The Black Phone

Summary

“I was really starting to like you Finney… I almost let you go.”

Universal Pictures has just released the 2021 horror film The Black Phone on 4K UHD. It had been released last year on Blu-ray. I was interested in viewing the film because of Ethan Hawke’s involvement, but the subject matter had made me hesitant to check it out. As a father of two boys, I have a hard time watching films that deal with children being abducted or put through painful ordeals. The film is largely a story of a boy who is kidnapped by an evil killer of children and his attempts to escape his captivity, but the film also has some supernatural elements as well. Despite the morbid subject matter, I was thoroughly impressed by the way in which the film was written and directed. Any worries in regards to the rough subject matter melted away as I saw the respectful way in which the more difficult aspects of the plot were handled. For myself, this film was a pleasant surprise. It is hard to find a good edge-of-your-seat thriller, and I think that The Black Phone absolutely delivers claustrophobic thrills that will have the viewer’s pulse pounding.

The plot of the film takes place in suburbs outside of Denver in 1978. There is a serial child abductor that has been nicknamed “the Grabber” by the press. As the film begins, twelve year old Finney (Mason Thames) throws a fastball to hitter Bruce Yamata (Tristan Pravong) at his school’s baseball game. Bruce hits the ball over the fence, but later compliments Finney on his good arm. Bruce is a talented boy known by many in town. After the game, Bruce rides his bike, waving to friends as he passes by before he is abducted by the Grabber (Ethan Hawke.) Finney lives with his nine year old sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) and their alcoholic and occasionally violently abusive father Terrence (Jeremy Davies.) Gwen has psychic visions that she sees occasionally, and this sets her father off. Gwen’s mother had similar visions which led to the demise of her relationship with the father. As Gwen begins to see visions of the Grabber and his victims, Finney attempts to navigate the brutal world of young adulthood. Finney is picked on by other kids, especially by a larger bully named Moose (J. Gaven Wilde.) Finney is lucky enough to have a protector in another boy named Robin (Miguel Mora) who stands up for him. Finney helps Robin by tutoring him on his math homework as a friend occasionally. The Grabber eventually snatches Robin, and then snatches Moose. Gwen is plagued by visions and some of her details – especially the black balloons that she envisions – alert the detectives working the case. Detective Wright (E. Roger Mitchell) and Detective Miller (Troy Rudeseal) visit Gwen to find out how she has insider information, and she claims that she simply sometimes sees things. That night her father ruthlessly beats Gwen with a belt in front of Finney to try to keep her from having the visions. One day, Finney sees a man (Ethan Hawke) – a failed magician- struggling to put his groceries into his van. Finney attempts to help the man and, as black balloons fly out of the van, the man sprays a chemical into his mouth. Finney finds himself trapped in a basement with a mattress on the floor. The small window has metal bars. On the wall is a disconnected black phone. His captor, named Al, wearing a strange horned mask, tells Finney he will not hurt him or make him do anything he does not want to do. Finney knows that he will die there if he does not escape. The black phone begins to ring for Finney, and on the other side he is talked to by the victims of the Grabber. Meanwhile, Gwen asks God to grant her visions to help her find her brother.

The Black Phone is based on a nineteen page short story by Joe Hill in his collection 20th Century Ghosts. I went ahead and read that short story the other night to try to see how it compared to the film. At that length I knew that the story would be significantly different. Interestingly enough, the film has kept every element of the story that worked, while expanding the scope of the story and interjecting several very strong ideas. Scott Derrickson had wanted to write a film about growing up in the Seventies in Colorado. When his cowriter C. Robert Cargill suggested merging that idea with Joe Hill’s short story “The Black Phone,” the basic idea for the script took shape. With Joe Hill’s blessing, the script was essentially completed five weeks later. Much like how I felt about the original Candyman, this film makes a solid short story into a well developed and satisfying film which goes deeper than the short format would allow. As a period piece the film is well constructed, and the characters are not written one dimensionally. For example, the father is struggling with alcoholism and is violent towards his children, but at the same time he also loves them both and wants them to be safe from danger. It would have been easier to make that character a simple monster, and instead he becomes something more real and sympathetic. Because the project took on the tone of personal experience for Scott Derrickson, I think the film became a more deeply felt experience for the audience. Some elements of the script at times take away from some of the tension built in the picture, such as when the film focuses on Gwen instead of Finney after he has been snatched, but I believe as a cohesive whole the script is really well written. The ending from the short story is amplified in the film and is a real stunner. I also want to commend the filmmakers for the delicate way that they handled such potentially exploitative or nasty material. The film is a class act in that department.

Like all horror-thrillers, The Black Phone has had its share of detractors and its share of fans. The detractors from what I can tell seemed to feel that the picture moved too slowly or disliked this or that aspect of the picture that they had wanted to be done differently. Critics gave it for the most part positive marks, even if begrudgingly (critics tend to dismiss horror pretty vehemently, even when it is well crafted.) Personally, I was extremely surprised by the efficacy of the picture. The film has some really imaginative ideas that it pulls off very well. The mask for Ethan Hawke’s character, which was designed by the legendary Tom Savini, is an absolute work of art. It is so unsettling and expressive that it sets the film apart quickly.

Ethan Hawke is not a natural choice to play an evil character, but playing against type he creates one hell of a creepy bastard in the movie. His performance is fantastic. It shows just how much range he has. The young actors in the film are likewise very good. Mason Thames is great in the film as Finney. He projects a strong inner strength even when he fails to stand up for himself in early scenes in the film. Madeleine McGraw is also very strong in the role of the vision plagued Gwen. Jeremy Davies may not have been my first choice to play an alcoholic violent father, but he makes that role sing. He is damn good in the movie. There are only some occasional small missteps made acting wise in the film with a predominantly teenage cast. Kudos to Scott Derrickson for drawing the very best out of them.

Overall, The Black Phone was a pretty big surprise for me. Ethan Hawke’s terrific performance in that amazingly creepy horned mask set this film apart. I hope that future adaptations of Joe Hill’s work will be this successful, and I will definitely check out Scott Derrickson’s work in the future. If you like the horror-thriller genre, I definitely recommend checking this one out.

Video

Presented in Native 4K in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, The Black Phone looks great in Universal’s UHD presentation. The film was shot on digital film using Arri Alexa Mini cameras in 3.4K RAW format, with portions of the film shot on Super 8 film. The 4K transfer comes from the 4K digital intermediate made of the film, so it should stand as the definitive way to view the film. Like many horror films, the claustrophobic nature of the picture’s second half  will not give a lot to take in visually, but the first half of the film does look very nice. The cinematography by Brett Jutkiewicz definitely benefits from the increased resolution of the 4K format, especially in the portions that take place outside of the Grabber’s basement. Fans will be pleased.

Audio

The Black Phone originally shipped on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. Universal has upgraded that track to a full blown Atmos track. I thought that the Atmos track sounded fantastic, but, once again, given the claustrophobic nature of much of the film, expectations should be somewhat reserved. I have really been pleased to see so many studios pushing for Atmos tracks on their 4K releases, and this is no exception to the rule. 

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary: Producer/Co-Writer/Director Scott Derrickson analyzes his film 
• Deleted Scenes
• Ethan Hawke’s Evil Turn – The actor explains what drew him to the part.
• Answering the Call: Behind the Scenes of The Black Phone – This is a short but interesting piece that sheds light on the scriptwriting process for the film and other aspects.
• Devil in the Design – this short piece focuses on the production design of the film and other interesting elements such as the mask designed by Tom Savini.
• Super 8 Set
• Shadowprowler: A Short Film by Scott Derrickson .

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.5

Audio: 4.5

Special Features: 3.5

Overall – 4.5/5

The Black Phone really surprised me. I didn’t know what to expect, but this was one of the better thrillers I had seen in a while. The clever script and direction by Scott Derrickson handles potentially disturbing material with a gentle touch. The film is an excellent adaptation of the short story by Joe Hill which builds upon that short story in very satisfying ways to create something deeper and more substantial. The evil turn by actor Ethan Hawke, and the wonderfully designed horned mask his character wears, set this film apart. The cast of young actors all turn in solid performances as well. The film leads to an extremely satisfying climax, and left me excited to see what Scott Derrickson tackles in the future. Fans of the film will be happy to know that Universal has brought the film to 4K UHD with a digital transfer straight from the 4K master. The film looks fantastic in the format, even though claustrophobic pictures such as this one can only benefit so much from the enhanced resolution. The film benefits from a reference quality Atmos track (upgraded from the prior DTS-HD MA 7.1 track) which brings the best out of the film’s sound design. The special features are ported over from the Blu-ray and are informative. Fans of the film should be happy to upgrade to the premium format, and first time purchasers would be encouraged to purchase the 4K release.

The film can be purchased at www.moviezyng.com.