finney's many escape attempts. A few scenes wear out their welcome, though, including when Robin beats a bully well-beyond KO. The Grabber's basement isn't that welcoming, but when de-luminated by cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz, it and The Grabber himself are perfectly nightmarish. One strong moment is when The Grabber's mad face is hidden in shadows.

Anyone looking for a good scare should pick up The Black Phone. Anyone looking for a good story about a kid surviving impossible odds should pick up The Black Phone. Anyone looking for something family friendly should pick up something else. It's a bit slow but it'll keep you invested for 103 minutes. It's sure to fill that horror need for another month or so. Accept the charges and see for yourself.