Tag: The Black Phone

“The Black Phone” Rings Box-Office Success Globally

Ringing beyond the $100M-mark global box-office, Universal Pictures’ “The Black Phone” has successfully brought in the horror genre fans once again to the cinemas and continues to do so, making it one of the “biggest non-sequel horror” films to-date.

“The Black Phone” comes to Philippine cinemas on July 20, starring a subtle powerhouse of veteran and young talents led by Ethan Hawke along with Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw who continue to earn praises and raves for their work in the film.

“The Black Phone” is based on the short story by Joe Hill (son of legendary horror author Stephen King) where Ethan Hawke takes on the role of The Grabber, a child abductor and serial killer. Both the short story and the film follow 13-year-old Finney (Thames), abducted by The Grabber in a small town in northern Denver. Locked in the killer’s soundproof basement, Finney discovers that he can hear the killer’s previous victims through a disconnected black rotary phone on the wall.

In most films about child abduction or serial killers, the victim needs to be rescued by an intrepid, driven detective or other adult. In The Black Phone, the well-meaning adults are essentially useless and the kids – Finney himself, the voices of the dead boys on the phone, and especially Finney’s younger sister, Gwen (McGraw) – are the only people who can possibly save Finney from certain torture and death. Beyond the blood-chilling terror, it’s a film about the strength of children, their ability to believe in unseen forces, and the power of family and love to endure even the darkest, most unthinkable events.

Set in the ‘ 70s, for Gen Xers, this was a time without anti-bullying initiatives, where, for boys in particular, learning to defend yourself against mean kids was considered a normal rite of passage. “My earliest memory up until high school was the violence of the neighborhood that I lived in,” director Derrickson says. “The primary feeling that I remember having as a child was fear. I was the youngest kid on the street full of bullies.”

Hawke was, in fact, hesitant at first since The Grabber is a failed magician who is shrouded in darkness. “Some part of The Grabber’s soul has been so eroded that he can justify doing things that most of us can’t even think about,” Hawke says. “It’s hard to play that level of malevolency because it’s impossible to justify.” The script, and in particular the relationship between Finney and his sister Gwen, changed his mind. “I thought it was special because, yes, it’s a scary movie, but it has a heart of gold,” concludes Hawke.

A Universal Pictures International film, answer the call when “The Black Phone” opens on July 20 in local cinemas nationwide.

“The Black Phone” is rated R-13 by the local censors board (MTRCB), only 13 years old and above are allowed inside the cinema.

July 19, 2022
‘The Black Phone’ keeps it simple and puts the tension front-and-center

One of the best things about ‘The Black Phone’ is how it keeps the narrative down to its essentials. There are a lot of backstories implied or referred to but it never digresses from the main storyline to explore them. It stays focused on the main plot, about a young kid who is kidnapped and trapped in a basement, and keeps the camera on them and the kid’s sister, who is trying to find him. Another interesting point is that ‘The Black Telephone,’ based on the short story by Joe Hill, is a supernatural tale but the danger doesn’t come from the ghosts that you see in the trailer. That real danger here is another human being. And for some reason, that makes the film even scarier.

Directed by Scott Derrickson, with a screenplay by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, ‘The Black Phone’ is not your typical horror film. The source of fear comes from the anticipation that something bad is going to happen. From the trailer, you can tell that the ghosts are actually all the former victims of the kidnapper. While they do appear in gruesome forms, they are actually helping Finney, the latest victim, to try and get out alive. Instead of shocking you with images of violence, it is implied; that it is coming but not yet and that is what creates the tension that pervades throughout the film.

It’s a nice subversion of the genre, extending the suspense, building the anticipation, and creating moments of hope that Finney can get out in one piece. The film, then, isn’t so much as scary as it is thrilling, capitalizing on our hope that this story will end well for the protagonist and that’s what drives the film’s momentum forward.

Another interesting subversion, shared by one of the critics I got to see this with during the special screening, is how the voices of the victims are amplified in this movie and not the villain’s. There is no glorification or humanization of this kidnapper and after this was pointed out to me, I thought that was a welcome and necessary change.

_{Photo: The Black Phone Trailer}

Derrickson builds a very distinct world in this film. ‘The Black Phone’ is set in the late 70s so the lack of technology creates even more obstacles for our characters. Before Finney is kidnapped, we see the world he inhabits: a close relationship with his sister, their abusive alcoholic father, and the bullies at his school that have made life very challenging for him. The stronger one amongst the siblings is his sister Gwen, who might’ve been smart enough to not get kidnapped, but knowing Finney’s vulnerabilities makes us feel more attached to him as the victim.

Compounded by the narrative elements is the wonderful acting amongst all the kids. Mason Thames, who plays Finney, and Madeleine McGraw, who plays Gwen, do a great job at bringing their characters to life. For Thames, he instills so much fragility within his Finney but also shows his sparks and moments of cleverness, while McGraw makes tough and foul-mouthed Gwen such a spirited character. She juggles multiple emotions including a surprisingly genuine laugh-out-loud moment in the middle of the film that completely endears you to the character. While the adults like Ethan Hawke, as the kidnapper, and Jeremy Davies, as the alcoholic father, play a great role, this movie is really a showcase for all the child actors involved.

_{Photo: Universal Pictures PH Facebook}

There are minimal jump scares in this film and that’s perfectly alright because what ‘The Black Phone’ does is to put you right smack dab in the center of a very tense situation and then plays with your emotions and gives you characters and a goal to root and cheer for. You’ll find yourself tapping your feet anxiously hoping that things don’t turn out the way the film manages to illustrate through the presence and stories of these ghosts.

Derrickson does an amazing job at managing and playing with expectations and suspense and I’m excited to see what he’s up to next.

My Rating:

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The Black Phone opens in cinemas nationwide on Wednesday, July 20. Buy your tickets here.

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Rings of Horror in “The Black Phone” Starts July 20 with Sneak Previews on July 11 and 12
WATCH: Voices of the Dead Assist the Abducted in ‘The Black Phone’ Trailer

July 19, 2022
Rings of Horror in “The Black Phone” Starts July 20 with Sneak Previews on July 11 and 12

Based on the award-winning short story by (legendary horror author) Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill from his New York Times bestseller 20th Century Ghosts, The Black Phone follows 13-year-old Finney (Thames), who is abducted by an infamous child abductor and serial killer known as The Grabber (Hawke) in a small town in northern Denver. Locked in the killer’s basement, Finney discovers that he can hear the killer’s previous victims through a disconnected black rotary phone on the wall.

Director Scott Derrickson shares on how the film came about, reminiscing on how he learned about the story. “I happened to stumble into a bookstore around the time the book came out. At the time, I didn’t know who Joe was, let alone that he was Stephen King’s son. I stood in the bookstore and read this short story and thought, ‘Wow, this guy is great.’ It was only about 20 pages long, but I thought the concept was fantastic and such a good idea for a movie. I never forgot about it.”

The inspiration for the tale came from a specific memory from Hill’s childhood. “I grew up in Bangor, Maine, in a very old house,” Hill says. “There was a phone in the basement that wasn’t connected to anything, and I found that phone creepy and unsettling. It didn’t make sense for a phone to be in a basement with a dirt floor and crumbling concrete walls. As a kid, the worst thing I could imagine was that phone ringing.”

The Black Phone also delves into the traumas and dangers of being a kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s. Kids had a lot more freedom back then, which made them a lot more susceptible to danger, but also kept kids on their toes. For Hill, the recreation of that era in the film proved particularly vivid and personal. For Gen Xers, children of the ’70s, this was a time without anti-bullying initiatives, where, for boys in particular, learning to defend oneself against mean kids was considered a normal rite of passage. “My earliest memory up until high school was the violence of the neighborhood that I lived in,” Derrickson says. “The primary feeling that I remember having as a child was fear. I was the youngest kid on the street full of bullies.”

Released by Universal Pictures International, set your alarms and watch The Black Phone in local cinemas nationwide starting July 20. Rated R13 by the MTRCB (only 13 years old above can watch in cinemas).

Catch it earlier on July 11 and 12 with its sneak previews in select cinemas nationwide.

June 29, 2022