After spending a few years working with Marvel Studios on developing Dr. GharibScott Derrickson is back to his horrifying roots for the first time since 2014 Deliver us from evil. This is not the first Dr. Gharib The film didn’t have some serious horror elements, but Derrickson’s latest effort is a more classic form of horror, many used to seeing from the director in the late 2000s and early 2000s. black phone Derrickson unites with evil Leading man is Ethan Hawke, and while it may not be quite as scary as their previous efforts, this movie brings the kind of chills that resonate with you long after the credits roll.
black phone Turns back the clock in 1970s America to trace the story of a small town devastated by a serial kidnapper called The Grabber. In another effortlessly adorable performance, Ethan Hawke plays Grabber, pretending to be a wizard and kidnapping young boys in his truck, holding them in a basement before eventually killing them. Enter young Vinnie (Mason Thames), who has been the Grabber’s latest victim. He aims to escape with the help of the boys who have been taken and killed by him, and contact him from outside by phone in Grabber’s basement. He also gets some help from his younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who has some supernatural abilities of her own.
It’s easy to look at black phone As a showcase for Ethan Hawke, it greatly highlights his immense talents as an actor. He’s persuasive most of the time (the mask constantly adds so much expression to the fear factor), but he’s able to create more intimidating layers through his body language and voice than most actors can when they have their full repertoire at their disposal.
However, Hooke’s supremacy is expected at this point. He is one of the best players at what he does. Thames and McGraw, fellow youngsters, are the ones who really steal the show. They put on two of the best and most unexpected performances of teenage actors in recent memory, both talented far beyond their years.
It helps that they provide some great material to work with. Joe Hill’s original short story is fascinating in its own right, but Derrickson and longtime co-writer/collaborator C. Robert Cargill do justice to the story as they find unique ways to make it work on screen. Horror is a slow build. While it doesn’t offer much in the way of jump scares or instant horror gratification, this latent horror continually festers beneath the surface long after the movie is over. These neighborhood streets remind you of yourself and make you look both ways an extra time or two. Hook’s fearsome and calm demeanor is reflected in the people you meet at the grocery store. Every truck sends the slightest cold down your spine. black phone Very effective in horror because we can see our lives represented by characters and stories on screen.
As the story takes place in the 1970s, it’s scary how much it reminds you of life today. There is a theme everywhere black phone About forgetting the victims and the world moving on. A child is missing, and the town grieves, forgetting it to move on to the next victim. There are some very literal and terrifying images of a “missing” flyer that cover another flyer just like it. Those visual strikes on another level in our current climate of tragedies, where only one mass shooting victims are remembered until the next incident, whether it’s in Buffalo, Ovaldi, or the next unsuspecting American city. Victims are many and no one seems to have enough thoughts or prayers to go around.
black phone It sends the message that every victim counts. Each of the boys taken before Vinnie has a name, face, personality and an important role to play in making sure Vinny breaks the cycle. Believe it or not, black phone It is a surprisingly hopeful film, and a large part of that hope comes from those who have lost. Their voices are a rallying cry for grace, meaning and remembrance. This beauty plays well against the backdrop of grabber horror.
Derrickson’s latest effort isn’t quite as terrifying as some of the previous horror entries, but black phone It represents a huge step forward in mastering his craft. Along with an amazing cast, Derrickson weaves a haunting story that will leave a lasting impression.
Rating: 4 out of 5
black phone It hits theaters June 24th.
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