The horror set in 1978 is
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PartStranger Things, PartLovely Bones, and the urban legend part that surprised you when you were little, The Black Phoneis a delicious and eerie throwback, backed by powerful performances from both children and adults.
In 1978, 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) is tackling non-supernatural issues in North Denver, Colorado – sports, school bullying, and physical abuse. Single daddy of alcoholism. Fortunately, his sister Gwen (Madeleine Maglow) has her back. She can swear like a sailor and fight like a single person.
Unfortunately, there are bigger problems on the horizon than in Little League or Dust Up. A series of kidnappers known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke under an assortment of eerie masks) stalked the neighborhood, and Finney became his latest victim, soundproofing only mattresses, toilets, and box-shaped walls. Trapped in the basement-a mounted phone that no longer works.
Or is it so? Finney wasn't in the basement long before the phone rang. Due to the static state of the line, I think the caller is from outside the state. Maybe area code 666?
This completes the setup. The genius of writer and director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill is to keep the plot simple while hanging some keys. A question that leans forward looking for clues. (Therefore, it's even more vulnerable to some timely jump scares in the movie.)
Chief in the Mystery: What's the deal with Gwen's obvious second sight? Crime resolution advice? Detective Wright and Miller are the most underdeveloped characters in the movie and look likeNYPD Bluecosplayers. The show wasn't aired in 1978, but it's still there.
Anyway, there's a bit of humor,On the Run(a weird synth instrumental track from Pink Floyd'sDark Side of the Moon) and some. The delicate pace of, above all, gives Finney a solid 30 minutes to sink into the movie world before meeting Grabber. Also, a bonus mark for (A) not resurrecting the current horror franchise many times, and (B) not setting an obvious sequel. They are horrors that no one needs.
The Black Phone will open in theaters on June 24th.
3.5 out of 5 stars
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