‘The Black Phone’: Horror Gem Relies on Atmospheric Dread [Review]

Here’s a dirty little secret most film snobs will never admit to, let alone even dare think about: Marvel movie directors are actually quite talented.

Listen, I’m not a fan of the MCU nor can I really answer most fan quizzes about this or that scene, but fact of the matter is that go-to MCU filmmakers like The Russos, Waititi, Gunn, and Dericksson are technically brilliant at what they do.

That last name, Scott Derrickson, left the MCU after delivering the billion-dollar making “Doctor Strange.” Now he’s made a quasi independent thriller for Blumhouse titled “The Black Phone.”

Shooting on 35mm and digital, Derickson has “The Black Phone” moving along akin to a series of surreal sequences. Set in 1978 Denver, a serial killer known as “The Grabber” starts snatching boys off the streets. Next thing you know, our 13-year-old protagonist, Finn (Mason Thames), will be his next target.

Finn is a bullied science nerd who clings to his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), as their alcoholic and abusive father (a downright creepy Jeremy Davies) idea the belt if they say the wrong word or sentence.

Here’s where the sci-fi elements come into the picture; Gwen has inherited her late suicidal mother’s “gift” for seeing future events in her dreams. Her brother may have inherited them as well. After five children go missing, it’s Finn’s turn to be taken off the streets and locked in a minimalist-looking basement with just toilet and mattress.

“The Grabber” is played by a creepy Ethan Hawke. I was worried that Hawke’s casting might be distracting, nobody wants to see Mr. nice guy play a disturbingly evil child abductor. But it works.

The decision to always have Hawke’s face fully or partially hidden behind different masks turns out to be a brilliant one. Hawke is brilliant as well, switching his voice into a more sinister delivery. His character is certifiably insane, going from diabolical smiles to insanity at the flick of a switch.

The mix of genre elements (horror, sci-fi, thriller) shouldn’t work, but it does here. Derrickson directs the vision sequences in grainy 16mm. A black phone with its plug snipped out lies dormant in the basement. It starts ringing, Finn picks it up. I won’t say more.

If the plot is fairly thin, Derrickson compensates by creating atmosphere with his quietly creeping camera, you can’t help but get sucked into the surroundings. Derrickson has already shown his ability for above-average horror with 2012’s “Sinister” (also starring Hawke), ”The Black Phone” is actually a slight step up from that one.

Based on a short story from Joe Hill, Derrickson manages to find the perfect tone for his film. It helps that his distanced framing of camera sets off a mood that is eerily unsettling. His small fever-dream of a thriller might not be perfect, but it shows vision and confidence. This is one of the best horror movies of the year. [B/B+]