The first reactions to Scott Derrickson’s new horror film The Black Phone have began to appear on social media. After exiting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences with Marvel Studios despite helming the first movie, Derrickson instead decided to partner with Sinister writer C. Robert Cargill for an adaptation of Joe Hill’s 2004 short story The Black Phone. The project began filming in 2021 and had its international premiere at Fantastic Fest later that year, and is scheduled for a theatrical release in June.
Set in 1970s Colorado, The Black Phone centers on Finney Shaw, a young boy who is kidnapped by a serial killer called The Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke. Upon his imprisonment in the Grabber's basement, Shaw (Mason Thames) finds a disconnected phone and discovers that it has the ability to transmit the voices of the killer’s past victims, who attempt to help him escape. Meanwhile, Shaw’s sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) has a set of recurring visions that may guide her to finding her missing brother.
By the sound of the early audience and critical reactions, Finney’s grapple with The Grabber is set to be a summer horror hit, as the prevailing opinion is that The Black Phone is equal parts scary and tense. Social media reactions called The Black Phone a “great suspenseful horror film” and “handsomely staged and exquisitely acted.” Much of the praise is directed at Hawke’s performance as the terrifying killer, while the younger cast were also lauded for their compelling parts. Fans of the original short story were also pleased, as the reviews pointed to The Black Phone's faithfulness to its source material. Check out the reactions below:
Not all the reactions were agreed in how they received Derrickson's film. One post described The Black Phone as "more as a compelling, mysterious, supernatural thriller than a scary horror movie.” This does, however, echo the sentiments of other critics in saying that The Black Phone is a very tense affair, whether or not the 'scare factor' is present for all viewers. Overall, these reactions match the initital glowing reception The Black Phone received when it premiered at Fantastic Fest, which has landed the film with an early score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Whilst this number is sure to vary slightly as official reviews come in, it is still a strong early showing.
Whether or not The Black Phone proves to be as outright terrifying as many are saying remains to be seen, but horror fans definitely have reason to be excited for the summer. The film's box office performance is somewhat at risk, since the Blumhouse Productions film is debuting in the already-crowded summer 2022 release schedule, with both Jurassic World: Dominion and Lightyear both set to release in the same month. However, going by the early responses, plenty of horror aficionados will be heading to see Derrickson’s The Black Phone to get a taste of this haunting new film.
Source: Twitter (various)
