Black Phone

In the end, I'm disappointed. It started off fine, but it stayed fine for the rest of the film and in short I was expecting something more than just fine. I was waiting for some questions to be answered, some revelations, some explanations. I was most puzzled by the ending, which seemed too quick, almost cut off. Not to criticize, I liked the time setting. It added a bit of magic. At least for me. Summary. Bottom line. It was okay, but I was expecting a little more. A little more depth to the story. I missed some revelation or explanation. For me, an above average horror film that I would only recommend to fans of the genre.

An intense movie, worth a watch. May make your skin crawl/

Takes me back to my days as a kid growing up in Houston and the Houston Mass Murders. Wiki one of the killers, Elmer Wayne Henley for the story.

Ethan Hawke is at it again, I loved the vibe of the movie, director came in clutch with this movie, it was truly surprising. Didn't expect it to be even remotely good, when this movie does fully release in theaters please do watch it in the big screens you will not regret it, child actors are incredible. I thought i saw the whole movie in the trailers, oh boy I was wrong.

The Horror genre needs a revamp in terms of definition and perhaps instituting different sub-genres to it. As it is, the one classic "Horror" title isn't ever going to cover it all, and each horror film's ratings and acceptance will always be low and divided.

Take The Black Phone for example. It is excellently acted by almost every one of the actors, the 70's feel to it was perfection, the story was good, it was suspenseful, it had dark moments and a dark subject matter, it had mostly interesting characters. Granted, some of the characters were not as fleshed-out or utilized as much as others, but the pacing was great, there were supernatural elements and some gore. It had pretty much all the right ingredients for a film that would be marketed as a "horror" flick... and yet, we see a disconnect somewhere in how the film was perceived.

Until we allot some distinct titles such as Gory Horror or Dramatic Horror, Fantasy Horror, etc., GOOD films like The Black Phone, will be lost in a sea of horror fans, each looking for something different.

This film really got me with the actors' performances and the atmosphere of the film. Stylistically, it definitely taps into a late 70s gritty suburban nostalgia, a la Stephen King or John Carpenter (think IT or Halloween). Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw carry the film with standout performances as two siblings trying to deal with bullies at school and at home, in addition to the lurking Grabber. Subtle quirks in characterization such as Finney sitting down and watching tv with his sister after her beating, or the camera lingering on Gwen skipping her way to a friend's house really show the director investing in the characters, not just the plot. And yes, Ethan Hawke is assuredly creepy as the villain, someone you can't wait to be taken out. Thematically, the film is about standing up and sticking together; certainly not the most original themes, but it does its job as a result of good direction, a tight script, and stellar acting. My litmus test for thrillers is if I feel invested enough in the characters that I actually want everything to be resolved, it means the movie's done it's job-this one definitely passes.