The Black Phone (2021) is a thriller/suspense movie that is directed by Scott Derrickson. It stars Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madaleine McGaw. Below is my The Black Phone (2021) movie review
Black phone is a good movie. When it starts off we meet a kid and his sister as they go through school and interact with other students. Some of the students are seen or better yet heard later on in the movie but most are likable. This goes on for about 30 min or so as it also goes into problems and issues the main character goes through so you know what they will try to overcome later on.
Once he wakes up in a basement he realizes that he is in a sticky situation. However in a lot of scenes he is not panicking as much as many other people would. He keeps it cool even when he realizes that there is no way out. Even when we are introduced to the villain, he just stares at him and keeps it cool. This does not ruin the movie but it doesn’t show the fear that most of us would have in that situation. The villain does not show up a lot but his presence is always felt.
Inside the basement is a phone that keeps ringing throughout the day. Sometimes voices come through it and sometimes it is silent. It is through this that the kid finds courage to fight back. This means that the movie relies more on suspense rather than action or gore to creep out the audience.
While the story is well made, there are a bunch of scenes that don’t add much. On top of this, the background of the killer and the overall story could have used more “meat on the bone”. This would have given them all more depth and made them more interesting. However, at least in terms of the villain, we know he is evil so going beyond his intentions being sinister are not needed but are welcome.There are many cliches here too such as alcoholic family members, bullies going against main characters, and setting a movie in a small town. This is due to Joe Hill doing the screenplay who is a son of Stephen King. These are all King’s troupes that are found in his books.
Overall the movie is good, but not great. Besides having a bunch of scenes that did not contribute much to the story, the acting, the writing, and the pacing are all solid.
Thanks for reading my my The Black Phone (2021) movie review
