Scott Derrickson\u2019s adaptation of Joe Hill\u2019s short story has powerful potential in this regard. That potential is strengthened by Derrickson and his writing partner C. Robert Cargill drawing from Derrickson\u2019s own troubled childhood to personalize the story; the film is set in Derrickson\u2019s childhood North Denver neighborhood in the late \u201870s, with specific elements that, according to interviews<\/a>, echo the director\u2019s violent upbringing. Frustratingly, potential is all Derrickson\u2019s movie has, as it\u2019s stymied by poor scripting and awkward execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Black Phone<\/em> follows middle schooler Finney (Mason Thames) as he tries to survive The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a pedophilic serial killer. Even before his abduction, Finney\u2019s life is rough. He and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) suffer regular beatings from their volatile alcoholic dad (Jeremy Davies). Finney gets bullied at school, and his friends keep becoming \u201cmissing child\u201d notices stapled to neighborhood telephone poles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Finney becomes The Grabber\u2019s next target, he discovers a few advantages that improve his odds of escaping the killer\u2019s soundproof basement. One is Gwen, who has visions that help her identify The Grabber\u2019s hideout. Another is the disconnected black phone of the title, through which the unquiet spirits of The Grabber\u2019s past victims speak to him. Finney\u2019s biggest resource, however, is his own natural resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Black Phone<\/em> has strong thematic resonance (not to mention unfortunate relevance) as a story about a kid enduring unthinkable trauma, and the hidden reserves of emotional strength that make such endurance possible. However, the movie\u2019s mechanics are so strangely assembled that they undermine the entire enterprise; it\u2019s more likely to leave audiences howling about what it does wrong rather than connecting with what it gets right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Derrickson and Cargill do some admirable worldbuilding early on, but it\u2019s hobbled by the movie\u2019s uneven ensemble. Outside Thames, Hawke and Davies, the movie\u2019s supporting performances range from school-play stilted to outright bizarre. The blame for some of this lies with the dialogue which, when not belonging to the main characters, verges on robotic. The storytelling logic also breaks down at points, as in the moments (plural!) where The Grabber leaves Finney with potential weapons that the kid, unbelievably, never thinks to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As The Grabber, Hawke exudes credible menace. This is a real feat, since he\u2019s doing most of his acting behind a creepy mask. However, he\u2019s far from the John Wayne Gacy-esque character Hill created. It\u2019s good for artists to freely adapt their source material, but in this case it requires a lot of extra, evident effort to make Hawke a worthy boogeyman. It\u2019s not an inspired casting choice as much as it\u2019s a weird one. Even James Ransone, who pops up here as a cokehead conspiracy theorist, is more appropriately squirrely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Black Phone<\/em> draws from a tradition of great horror storytelling about the actual horrors of childhood. Stephen King\u2014Hill\u2019s father and the current reigning champ of that subgenre\u2014even described Derrickson\u2019s movie as \u201cStand By Me<\/em> in Hell.\u201d That intention is certainly present in Derrickson\u2019s film, but King\u2019s comment also points out what keeps The Black Phone<\/em> from hitting the way it could. Stand By Me\u2019s<\/em> performances and script feel lived-in and rich without giving much exposition. It\u2019s effortless. The Black Phone<\/em> is all visible effort, and the results aren\u2019t up to that established standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Black Phone” is in theaters Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/black-phone2-scaled-1024x576.jpg\")
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