The Black Phone movie review: One call I wish I didn’t take

We have another horror movie coming out this weekend in The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke. I was able to screen this movie ahead of its release and I’m here to share my thoughts so you can decide if it’s worth your time watching The Black Phone in theaters this weekend.

The Black Phone follows a child abductor (Hawke) who kidnaps a 13-year-old boy who starts to get phone calls from the previous kids the killer has kidnapped. The film was written and directed by Scott Derrickson. My level of excitement for this film was HIGH. I’m a big fan of Derrickson and Hawke’s last project, Sinister. You factor that in with a trailer that shows off this mystery character Hawke plays, and I was all in.

The build is okay, we start to see (not visually) that this mysterious guy is taking kids. This was frustrating, because we don’t see how he does what he does, but the kids vanish just moments later. And that is the tone for the rest of the film. The script is all over the place, and it is fleshed out to give audiences something to really grasp onto.

The Black Phone is a lackluster horror movie that is uninspiring

Another thing I didn’t enjoy about the script is the whole basis of this kid being able to hear the phone calls. Why him? What makes him special? Also, why is “The Grabber” doing all of this? Why does he do certain things? Why do the things some of the kids do make him tick? We get no backstory at all on this character, and it was infuriating.

I love Ethan Hawke; he is one of the best working actors. While he is on the screen, it’s beautiful, and he is haunting, creepy, and weird. He transforms into this character, but Derrickson doesn’t give him enough, and this hurts the entire film. You have this great actor giving this outstanding performance, and so much is left on the table.

Much is being talked about Mason Thames and his performance, but I found his character very annoying, and this pushed me away from caring about him. I did, however, rather enjoy Madeleine McGraw in the role of Gwen. She has a bright future ahead of her.

Overall, The Black Phone is a lackluster horror movie that is uninspiring, with a script that is all over the place and doesn’t do anything for me. However, I will say that the mass audience will enjoy this film. That said, I think you should check the movie out this weekend even with me not liking it.

Black Phone hits theaters on Friday, June 24.