Black Phone (2021)

When this first released I brushed it off as another mediocre horror film amongst the mass influx of releases over the past few years. Even dismissing Ethan Hawke's inclusion, which admittedly did excite me. Finally during a horror binge years later I flipped it on and was surprised. This isn't just a run of the mill horror film. It's got style and class. I don't think it had any jump scares, which are the crutch of a bad horror movie. The horror of Black Phone lies only within the context and situation of the story. A masked kidnapper titled "The Grabber" by the small town has been successfully kidnapping teenage boys. Played by Ethan Hawke, this new age horror icon is disturbing because he's completely grounded in reality. There's no super power or incredible feat he pulls off. He's potentially your neighbor's alter ego. You would never know. The other great thing about this movie is the leading child stars, who manage to carry a performance heavy horror plot on their backs. Finney played by Mason Thames and his sister Gwen played by Madeleine McGraw are our stars. They are both young but strong, having to take care of their alcoholic father, and having already lost their mother to suicide. They've already got emotional baggage at the start of the film and the young actors do a great job diving into those characters. Overall, Black Phone isn't a ground-breaking movie, but it's definitely stuck it's head out far past the other genre slop releasing so often.

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