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My wife pointed out that the mom “saw things, heard things,” and it seems like her powers were split between her kids. The daughter sees things, and the son hears them.
Good theory, but I think Finney did see the levitating victim with the slit throat, so it would seem he's not incapable of seeing things as well as hearing.
-I think The Grabber can hear the phone because his "inner child" died down there when he was a victim -I like that the victims lose their name because when we talk about serial killers we often don't remember the names of their victims -I like that Finn gives the victims their names back, both literally and figuratively as he avenges them and lives -The payoff "Finns arm is MINT" was fan service but I don't care because it was so satisfying -I didn't find Gwen under developed; she's assertive and outspoken even when faced with authority figures, pretty fearless, has a more stabby idea of justice (saying a bully "had it coming" when he got beat up), and is defiant toward her father even as he whips her. When facing severe consequences (from the police and her father) she goes out looking for her brother by herself. When she thinks she finds the right place, she doesn't try to Nancy Drew her way in, either. She does the smart thing and calls for help. -The bond between the siblings is where the heart of the story is, not so much with their father. Even at the end of the movie their dad apologizes and neither kid really acknowledges it? -Overall, I felt the movie really highlighted how the world is not a safe place for children. They are physically in danger at home, at school, in the community and often have to depend on each other to stay safe.
YES finney and Gwen’s relationship was part of what made this movie so solid for me. They remind me of me and my younger brother, which makes them feel way more realistic as sibilants?!
Yeah, even without the Grabber being involved, I kinda came away from the movie with the sense that the '70s was like living in the Wild West for kids. 0_0
I understood the ever-changing masks (and the grabber as a whole) to represent an alcoholic parent. The kid never knows what version of their authority figure will come through the door. His emotion is changing and unpredictable. This also allows Finny to be uniquely equipped to “not play the game” because he knows how to “take care” of an alcoholic parent.
Haven't seen the film yet but just seeing the frowning mask from this video is enough to freak me the fuck out. It looks so much like a disappointed parent frown
The scene where Finny failed to break out and just broke down crying was such an amazing scene because it was so real. Everyone has that point where they break down and accurately showing it in a film makes it that much more relatable and real for the audience
One thing I especially appreciated about this movie WAS the fact that the grabber didn't get a lot of screen time, because the movie is about the kids, not him. Too often does the media put an un-necessary emphasis on the killer than that of the actual victims, and I loved how each of the kids that were killed got their own little dream segments where you got to see who they were and what they did; a reminder that they're real people, and not just another addition to the grabbers kill count. Don't get me wrong, the grabber is cool and all, but keeping him vague was probably the best course of action as to avoid any type of glorification or romanticization of his character
I also really like that it didn't insult the intelligence of both the main characters and the audience. Finney gets ideas, but it's up to him to put the pieces together and ultimately come up with his own method of escape. And the series of 'do this' but then it doesn't work out because the Grabber has also learned and evolved is a nice touch. And I don't know for sure, but I don't think the sister was in the original short story, which could be part.pf why she feels underdeveloped, since (if I remember correctly and she wasn't in the story) they had to come up with a whole character
Wild that you skip over the stellar acting of the two primary child actors. They really knocked it out of the park. The scene where the dad is beating the daughter with a belt had my jaw on the floor. Child actors usually don't reach THAT authentic of a performance.
the little girl did excellent, but I thought that the little boy's actor was very wooden and expressionless. unless that's how his character is meant to be portrayed?
The girl`s performance was good,the boy`s was standardly okay,but the boy`s best friend`s acting was awful.It really hurt me to say it as I otherwise like the film a lot.
The grabber not having a backstory is absolutely perfect - that's exactly how a retro horror tale like this would have handled it. It's not about him - he's a bad dude and there's just too much focus on humanizing killers these days. I loved that it's just Finny's story.
I personally loved the lack of a shocking, gruesome ending in this film. I feel like film makers use "horror" as an excuse to make torture porn and excessive gore, because they have nothing real to say. This movie focuses on true psychological trauma, yet leaves us with hope. Maybe we can all save ourselves in the end, and break the cycle.
Well can always check asian horrors that do it pretty good aswell. to me they're most scary since they don't heavily rely on jumpscares like western horror do.
I'm not sure that is true. Torture porn was once a thing, sure. But many films of the recent past did try to be a lot more sophisticated horror (so to speak). I think even the trauma part was done better by other films.
@@dohlecarnett1866 And then there's the Terrifier series which is horrendously awful and people only care because it set a new standard for torture porn.
I have very similar thoughts to you, except I actually liked the grabber’s “coked up brother” because it adds the reminder that even the people closest to “suburban killers” are often totally unaware of their crimes. It’s kind of terrifying.
@@xandercrews4729 I thought right up till that final scene that they were masks of one another 🎭. Especially the jumpcut slide to the basement between floor boards . 🌨️👃🌨️🧏♂️👮♂️👮♂️ ➡️🧱🧒🧱 . I thought the reason the Grabber couldn't sleep was coke 🥤
@@Sorrowdusk When they showed the brother with his maps and then the camera panned down to the basement beneath him for some inexplicable reason I had immediate flashbacks to the end of the silence of the lambs when the swat team and Clarice are going to different houses but they make it look the same... For some unknown reason I thought well that basement the camera has panned down on isn't the actual basement of that house its just a different one. So I was a little surprised it was his brother but I definitely wasn't surprised by the grabber owning two houses I knew that instantly somehow
I liked how in the end, all the different escape plans from the ghosts cane together so that Finnie could kill the Grabber. He needed the hole he dug, the metal grid to break his ankle, the cable to make him trip, the attack technique from Robin (?) to beat the heck outta him and the meat from the cooler to fend off the dog and the lock code from Griffin. This was really a "yeah it's all coming together moment", which I liked.
I felt like the humor, especially from the sister, wasn’t out of place or particularly distracting. The scenes where she was cursing out the investigators made most of my theater laugh, but I think it also only helped to show this little girl’s complete frustration and pain. Oftentimes, children who are victims of serious abuse and trauma tend to speak more like adults do and come across as “old souls”, when in reality their trauma has just thrust them into survival mode. I can see something similar with the sister tbh. A victim of serious abuse and loss, the way she speaks even beyond the vulgarity is more mature.
I felt the sisters cursing and more boyish physicality was very out of place. If the brother was the one who was younger and religious, I’d believe the sisters random blurts of more masculine energy. Contrasted with her deeply religious views, being younger, and abused She would never blurt out like that because she would see all men as her father and would be intimidated She would definitely not fight bullies and start swearing like that. From a writing stand point it was out of place and didn’t connect with the little girls psyche which is unfortunately all to easy to study Small petite, abused little girls don’t act like badass preteen boys. She would be the one that goes home and takes care of dad on fridays because she would feel the need to be the mom in the family It’s literally human psychology Especially since they had an established connection with their now dead mother Which would make her want to replace that role to “help” her broken father Who clearly she still loves Which is in line with female, abused youths and how they treat men when they are abused by them
@@Zacharylastnamemusic Alternatively, her crude nature is her true self, and she feels comfortable enough around Finn and at school to show it, especially in the face of cops. Another trauma response for kids is that at school they let loose because they feel safer at school than they do at home.
@@Zacharylastnamemusic not every petite girl has to act like that… not all abused women are intimidated to the point of silence. Some of us actually act more boyish and curse and etc in a form of not showing weakness or vulnerability. Especially if you’re the oldest sister. You have to be mother and protector in some situations.
I see your point but it’s kinda glamorizing how traumatic children acts. Waaaay more often they become distanced, silent, introspective and controlling. Then when they experience obstacles they react with a fury from the depths of hell. I’m not trying to say “traumatic kids are monsters” but presenting a traumatized kid on their good days is like presenting a suicidal person in their best state of mind; there are periods but it’s not a common occurrence.
@@kaingates it’s not glamorizing unless they portray it as a good thing, which I didn’t nor did the film. Portraying something accurately based on studies isn’t glamorizing. It’s accuracy. It’s reality. Anyone who’s ever worked in child services or researched the differences in how youths handle and deal with abuse down to the sexes and it’s very different. There’s always anomalies but they’re situational So they’re anecdotal compared to the usual suspects
Saw this movie last night with my mom. We were going to go with Lightyear or Jurassic World, but noticed The Black Phone and wanted to remember what it is like being scared and unable to pause it to look away, being “forced” to stay there and experience horror just like the character. I think that is what got us to enjoy the movie even more, feeling like we couldn’t move from our seats and had to watch this kid going through the ordeal. Much like you, we both concluded that the Grabber was abused in that basement, but when I said to my mom that we lacked a lot of details she said: “I think I prefer it this way. I don’t want to feel sympathy for someone like that. The cycle has to end with the monster being brought down, because nothing will ever justify his actions. A sad past should not be forgiveness for his present.” There is a lot more to discuss with that idea, but it leaves me wondering if maybe that was the angle the movie was going for. If what we saw was meant to be enough to be aware and reminded that the Grabber was an ordinary person, like anyone else, it not enough to pity him or care for him more than we did for Finney.
exactly. he’s treated like the embodiment of stranger danger- just enough of an average joe to go undetected, but not actually characterized like an average person. it’s a façade that enables him to do what he does, and not draw the audience in too deep down the sympathy rabbit hole. the cycle of abuse is a very real and present threat that hides everyday just how he does, and it does not excuse him but it does contextualize him
The part I'm surprised you didnt mention is Finney not forgiving his father at the end. I think that's the point of "naughty boy" and the grabber insisting if he'd just behaved he wouldve let him go. We know he wouldnt have. Finney knows what his van looks like. But just like his dad hitting his sister, he blames Finney for "making him" abuse him when the reality is that no matter how he behaved he would take his problems out on him. He just wants to place the blame on Finney because that's easier than acknowledging he's the bad guy.
Gwen's humor was spot on for me and the entire theater laughed during her interrogation scene at the school and when she didn't receive a response from praying..."Jesus WTF?". It was a raw and honest show of emotion because even adults grounded in faith feel the same deep down when they pray for good and it doesn't quite work that way or when they want an answer. It was heartbreaking to know Finney must have felt guilt as well as being scared, knowing his sister was alone to face the wrath of their father. Their bond was touching and I loved his friend reminding him he was always a fighter. He was knocked down hard at home and at school, but always got back up. Sadly he more than any other child victim was equipped to take on the Grabber. "I thought he'd be bigger" LOL one of the kids said that in passing in the last scene when he returned to school. A whole new confidence walked through that door with him as a survivor.
I really enjoyed the fact of going into deatil about the room the all get imprisioned in. In the beginning it looks empty and bland, but later you get to see how each child found some little things in it that manifested into escape plans. SPOILER: The fact that every single one of those failed attempts contributed to Finnies successful escape was done quite nicely in my eyes. Contary to your view i also really liked the death of the grabber. I feared at some point that we were gonna get a classic "oh no he's not dead, he got up again!!" cliché, so i was pleasently suprised. To be fair, non-ironic horror chlichés are a big pet peeve of mine..
Dang! I didn’t even catch that! Every thing the kid told Finn to try, I would hold my breath hoping it would work. But it was all done to help “catch” the Grabber! Great post! 👏
Honestly I would appreciate more vague killers in this sort of media. I feel like we all too often see films where you're expected to have some sort of sympathy for the killer due to a tragic background or mental disorder. As someone who went through hell and then was blamed for it just because the people hurting me were "troubled" seeing more and more of that particular trope makes me feel sick and I'm very glad this movie steps away from it.
I was so terrified of him as soon as Finney was tossed in that basement. When he starts just toying with him you’re just waiting for that moment where he’ll snap and gut him
i honestly had no complaints with this movie! it was a breath of fresh air after watching scream 5 and halloween kills. ive been kind of sick of all these remakes/sequels.. i havent seen anything recently that really grabbed my attention like this trailer/film as a whole did. i thought both the main siblings actors were PHENOMENAL for their age. ethan hawke always impresses and i loved that he played such a deranged, evil character with no weird backstory or hard focus on him. he was just a creep who liked to hurt kids. definitely look forward to seeing more of finny's actor.. that kid was. amazing.
It's such a tight script. I was always agreeing with characters decisions and genuinely cared for the kids. I never really got the sense it was trying to be a horror film. I came out it confident that I just watched one of the best little coming age of thrillers in a very long time. Bloody loved it
For personal reasons I can’t really watch films with themes like this one has, so I’m grateful for videos like this that give me a window into these works of art without trying to shock your viewers or going into too much detail. I love horror immensely but I struggle to consume it directly much of the time due to the previously mentioned personal issues. Thank you for your channel!
If you feel you're able to handle it, you should watch review videos of Possum and 10 Cloverfield Lane. I thought they were artfully done -even cinematography.
I feel the same way--I mostly can't stomach gore, and hate committing to movies that make me feel worse by the end, but I'm also fascinated by horror storytelling. Best of both worlds here.
Then I’m glad you didn’t watch this! Not only does it have a good amount of blood and few more graphic details, this movie deals with child abuse. There’s a full on scene where a little girl is beat horrifically by her father, who never really faces the consequences of his actions (unless you count his kid being kidnapped). I almost couldn’t stomach it and seriously considered stopping it and never looking back.
The kids inherited their psychic abilities from their mom who, according to their dad, was seen as schizophrenic more than psychic and the mother could have had mental health issues that interfered with her clairvoyance, causing her to “do bad things” and take her life. Finn has this ability too and the black phone pulls out his ability to speak to the dead which is similar to his intuition/psychic ability guiding him. The movie is a visual way to interpret psychic ability and how in dreams it’s helps the sister, through the phone it helps Finn tap into his mediumship of speaking to the dead. The Grabber too has this ability, more like the mother where mental health issue or denial may have clouded his ability. He avoids the phone because he senses the ghosts presence too, but chooses to dismiss his psychic ability. Intuition is there to guide you when you get gut feelings about situations in life. In Finn’s case, it shows how that works but using visuals and the phone as a metaphor for connecting between spirit world and physical. Finn, his sister, his mother and even the Grabber have this sense and the movie shows how it affects each differently. In the end, Finn and his sister’s ability helped save his life.
@@ligokleftis If it was just ghosts then the ghosts would’ve showed themselves to others, like The Grabber’s brother for instance. But they were only seen and heard by Finn, his sister, and The Grabber. That’s no coincidence.
Omg exactly!! And one of the kids mentioned how the phone rang for all the other children, but none of them heard it. In other words, the kids all tried to reach out to each other but the other victims didn’t have the gift and couldn’t hear them!!
This is the only horror film in a long time that had my heart pounding. It was those basement scenes. Something about vulnerable children facing psychopaths that you can actually encounter in real life. It gave me that same dread of the scenes between Beverly and her part in IT.
Honestly after seeing it, I think it’s Scott’s best work. One of the most fun theater experiences I’ve ever had too. Ethan Hawke is so scary and great in it. The fact that this is Mason Thame’s first role (as Finney) is great cause he did an excellent job. I think The Grabber was used just the right amount. He is absent long enough that he becomes this looming presence that makes you think “oh god, he could walk into the room at any moment”
A lot of unanswered questions but I enjoyed watching it. I also thought the little girl’s acting was amazing; her crying & emotion [in the one scene] felt incredibly real. Can’t wait to see what she does next!
The moment where Robin was teaching Finney to fight brought tears to my eyes. They had such a beautiful friendship. And that's what I like about this film. It spotlighted the victims and not the killer. Many horror/true crime movies with serial killers often want to focus on the killer because therein lies the morbid fascination. Not saying I don't love that shit myself, but I feel that, in a way, the victim(s) die twice because we forget them. You can hear all about the killer's the childhood background, but what about the childhoods of their victims? What were their ambitions and dreams? EDIT: I wonder if the marketing team used Ethan Hawk as a hook but not the substance.
Just saw this last night so it’s kinda cool to see this drop so quickly. Entertaining thriller film for sure and Ethan Hawke stole the show for all the scenes he was in
@@LucyLioness100 I like the allusions to him being a child molester without outwardly saying it. Kept him more mysterious by only showing brief snippets of the results via the victims ghosts and a couple off handed comments showing he did more than just killing
Fin is a psychic like his sister and mother. That's why the grabber says the phone doesn't work, but fin's powers make it work, to talk to ghosts. I really like the ending I was really cheering for the boy to get the grabber at the end.
if I remember correctly, the father said that the mother also heard voices and they told her to do horrible things, which is what led to her killing herself. Because the Snatcher can hear the phone too, I assumed that they all have powers... the mother, sister, brother, the Snatcher. We just saw how each uses it differently.
@@madeofmeats That’s a big gamble, IMO. The fact Kind waiting til like 2012 to write a sequel to The Shining makes me think he did it as a cash grab and knew fans wanted to find out what happened to Danny later in life. I didn’t enjoy Ewan McGregor in the part as well.
This movie was so good, I was squirming in my seat. Mark Korven’s ethereal creepy score perfectly compliments the dark world the movie is set in, the kid actors chosen for Finney and Gwen were so believable & of course Ethan Hawke is magnificent; he scared the shit out of me throughout the film especially during the ill fated escape scene
@@RyanHollinger glad I’m not the only one who felt some pedo vibes from Hawke’s Grabber in the first basement scene. “Movie, you better not be implying what I think you’re doing” was the thought going through my head
I honestly really enjoyed the "all too clean finale," it felt good to watch Finny pool his resources and escape physically unharmed. To me, there was still some semblance of dread looming around even after Finny escaped. Their dad probably won't magically become a non-alcoholic non-abusive parent even if he is sorry, and both kids got an extra dose of trauma (as if their Mothers loss wasn't enough), etc etc. Even after the scene of Finny returning to school with some newfound confidence, the general tone I gathered from the ending of this movie was more like, "holy shit, I defeated the monster... But now I have to go back to normal life."
one thing I adored about the movie was just how anxious it keeps you throughout, in escape movies like this I feel like it can become too predictable but this felt like it hit all the right notes at the right time and kept me on edge. I also really appreciated how vague it left some things, leaves more room for interpretation to the viewer. Only complaints I have are the fact that it felt like the sister's dreams didn't really have much payoff since finn didn't need them anyways to save himself, and that there was a lot more room for some really scary and chilling scenes involving the grabber, maybe a touch or two more to make it even scarier imo, but overall I loved it so much
I actually really liked it. the disassociate tone of the direction made the film feel more depressing and hopeless in tone. The two things I am surprised you didn't mention was all the dreams the sister was having were not for the benefit of her brother, but for the other children who had died and the other is the implications of the phone. The first point became very obvious when she had the dream involving the punk, who even told the brother 'I am not doing this for you!' The dreams were to let the boys' bodies be found so they could move on from their limbo. The idea that the phone was heard by both Phinny and the Grabber seems to me to imply they also had a bit of the gift the sister had. While the Grabber tried to ignore it, Phinny, in his fear, was probably subconsciously blaring like a siren mentally. The dead boys were likely able to focus on that and able to talk to him because of it. In the end, as the tables were turned on the Grabber, his fear made him able to finally acknowledge the ringing and let the dead boys give their condemnations to him...
I liked the part where you said the dreams were for the boys bodies to be found because I was wondering what he meant about “I’m not doing this for you “
As a Mexican, it was extremely moving to see a kid in this movie who talked, looked, and acted like me and was a much more positive and real portrayal of a Mexican in film that I’ve seen in awhile. On the whole, I think this movie works as a fantastic coming of age story and presents that story in not your standard way that makes it seem refreshing. The dread and terror was there throughout, in a Hitchcock-esque way and was amazingly directed. Great movie!
Damn, I felt the same way with Robins' character. The advice he gave to Finny came through in the end, and he finally learned to not just take a hit, but to give one as well. Hated to see him be another victim of The Grabber.
I really appreciated how much development Finny got as a character. Him being a child in this terrifying situation would have been enough for us to route for him, but we learn about his home life, his daily routine, what his days at school are like, and he has a real arc that he goes on throughout the film.
It was the creepiest experience walking out of the theatre into the parking lot after watching THE BLACK PHONE and seeing a dark colored van with 10-15 black and dark green balloons tied to a small ladder on one of the rear doors. Trippy experience, but kinda badass, too--freaky! The grabber displayed clear & present arrested development. I'd guess he was about the same age mentally & emotionally as the boys he abducted. When he told Finny he'd never do anything the boy wouldn't "like" and held up his fingers in a kind of scouts honor lament whilst uttering the name Johnny, I was almost certain the grabber was reinacting the same pattern of abuse he himself endured....
I agreed with almost everything you had to say in this review, except for the sister being underdeveloped. I just don't think she was developed maybe in the way you wanted her to be, but as far as a character overall I felt she was as deep and important as she needed to be. As a person who has a very close relationship with their siblings, very very similar to the relationship shown between Finny and Gwen, I was especially drawn and appreciative of her character. The movie showing us how close they were on the beginning, and then when Finny is with the Grabber I noticed whenever the phone would ring a lot of the times the movie would cut to Gwen waking from a dream or in a dream or whatever. I Interpreted this to mean her psychic connection or whatever had some kind of affect over how the spirits could contact Finny. This is further shown in the dream walking scene, when she can communicate somewhat with the punk kid in the cop car but not Finny directly. Idk, just my thoughts, sorry for the long comment lol.
Yeah, I was surprised that Ryan felt the sister was underdeveloped. Really great theory about how Gwen and Finney were able to indirectly connect/communicate.
Damn, wasn't expecting this so soon. I loved this film. Feels like it's been a while since we got such an enjoyable horror film. Also I'd say this is easily his best film.
I personally liked the fact that the grabber didn’t get much screen time. So many movies try to deep dive into the killer to the point where it feels like they’re trying to humanize them. Plus, over explaining tends to ruin the scares.
SW/TW: My girlfriend and I felt that this movie was excellently made, and that the acting made it resonate much more for us. The kids in particular felt very very strong, despite some minor issues in the early interactions between kids. However, we felt that the younger actors were especially believable in their portrayal of sadness and pain. Especially with the young actress who played Gwen and the young actor who played Finney both nailing the mannerisms and interactions of children in an abusive household. The acting from Ethan Hawke was also spectacular, as he prodded and played with Finney, trying to bait him into playing “the game.” Great video, Ryan. TLDR: Phenomenal acting overshadowed minor flaws in writing and the lack of “shock” imo
I literally saw the movie yesterday, so I was so happy when you announced the video. Personally, I loved the movie, especially the grainy shots. I loved how the grabber changed the mask based on his mood, much like his demeanour. The movie was really effective because I was abused by my father the same way the father abused the sister. I felt so uncomfortable watching that scene, but I totally understand why it's there. That's one of the reasons why I appreciate horror movies so much. They say things that I have never said.
I'm so happy Summer of 84 got a mention in relation to this! What a great film with an unforgettable ending. It's definitely the film that came to mind for me while watching The Black Phone in terms of how the eras they're set in aren't just used for nostalgia bait
"Chiller" is a perfect description. I enjoyed it A LOT. HOYEVER; when it ended I was taken aback. I thought I must have fallen aleep and woke up to credits.
I really enjoyed it. I do agree with the thing about the coked up brother, it didn’t really go anywhere and felt like an excuse to get James Ransone in to the film for a Sinister reunion of sorts.
I usually end up binging videos talking about movies instead of watching the movies themselves, I'm going to check the movie out beforehand this time, it looks good!
One thing that I appreciate about films/shows/games/etc. that explore abuse is when they actually establish that while abuse shouldn't be excused, it should be understood and examined. The Black Phone has some pitfalls and screw-ups, but they did do a good job demonstrating that abuse often creates abusers, and that abusers aren't generally just evil monsters, but frequently are people unable to cope or recover from their own mistreatment or life's struggles. It's refreshing to see storytelling move away from "yeah, that guy's evil because he's just really a huge shit" in favor of the complexities of how the human mind reacts to trauma.
Loved it, but I feel it was 10-15 minutes too short. There is something about the movie I wish would have been done differently but I honestly can’t think of it. I need to rewatch it but it just felt it was missing something.
I liked the actress that played the sister a lot, that whole storyline kind of goes nowhere which is disappointing. They could have done like 10 minutes more of her to complete her story.
Absolutely LOVED this film personally. One of my favorite details was the lack of dialogue from Gwen during many of her most emotional scenes/the dreams. I feel it really showcased how she felt like no one was listening to her or trying to help!! She felt utterly silenced by the adults around her who either treated her gift like a joke or a curse!!!
For me this film is about how adults can be so powerful when you're that young. How children can often be forgotten so easily. How abuse can just be hidden. That no one will ever believe the child.
I liked the ambiguity of the Grabber himself and the phone too. Black Phone blends supernatural aspects and realism as well. It stays somewhat balanced with either aspect. It’s never explained if the phone is just Ethan Hawke’s past trauma with the victims he’s killed or the actual ghosts communicating. The whole thing could just be Finny’s own actions combined with Ethan’s mentally insane mind. Or it could actually be the spirits of the dead victims… the ambiguity whether purposeful or not helps with the story
I dunno. We know what Finn heard and saw. While I suppose Grabber could be projecting psychically I don't think so. To say nothing of his sisters visions from the other kids pasts, their memories. I THINK the phone 📞 actually rang. After all glass bottles 🍾 moved on their own. 🤔 NOW I think Grabber mentioned he had lived there "ALL my life" and that he heard the phone ring. I think he was trapped in the basement by his father 👹 who beat him. I think he heard the phone even then and maybe...he denied it was happening.
ALSO Grabber never showed his face . He had 1) Gray paint 🤡, 2) full mask 👹, 3) Full mask with no mouth🙊, 4) lower half mask (with AND without paint 🎨), and finally broken mask. When he was unmasked he got afraid 😳 and was shocked. 🤔 He doesn't want to show his face to anyone. Except maybe his brother. I think he was dissociating and the mask was becoming his true self.
I’m glad the killer didn’t get any backstory or info about him, he’s just a crazy kidnapper killer, I’m also glad the movie didn’t use “people have mental illness and need help” fu%k all of that mental s%it, crazy or killer people used that as a way to get out of jail and avoid punishment, when the main character kill the grabber, it was good and yeah Ethan was a amazing actor as the grabber.
@@laurarules3642 nah it’s better not to give the grabber any backstory, it’ll ruin the movie or the story, giving the villains or killers a sad backstory is really stupid and overwhelming or overused.
I'm very happy we didn't get a back story. Focus was on Finney not the Grabbers sad story of being beaten or molested by his dad. We only know he was down there once and the phone rang before. Leave it up to the viewer to think of what happened to him 👍
I feel the most interesting role was actually the sister, the humour injected into her role was palatable for sure and she had me laughing several times throughout what was a largely melancholy atmosphere. She was underdeveloped for sure, there could’ve been more done to explain where the clairvoyance angle came from and why her mother ended up committing suicide. I agree that Ethan Hawke was brilliant with what he had but I feel as though the ending could’ve been slightly more impactful, the chase scene in the middle of the film where Finn escapes from the basement was by far the most intense section of the film for me. That part was particularly effective in my opinion. But my biggest compliment was how the film stayed grounded in a sense of reality by not touching too much on the supernatural side of things, it allowed the film to feel like it was likely to happen in the real world (as we know these things do happen) and for me, the supernatural elements acted as a beacon of hope for Finn as the film progressed, even though they appeared as a melancholic symbol initially.
I don't really agree with needing more information on those points as I like the ambiguity. We don't need answers for everything bc just like in life sometimes things just happen.
SPOILER: Jeremy Jahns theorized that Max was included as part of reshoots to add some levity and I kinda agree with him. Any scenes where he's mentioned are scenes where nobody is visibly talking, so it could have been ADR. Plus how does he not see his brother just sitting in the kitchen with his shirt off, wearing a demon mask? Aside from that it was a very well done, very creepy movie.
Yeah, you know, part of me did wonder if Covid effected production because there’s a lot of isolated stuff in there. I thought the sister did a fair job adding levity but it’s not a bleak enough film to need it. Sinister on the other hand…
If you read the original story there is an appearance of a brother, but doesn’t play a huge part except for the scene that does play out in the film. I’m sure with Derrickson helming he probably wanted James Ransone to have a big part since he had chemistry with Ethan in “Sinister”
My understanding of the role of the brother (at least in the story by Hill) is that his visit to his brother The Grabber was unexpected, and pretty much the reason why Finny wasn't tortured as extensively or killed as quickly as the others, allowing him time to get the messages from the phone & develop his escape plan. In the story, the "Max" character was necessary for that ending, & none of the "naughty boy" kitchen shenanigans happened. Had the movie skipped The Grabber half-naked with a belt, waiting in the kitchen, Max's role might have made a little more sense. I also wondered how The Grabber let Max set up the whole murder whiteboard in the living room, without comment, & then how Max "slept through" his brother in his mask in the kitchen. If Finny hadn't been warned by the dead boy, & had simply gone upstairs, and The Grabber had initiated his beating in the kitchen, surely Max would have heard it all (& maybe would have had to have been eliminated much earlier)! I seriously doubted that The Grabber would have risked that happening. Max was a bit of a disconnect for me, in the movie, in an otherwise pretty well-conceived plot.
Saw this last night. I was expecting a stupid popcorn horror but I really loved it! Especially the slow build up, the incredible acting and natural dialogue, and the ending. I think that I'll need to read the short story, though, because some things seemed a bit too unexplained. I imagine the story will provide more context
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece like I've seen others do, the pacing was too fast, the emotional payoffs didn't *quite* hit as a result, and the runtime could have used an extra 10-15 minutes, but overall, I thought this was a surprisingly great and well-made film. Most horror flicks don't do much for me nowadays, but this one was tense, disturbing, and actually freaked me out a bit. I genuinely cared for Finney and hoped that he would escape, I love how the film was set in the late 70's and didn't shove this fact into our faces, and the whole movie felt like something Stephen King would write, which is ironic since his son wrote the original short story as many have already pointed out. Also, Finney's sister cursing like a sailor got a big laugh out of me. As for the Grabber, I know most people want him to be the next Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, and while I agree that the mask and get-up is already iconic, I personally think he's not that type of villain. Sure, Ethan Hawke completely ate up the screen with his performance, but his scenes were few and far between, and we really don't know what his motivations were or his connection to the phone. I don't see him becoming the next big horror icon of the decade, but who knows.
Me and my friend were talking about this I wish it showed his motivation or explained the magician part of they would have given just a little more explanation about him this movie woudlve been even better
I held off watching this video as I was waiting to watch The Black Phone, which I saw with my son this morning. Derrickson brings concepts to the table that, like you say, rarely stick the landing. Sinister is a great example of this. A magnificent setup with minimal payoff. But I really appreciate his ambition and craft. The Black Phone is definitely more consistent than Sinister, and maybe this is a sign he’s evolving. I will always be in line to see a Derrickson horror film. The performances of the kids in this film are outstanding. Mason Thames is something else, and Madeleine McGraw is fantastic, saying the movie’s funniest lines with relish. Great movie and great critique. Thank you Ryan!
I love analyzing movies and their hidden meanings in the characters and how they connect to the moral of the story. I noticed how the Grabber’s behavior was very much of an abusive parent (I come to realize, may be an ALCOHOLIC abusive parent.) The masks show uncertainty of how the parent is going to react to what the child does, an accident, a chore done wrong, accidental “attitude”, any move the parent deems as wrong. The way the Grabber sat on the chair, waiting for Finney to come out so he could beat the living daylights out of him is so clearly a parent watching the every move of the child, HOPING to catch them doing something “punishable”. And then, after all these horrible things and between them, the parent acts like it’s done out of love, discipline, that there’s no hard feelings. Child abuse is the true monster of this movie, Finney’s father, the ignorant adults, the Grabber’s masks, belt, the basement, the threats, the sudden and violent mood change. I’m so pissed Finney’s dad didn’t get what he deserved.
I feel like the lack of backstory for the killer was perfect: nothing they can come up with will ever be as good as letting our imaginations run wild. This s a person who crafted what is essentially a demon/monster persona for themselves and was so brutally efficient, not even someone living in the same house noticed. Also, the ending was cathartic as hell to me. The kid became a monster too, in a certain aspect, but it was very visceral, a fight for survival in the purest way. It was kill or be killed and he found it in him to do it. Finney used all his rage, from the bullys, from his dad, the murderer, his own life... he really had to pull it all out for that moment.
Nice video Having realism close with the real life cases, that are discussed on that chapter and explore with us is a nice touch. I hope we see you tackle more serial killer movies that are closer to real-life. Hope we get a Collab with you and that chapter. A Irish team up.
I think the Grabber and Finny both also had some psychic abilities. The dead kids say they couldn’t hear the phone even though it was ringing for them too and that Finny was the first of them to hear, while stating the Grabber can too but he ignores it. I think due to certain potential hauntings or other strange things from these abilities and abuse at home, it all contributed to making the Grabber into a child killer. Not the same but also not too far off from Jack in The Shining
I said the same thing!!! I like the film a lot but as I was leaving the theater I said to myself that it lacked "bite". For a film with such a cool concept it played it really safe and things just wrapped up how you'd think they'd wrap up. I was just hoping for a little more.
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 Well I literally was a script doctor, a story editor, co authored a book on film, and have worked all over the broadcast and entertainment industry, probably on things you've seen, but sure, kiddo, tell me more about how to do my job 😉 Run along, kid, you look ignorant. Strike 2.
You know what I noticed the fans love this movie the critics also like this movie but they want to bash it for not being 100% the same thing as the short story that gave this movie Life critics have like these unrealistic expectations of movies to be perfect when there's no such thing as a perfect movie just like critics critique movies they're not always right they might just be biased or have a predetermined notion against a certain person involved with the movie an won't let themselves embrace it
I absolutely love this movie it's so chilling it's basically got all the returning cast from sinister the 1st one Ethan hawke is such an underrated actor!
I really enjoyed The Black Phone and how we never learn much of The Grabber. The jump scares never felt watered down. The build up and pay off during the third act had me yelling with excitement. It's not a solid nor perfect movie but for being an original horror it felt authentic. Thank you for your video review! Felt the same as you did
I fully agree with you regarding the Exorcism of Emily Rose Sinister, and, because of that, was wary upon seeing The Black Phone. Hoyever, I honestly found the film to be a refreshing departure from (and subversion of) a lot of cliches we see in modern horror, and felt the film to be both far more subtle than most films of the same genre whilst simultaneously being far more brutal. I've noticed that modern horror movies are beginning to shy less and less away from depicting graphic violence against children (Dr. Sleep and The Black Phone being the most recent films coming to mind), but have managed to keep it from being overly gratuitous / there for the sake of shock value. In this film especially, I felt it to be used as a tool depicting a grim reality that isn't too far exaggerated for many children, especially in the United States. The homage to the old-school true crime drama / documentary opening montage shown at the beginning of the film was a nice touch, as well. I think it's that sense of reality (which, despite the supernatural elements, kept it far more grounded than a movie like Sinister) that helped this film to achieve and maintain such tension and suspense, even with Max's inclusion. Without the use of a single unwarranted jump scare, a certain scene in this film involving a storm door had my heart beating so hard I was sure it was audible. These characters felt real, for the most part, and genuinely fostered a connection with the audience: I cared about these kids, and can't say the same for many modern films (let alone modern horror films). Though Black Phone certainly wasn't perfect, I hope to see more films like it in the future. It makes me happy to see that more cerebral / psychological horror (like the Black Phone, The Night House, Hereditary, etc.) is beginning to become more popular and is replacing the brainless, derivative mush (like Annabelle, La Llorona, The Nun, etc.) we've seen tarnish the horror scene in the past decade. I hope the trend continues!
I finally watched it last night and it was good. I liked it more than I expected to honestly. I agree with some parts feeling a bit unnecessary and the aesthetic/camera work to be done super well. I feel like the scenes with the basement were the best parts honestly. The first half was really good. I enjoyed when The Grabber was on-screen though. I thought the whole "don't say his name 3 times" thing was gonna be true and like, the sister was going to be taken. I liked the backstory for the dad though. That was interesting. All in all, pretty good.
The tophat is a hold over from the 60s hippie fashions. Mostly seen worn in the 70s by the likes of Alice Cooper and a Saturday morning cartoon PSA series, "Time for Timer" who's catchphrase was, "Follow me!" There was also a popular childrens show in the US southwest, "The Wallace & Ladmo Show" and one of the characters wore a tophat (the creators of the show were friends of Alice Cooper). So, I can see the authentication in having the antagonist wear one. Its basically a subversion of look from that era, blink and you'll miss it, if you weren't from that time period. ✌
I liked that 'The Grabber' had no backstory as we seen that done way too many times and it never works. I'm never going to have sympathy for a sadist serial killer. So it's fruitless.
I personally really enjoyed it and thought the sense of dread it built was impressive. I also think that it's sort of more respectful to the victims to not explain the grabber and makes it ultimately scarier because like in 8mm, some people are just evil.
I grew up in a situation EXTREMELY similar to Finney and Gwen, and with the theory that the Grabber and his brother also had a traumatic childhood, I actually really liked how there were two very different outcomes from the toxic environment - one became a serial killer and the other a happy, friendly guy. It really reels in the “break the cycle” aspect of the movie for me, and gives me hope for my siblings who haven’t been able to heal.
Hi Ryan! I just wanted to thank you for making this kind of videos, I love the psycological and story telling aspects of horror movies but i'm kind of sensitive about them. So, listening to your essays really scratch that itch for me, besides you have kind of a calming voice? It's weird but i feel at ease listening to you. Thank you very much!
I love The Black Phone, and your take on the Grabber is spot on. My sister, who's a psychologist, saw the movie with me and came up with the same analysis as well.
It’s so great to see him embrace villains like Arthur Harrow, but here he uses that natural charisma and warps it into a character who is an enigmatic monster. I like that the original story and screenplay never delve into why the Grabber is so horrific and let Hawke play around with a creepy friendly moment sprinkled into the rasping monster who will gut you in a second if he pleases
I'm a bit surprised by your take on this movie. A few of the elements you brush over and think we're unnecessary or comic relief I felt were core to the events unfolding as they did. One being the brother. It was his presence that prolonged the game the grabber was playing. The bother was visiting and crashing there. So he was not there during the other murders. This means that the grabbers time to you with finn was limited to times where the brother was away or asleep or inebriated. The success of Finn was dictated by more time and privacy he had that the other victims did not have. This was shown in the grabbers frustration. As for the sister. The establishment of her clairvoyance was also key to the plan of the ghosts of the victims to bring about the conclusion they maneuvered Finn into perpetrating. As said by one ghost, this isn't about you. You should revisit this movie again.
it's definitely implied that he assaults the children before killing them. I read the short story and a lot of it was accurate. except that the grabber looked more like John Wayne Gacy. I think if he looked like the story's description, people on Tumblr wouldn't be writing grabber/Albert x fem!reader fanfic.
The thing I liked so much about this movie it had u basically feeling like you were the point of view of the kid trying to figure out what's going on as everything happens and trying to figure out how these kids are talking to him until finally they show one of the kids is dead kind of like in the sinister but instead of them being bad devilish kids they're the victims of the grabber trying to make sure that this doesn't happen to anybody else again they each give him a clue on how to escape from their experience before they got killed he exhausted all the options until finally his friend at the end lets him know I've been here with you the whole time we going to fight this man and get out of here you're not going to die I didn't die for nothing I want to die knowing I got my friend out alive And I like how they didn't make the sisters dreams automatically solve everything and have her know everything it took time and frustration for her to figure things out and what her dreams meant once she finally did I like how they had them go to the right house in her dream but it wasn't the house that her brother was in it was the house that the victims were buried in but he prevailed and was able to make it out alive and his sister looks up and sees his eyes I literally was starting to cry once that came full circle 😭😭cus I have a similar relationship with my sister like that so I could just imagine myself being in that situation with her and her not giving up until she finds me or vice versa
I saw this movie last night and I've been struggling with this same feeling since, I'm so glad at least a few others are getting it because the reviews are absolutely glowing. I have a few various problems with the kids acting and the writing, but overall it is a really well made, creepy movie with a great set up that just...doesn't have much of a point. It seemed like whatever 'twists' popped up amounting to not much of anything. It really needed one good hook to elevate it. I've actually been comparing it a bit to Hereditary in that neither of them are really scary horror movies, but while Hereditary is a GREAT drama, The Black Phone is just a decent true crime movie and I don't think I'll be thinking about it in the future.
@@Moviesandcheats nah a narcissist would be you…a person telling someone else how to do their job and yet you aren’t qualified to do it…that’s the clear example of narcissism, thinking you can do shit you ain’t qualified to do
While listening to this review, my mind kept focusing on one particular thing that each point raised just further emphasised My personal theory is that Finney's discussions with the kids leads to him having psychic powers of some kind and that the Grabber is either influenced by Finney or is a manifestation of Finney's trauma from the hands of his father I also noted from the review that there were alot of similarities between Finney and the Grabber which makes me wonder if Finney is actually the Grabber and thus the true villain of the film and that the ending was of Finney overcoming his personal abusive demon
Thank you! You put into words exactly what I felt about the movie lacking a certain bite. The focus on the horrors of abduction were so poignant in the beginning (that scene showing the slideshow of Bruce's life got me bad), but by the end it just felt like another horror movie cliche that didn't have enough focus on the boys, or the more grounded aspects that actually made it unsettling. I left the movie theater feeling like I'd only seen half a movie, it was weird. Still has a lot of potential, but that's why I was left feeling so disappointed.
I think the fact Max was staying with him during the movie was a massive plot hole. No way he doesn't see his brother sitting in the kitchen with a creepy mask and a belt. He also reacts to the all the noise when Finn escapes like his brother has just dropped a plate. Kinda left me with a sour taste
You said finney couldn't see the dead kids,but he could,cause he saw the dead kid who was dripping blood and we know that for a fact because he pointed at the phone and finney picked it up even though it wasn't ringing
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Could you cover Ravenous?
The void
Could you do session 9 or the religious horror film the remaining? Or the house of the devil?
Loved it and saw it last night. Please keep doing more recent ones
Don't know it's only been out a few days. why the rush? Did you think it's going to flippy Flop?
My wife pointed out that the mom “saw things, heard things,” and it seems like her powers were split between her kids. The daughter sees things, and the son hears them.
Good point, and also the grabber was able to hear the black phone right?
Good theory, but I think Finney did see the levitating victim with the slit throat, so it would seem he's not incapable of seeing things as well as hearing.
Great point!!
@@IsaacLawrenceFilms Maybe it's more of they have only one when they're younger but acquire both with age?
@@yonboi6644 Yeah that could be it. Perhaps in the sequel we'll see Finney use his own psychic abilities.
In Sinister, it was evil kids coming for innocent Ethan Hawke. In this, it’s evil Ethan Hawke coming for innocent kids. The ol’ switcheroo!
How the turntables
Love it
In Sinister he was doing what the brother Max was doing minus the coke.
The next outing: evil hawk vs evil kids
The movie title: "innocent"
“I thought that was what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
-Jerry
-I think The Grabber can hear the phone because his "inner child" died down there when he was a victim
-I like that the victims lose their name because when we talk about serial killers we often don't remember the names of their victims
-I like that Finn gives the victims their names back, both literally and figuratively as he avenges them and lives
-The payoff "Finns arm is MINT" was fan service but I don't care because it was so satisfying
-I didn't find Gwen under developed; she's assertive and outspoken even when faced with authority figures, pretty fearless, has a more stabby idea of justice (saying a bully "had it coming" when he got beat up), and is defiant toward her father even as he whips her. When facing severe consequences (from the police and her father) she goes out looking for her brother by herself. When she thinks she finds the right place, she doesn't try to Nancy Drew her way in, either. She does the smart thing and calls for help.
-The bond between the siblings is where the heart of the story is, not so much with their father. Even at the end of the movie their dad apologizes and neither kid really acknowledges it?
-Overall, I felt the movie really highlighted how the world is not a safe place for children. They are physically in danger at home, at school, in the community and often have to depend on each other to stay safe.
YES finney and Gwen’s relationship was part of what made this movie so solid for me. They remind me of me and my younger brother, which makes them feel way more realistic as sibilants?!
Yeah, even without the Grabber being involved, I kinda came away from the movie with the sense that the '70s was like living in the Wild West for kids. 0_0
love.
This. This is exactly how I feel about the movie.
Yes, your last point is spot on..
I understood the ever-changing masks (and the grabber as a whole) to represent an alcoholic parent. The kid never knows what version of their authority figure will come through the door. His emotion is changing and unpredictable. This also allows Finny to be uniquely equipped to “not play the game” because he knows how to “take care” of an alcoholic parent.
ohhh interesting take
That would make alot of sense given Joe hills father was spent a good part of his childhood as a drunk
Haven't seen the film yet but just seeing the frowning mask from this video is enough to freak me the fuck out. It looks so much like a disappointed parent frown
This totally lands for me. I like this analysis.
Interesting view but he would definitely have made the same mistakes as the other kids (like going up the stairs) had he not been warned.
The scene where Finny failed to break out and just broke down crying was such an amazing scene because it was so real. Everyone has that point where they break down and accurately showing it in a film makes it that much more relatable and real for the audience
It's a painful scene
One thing I especially appreciated about this movie WAS the fact that the grabber didn't get a lot of screen time, because the movie is about the kids, not him. Too often does the media put an un-necessary emphasis on the killer than that of the actual victims, and I loved how each of the kids that were killed got their own little dream segments where you got to see who they were and what they did; a reminder that they're real people, and not just another addition to the grabbers kill count. Don't get me wrong, the grabber is cool and all, but keeping him vague was probably the best course of action as to avoid any type of glorification or romanticization of his character
Great take!
I also really like that it didn't insult the intelligence of both the main characters and the audience. Finney gets ideas, but it's up to him to put the pieces together and ultimately come up with his own method of escape. And the series of 'do this' but then it doesn't work out because the Grabber has also learned and evolved is a nice touch.
And I don't know for sure, but I don't think the sister was in the original short story, which could be part.pf why she feels underdeveloped, since (if I remember correctly and she wasn't in the story) they had to come up with a whole character
@@melvinthebravefish9788 About his sister, she's in it, but only mentioned 3 times. She APPEARS once looking for her brother, but that's really it.
@@sumspring4112 And she was older.
@@melvinthebravefish9788 Also, “of”.
Wild that you skip over the stellar acting of the two primary child actors. They really knocked it out of the park. The scene where the dad is beating the daughter with a belt had my jaw on the floor. Child actors usually don't reach THAT authentic of a performance.
She was perfect
I thought so too. It was amazing.
Yes!! I loved her.
the little girl did excellent, but I thought that the little boy's actor was very wooden and expressionless. unless that's how his character is meant to be portrayed?
The girl`s performance was good,the boy`s was standardly okay,but the boy`s best friend`s acting was awful.It really hurt me to say it as I otherwise like the film a lot.
The grabber not having a backstory is absolutely perfect - that's exactly how a retro horror tale like this would have handled it. It's not about him - he's a bad dude and there's just too much focus on humanizing killers these days. I loved that it's just Finny's story.
Whenever he answers the Black Phone, all he hears is the sounds of the previous victims chant HOYEVER.
Lmaoo
This might be my favorite RUclips comment of the year.
😂😂
ХОЙЕВОРРРР
I don't even like horror movies that much, I just love listening to the pronunciation.
I enjoyed how they gave backstory to each of the grabbers victims. It really made you connect with them and made their stories that much more tragic.
I personally loved the lack of a shocking, gruesome ending in this film. I feel like film makers use "horror" as an excuse to make torture porn and excessive gore, because they have nothing real to say. This movie focuses on true psychological trauma, yet leaves us with hope. Maybe we can all save ourselves in the end, and break the cycle.
Oh god I love this
Well can always check asian horrors that do it pretty good aswell. to me they're most scary since they don't heavily rely on jumpscares like western horror do.
I'm not sure that is true. Torture porn was once a thing, sure. But many films of the recent past did try to be a lot more sophisticated horror (so to speak). I think even the trauma part was done better by other films.
@@dohlecarnett1866 And then there's the Terrifier series which is horrendously awful and people only care because it set a new standard for torture porn.
@@BeersAndBeatsPDX Oh, good to know. I really don't know if I should watch those films or not.
I have very similar thoughts to you, except I actually liked the grabber’s “coked up brother” because it adds the reminder that even the people closest to “suburban killers” are often totally unaware of their crimes. It’s kind of terrifying.
IDK, he just felt unnecessary.
@@xandercrews4729 I thought right up till that final scene that they were masks of one another 🎭. Especially the jumpcut slide to the basement between floor boards . 🌨️👃🌨️🧏♂️👮♂️👮♂️ ➡️🧱🧒🧱 . I thought the reason the Grabber couldn't sleep was coke 🥤
@@Sorrowdusk When they showed the brother with his maps and then the camera panned down to the basement beneath him for some inexplicable reason I had immediate flashbacks to the end of the silence of the lambs when the swat team and Clarice are going to different houses but they make it look the same... For some unknown reason I thought well that basement the camera has panned down on isn't the actual basement of that house its just a different one. So I was a little surprised it was his brother but I definitely wasn't surprised by the grabber owning two houses I knew that instantly somehow
Loved the brother..he was hilarious
I found that part very hard to believe.
I liked how in the end, all the different escape plans from the ghosts cane together so that Finnie could kill the Grabber. He needed the hole he dug, the metal grid to break his ankle, the cable to make him trip, the attack technique from Robin (?) to beat the heck outta him and the meat from the cooler to fend off the dog and the lock code from Griffin.
This was really a "yeah it's all coming together moment", which I liked.
I felt like the humor, especially from the sister, wasn’t out of place or particularly distracting. The scenes where she was cursing out the investigators made most of my theater laugh, but I think it also only helped to show this little girl’s complete frustration and pain. Oftentimes, children who are victims of serious abuse and trauma tend to speak more like adults do and come across as “old souls”, when in reality their trauma has just thrust them into survival mode. I can see something similar with the sister tbh. A victim of serious abuse and loss, the way she speaks even beyond the vulgarity is more mature.
I felt the sisters cursing and more boyish physicality was very out of place. If the brother was the one who was younger and religious, I’d believe the sisters random blurts of more masculine energy. Contrasted with her deeply religious views, being younger, and abused
She would never blurt out like that because she would see all men as her father and would be intimidated
She would definitely not fight bullies and start swearing like that. From a writing stand point it was out of place and didn’t connect with the little girls psyche which is unfortunately all to easy to study
Small petite, abused little girls don’t act like badass preteen boys. She would be the one that goes home and takes care of dad on fridays because she would feel the need to be the mom in the family
It’s literally human psychology
Especially since they had an established connection with their now dead mother
Which would make her want to replace that role to “help” her broken father
Who clearly she still loves
Which is in line with female, abused youths and how they treat men when they are abused by them
@@Zacharylastnamemusic Alternatively, her crude nature is her true self, and she feels comfortable enough around Finn and at school to show it, especially in the face of cops. Another trauma response for kids is that at school they let loose because they feel safer at school than they do at home.
@@Zacharylastnamemusic not every petite girl has to act like that… not all abused women are intimidated to the point of silence. Some of us actually act more boyish and curse and etc in a form of not showing weakness or vulnerability. Especially if you’re the oldest sister. You have to be mother and protector in some situations.
I see your point but it’s kinda glamorizing how traumatic children acts. Waaaay more often they become distanced, silent, introspective and controlling. Then when they experience obstacles they react with a fury from the depths of hell. I’m not trying to say “traumatic kids are monsters” but presenting a traumatized kid on their good days is like presenting a suicidal person in their best state of mind; there are periods but it’s not a common occurrence.
@@kaingates it’s not glamorizing unless they portray it as a good thing, which I didn’t nor did the film. Portraying something accurately based on studies isn’t glamorizing. It’s accuracy. It’s reality. Anyone who’s ever worked in child services or researched the differences in how youths handle and deal with abuse down to the sexes and it’s very different. There’s always anomalies but they’re situational
So they’re anecdotal compared to the usual suspects
Saw this movie last night with my mom. We were going to go with Lightyear or Jurassic World, but noticed The Black Phone and wanted to remember what it is like being scared and unable to pause it to look away, being “forced” to stay there and experience horror just like the character. I think that is what got us to enjoy the movie even more, feeling like we couldn’t move from our seats and had to watch this kid going through the ordeal.
Much like you, we both concluded that the Grabber was abused in that basement, but when I said to my mom that we lacked a lot of details she said: “I think I prefer it this way. I don’t want to feel sympathy for someone like that. The cycle has to end with the monster being brought down, because nothing will ever justify his actions. A sad past should not be forgiveness for his present.”
There is a lot more to discuss with that idea, but it leaves me wondering if maybe that was the angle the movie was going for. If what we saw was meant to be enough to be aware and reminded that the Grabber was an ordinary person, like anyone else, it not enough to pity him or care for him more than we did for Finney.
exactly. he’s treated like the embodiment of stranger danger- just enough of an average joe to go undetected, but not actually characterized like an average person. it’s a façade that enables him to do what he does, and not draw the audience in too deep down the sympathy rabbit hole. the cycle of abuse is a very real and present threat that hides everyday just how he does, and it does not excuse him but it does contextualize him
Extremely well-said
The part I'm surprised you didnt mention is Finney not forgiving his father at the end. I think that's the point of "naughty boy" and the grabber insisting if he'd just behaved he wouldve let him go. We know he wouldnt have. Finney knows what his van looks like. But just like his dad hitting his sister, he blames Finney for "making him" abuse him when the reality is that no matter how he behaved he would take his problems out on him. He just wants to place the blame on Finney because that's easier than acknowledging he's the bad guy.
Gwen's humor was spot on for me and the entire theater laughed during her interrogation scene at the school and when she didn't receive a response from praying..."Jesus WTF?". It was a raw and honest show of emotion because even adults grounded in faith feel the same deep down when they pray for good and it doesn't quite work that way or when they want an answer.
It was heartbreaking to know Finney must have felt guilt as well as being scared, knowing his sister was alone to face the wrath of their father. Their bond was touching and I loved his friend reminding him he was always a fighter. He was knocked down hard at home and at school, but always got back up. Sadly he more than any other child victim was equipped to take on the Grabber.
"I thought he'd be bigger" LOL one of the kids said that in passing in the last scene when he returned to school. A whole new confidence walked through that door with him as a survivor.
I had the theater to myself- I thought Gwen’s reactions were basically mine. Wishing ppl would listen and stand up. I loved her.
I really enjoyed the fact of going into deatil about the room the all get imprisioned in. In the beginning it looks empty and bland, but later you get to see how each child found some little things in it that manifested into escape plans.
SPOILER:
The fact that every single one of those failed attempts contributed to Finnies successful escape was done quite nicely in my eyes. Contary to your view i also really liked the death of the grabber. I feared at some point that we were gonna get a classic "oh no he's not dead, he got up again!!" cliché, so i was pleasently suprised. To be fair, non-ironic horror chlichés are a big pet peeve of mine..
Dang! I didn’t even catch that! Every thing the kid told Finn to try, I would hold my breath hoping it would work. But it was all done to help “catch” the Grabber! Great post! 👏
yeah exactly, every kid gave him something that he needed in the end to survive
Yeah! I was so scared but then the music was calm and also triumphant and then I thought maybe he’s really gone
Honestly I would appreciate more vague killers in this sort of media. I feel like we all too often see films where you're expected to have some sort of sympathy for the killer due to a tragic background or mental disorder. As someone who went through hell and then was blamed for it just because the people hurting me were "troubled" seeing more and more of that particular trope makes me feel sick and I'm very glad this movie steps away from it.
The actors who played the brother and sister were fantastic!
And of course Ethan Hawke was his a
Usual awesome self as well.
I was so terrified of him as soon as Finney was tossed in that basement. When he starts just toying with him you’re just waiting for that moment where he’ll snap and gut him
i honestly had no complaints with this movie! it was a breath of fresh air after watching scream 5 and halloween kills. ive been kind of sick of all these remakes/sequels.. i havent seen anything recently that really grabbed my attention like this trailer/film as a whole did. i thought both the main siblings actors were PHENOMENAL for their age. ethan hawke always impresses and i loved that he played such a deranged, evil character with no weird backstory or hard focus on him. he was just a creep who liked to hurt kids. definitely look forward to seeing more of finny's actor.. that kid was. amazing.
It's such a tight script. I was always agreeing with characters decisions and genuinely cared for the kids. I never really got the sense it was trying to be a horror film. I came out it confident that I just watched one of the best little coming age of thrillers in a very long time. Bloody loved it
For personal reasons I can’t really watch films with themes like this one has, so I’m grateful for videos like this that give me a window into these works of art without trying to shock your viewers or going into too much detail. I love horror immensely but I struggle to consume it directly much of the time due to the previously mentioned personal issues. Thank you for your channel!
If you feel you're able to handle it, you should watch review videos of Possum and 10 Cloverfield Lane. I thought they were artfully done -even cinematography.
I feel the same way--I mostly can't stomach gore, and hate committing to movies that make me feel worse by the end, but I'm also fascinated by horror storytelling. Best of both worlds here.
Then I’m glad you didn’t watch this! Not only does it have a good amount of blood and few more graphic details, this movie deals with child abuse. There’s a full on scene where a little girl is beat horrifically by her father, who never really faces the consequences of his actions (unless you count his kid being kidnapped).
I almost couldn’t stomach it and seriously considered stopping it and never looking back.
The kids inherited their psychic abilities from their mom who, according to their dad, was seen as schizophrenic more than psychic and the mother could have had mental health issues that interfered with her clairvoyance, causing her to “do bad things” and take her life.
Finn has this ability too and the black phone pulls out his ability to speak to the dead which is similar to his intuition/psychic ability guiding him. The movie is a visual way to interpret psychic ability and how in dreams it’s helps the sister, through the phone it helps Finn tap into his mediumship of speaking to the dead.
The Grabber too has this ability, more like the mother where mental health issue or denial may have clouded his ability. He avoids the phone because he senses the ghosts presence too, but chooses to dismiss his psychic ability.
Intuition is there to guide you when you get gut feelings about situations in life. In Finn’s case, it shows how that works but using visuals and the phone as a metaphor for connecting between spirit world and physical.
Finn, his sister, his mother and even the Grabber have this sense and the movie shows how it affects each differently. In the end, Finn and his sister’s ability helped save his life.
This.
or it’s just ghosts
@@ligokleftis If it was just ghosts then the ghosts would’ve showed themselves to others, like The Grabber’s brother for instance. But they were only seen and heard by Finn, his sister, and The Grabber. That’s no coincidence.
@@ligokleftis the mother was said to have seen and heard things. The daughter seen things and the son heard things.
Omg exactly!! And one of the kids mentioned how the phone rang for all the other children, but none of them heard it. In other words, the kids all tried to reach out to each other but the other victims didn’t have the gift and couldn’t hear them!!
This is the only horror film in a long time that had my heart pounding. It was those basement scenes. Something about vulnerable children facing psychopaths that you can actually encounter in real life. It gave me that same dread of the scenes between Beverly and her part in IT.
Honestly after seeing it, I think it’s Scott’s best work. One of the most fun theater experiences I’ve ever had too. Ethan Hawke is so scary and great in it. The fact that this is Mason Thame’s first role (as Finney) is great cause he did an excellent job. I think The Grabber was used just the right amount. He is absent long enough that he becomes this looming presence that makes you think “oh god, he could walk into the room at any moment”
A lot of unanswered questions but I enjoyed watching it. I also thought the little girl’s acting was amazing; her crying & emotion [in the one scene] felt incredibly real. Can’t wait to see what she does next!
It was so disturbing and realistic, I cant tell whether to call it amazing or horrific.
One of my favorite things is how they didn’t explain everything about the grabber and left things like motive and backstory unanswered
The moment where Robin was teaching Finney to fight brought tears to my eyes. They had such a beautiful friendship. And that's what I like about this film. It spotlighted the victims and not the killer. Many horror/true crime movies with serial killers often want to focus on the killer because therein lies the morbid fascination. Not saying I don't love that shit myself, but I feel that, in a way, the victim(s) die twice because we forget them. You can hear all about the killer's the childhood background, but what about the childhoods of their victims? What were their ambitions and dreams?
EDIT: I wonder if the marketing team used Ethan Hawk as a hook but not the substance.
Just saw this last night so it’s kinda cool to see this drop so quickly. Entertaining thriller film for sure and Ethan Hawke stole the show for all the scenes he was in
The minute he began seesawing between creepy friendly into a heartless monster I was hooked
@@LucyLioness100 I like the allusions to him being a child molester without outwardly saying it. Kept him more mysterious by only showing brief snippets of the results via the victims ghosts and a couple off handed comments showing he did more than just killing
Fin is a psychic like his sister and mother. That's why the grabber says the phone doesn't work, but fin's powers make it work, to talk to ghosts. I really like the ending I was really cheering for the boy to get the grabber at the end.
They also said the grabber can hear the phone ring as well but he doesn’t want to believe it.
if I remember correctly, the father said that the mother also heard voices and they told her to do horrible things, which is what led to her killing herself. Because the Snatcher can hear the phone too, I assumed that they all have powers... the mother, sister, brother, the Snatcher. We just saw how each uses it differently.
what if this movie is secretly part of the Shining universe? 🤔
@@madeofmeats That’s a big gamble, IMO. The fact Kind waiting til like 2012 to write a sequel to The Shining makes me think he did it as a cash grab and knew fans wanted to find out what happened to Danny later in life. I didn’t enjoy Ewan McGregor in the part as well.
The Grabber*
@liquid sword Sinister universe!
this was a great movie and im so glad they just kept the villain as a force of evil and didnt explain it or try and make him out to be misunderstood
This movie was so good, I was squirming in my seat. Mark Korven’s ethereal creepy score perfectly compliments the dark world the movie is set in, the kid actors chosen for Finney and Gwen were so believable & of course Ethan Hawke is magnificent; he scared the shit out of me throughout the film especially during the ill fated escape scene
The score was up there with Sinister. So unique!
@@RyanHollinger glad I’m not the only one who felt some pedo vibes from Hawke’s Grabber in the first basement scene. “Movie, you better not be implying what I think you’re doing” was the thought going through my head
Dude when his brother figures it out, that was crazy
I honestly really enjoyed the "all too clean finale," it felt good to watch Finny pool his resources and escape physically unharmed. To me, there was still some semblance of dread looming around even after Finny escaped. Their dad probably won't magically become a non-alcoholic non-abusive parent even if he is sorry, and both kids got an extra dose of trauma (as if their Mothers loss wasn't enough), etc etc. Even after the scene of Finny returning to school with some newfound confidence, the general tone I gathered from the ending of this movie was more like, "holy shit, I defeated the monster... But now I have to go back to normal life."
one thing I adored about the movie was just how anxious it keeps you throughout, in escape movies like this I feel like it can become too predictable but this felt like it hit all the right notes at the right time and kept me on edge. I also really appreciated how vague it left some things, leaves more room for interpretation to the viewer. Only complaints I have are the fact that it felt like the sister's dreams didn't really have much payoff since finn didn't need them anyways to save himself, and that there was a lot more room for some really scary and chilling scenes involving the grabber, maybe a touch or two more to make it even scarier imo, but overall I loved it so much
I actually really liked it. the disassociate tone of the direction made the film feel more depressing and hopeless in tone.
The two things I am surprised you didn't mention was all the dreams the sister was having were not for the benefit of her brother, but for the other children who had died and the other is the implications of the phone. The first point became very obvious when she had the dream involving the punk, who even told the brother 'I am not doing this for you!' The dreams were to let the boys' bodies be found so they could move on from their limbo.
The idea that the phone was heard by both Phinny and the Grabber seems to me to imply they also had a bit of the gift the sister had. While the Grabber tried to ignore it, Phinny, in his fear, was probably subconsciously blaring like a siren mentally. The dead boys were likely able to focus on that and able to talk to him because of it. In the end, as the tables were turned on the Grabber, his fear made him able to finally acknowledge the ringing and let the dead boys give their condemnations to him...
I liked the part where you said the dreams were for the boys bodies to be found because I was wondering what he meant about “I’m not doing this for you “
Thank you! Someone finally understands the point of the sister's story!
As a Mexican, it was extremely moving to see a kid in this movie who talked, looked, and acted like me and was a much more positive and real portrayal of a Mexican in film that I’ve seen in awhile. On the whole, I think this movie works as a fantastic coming of age story and presents that story in not your standard way that makes it seem refreshing. The dread and terror was there throughout, in a Hitchcock-esque way and was amazingly directed. Great movie!
Not gonna lie I thought Robin was badass. Enjoyed his character a lot
@@yougotgamesonyourphone6947 I was so sad when he became the Grabber’s victim
Damn, I felt the same way with Robins' character. The advice he gave to Finny came through in the end, and he finally learned to not just take a hit, but to give one as well. Hated to see him be another victim of The Grabber.
I really appreciated how much development Finny got as a character. Him being a child in this terrifying situation would have been enough for us to route for him, but we learn about his home life, his daily routine, what his days at school are like, and he has a real arc that he goes on throughout the film.
There was something satisfying at the end where he gains a new self confidence, even if he went through hell to achieve his happy ending.
It was the creepiest experience walking out of the theatre into the parking lot after watching THE BLACK PHONE and seeing a dark colored van with 10-15 black and dark green balloons tied to a small ladder on one of the rear doors. Trippy experience, but kinda badass, too--freaky!
The grabber displayed clear & present arrested development. I'd guess he was about the same age mentally & emotionally as the boys he abducted.
When he told Finny he'd never do anything the boy wouldn't "like" and held up his fingers in a kind of scouts honor lament whilst uttering the name Johnny, I was almost certain the grabber was reinacting the same pattern of abuse he himself endured....
I agreed with almost everything you had to say in this review, except for the sister being underdeveloped. I just don't think she was developed maybe in the way you wanted her to be, but as far as a character overall I felt she was as deep and important as she needed to be. As a person who has a very close relationship with their siblings, very very similar to the relationship shown between Finny and Gwen, I was especially drawn and appreciative of her character. The movie showing us how close they were on the beginning, and then when Finny is with the Grabber I noticed whenever the phone would ring a lot of the times the movie would cut to Gwen waking from a dream or in a dream or whatever. I Interpreted this to mean her psychic connection or whatever had some kind of affect over how the spirits could contact Finny. This is further shown in the dream walking scene, when she can communicate somewhat with the punk kid in the cop car but not Finny directly. Idk, just my thoughts, sorry for the long comment lol.
Yeah, I was surprised that Ryan felt the sister was underdeveloped. Really great theory about how Gwen and Finney were able to indirectly connect/communicate.
Damn, wasn't expecting this so soon. I loved this film. Feels like it's been a while since we got such an enjoyable horror film. Also I'd say this is easily his best film.
I personally liked the fact that the grabber didn’t get much screen time. So many movies try to deep dive into the killer to the point where it feels like they’re trying to humanize them. Plus, over explaining tends to ruin the scares.
I blame the "critics" who complain about everything needing to have meaning.
SW/TW: My girlfriend and I felt that this movie was excellently made, and that the acting made it resonate much more for us. The kids in particular felt very very strong, despite some minor issues in the early interactions between kids. However, we felt that the younger actors were especially believable in their portrayal of sadness and pain. Especially with the young actress who played Gwen and the young actor who played Finney both nailing the mannerisms and interactions of children in an abusive household. The acting from Ethan Hawke was also spectacular, as he prodded and played with Finney, trying to bait him into playing “the game.” Great video, Ryan.
TLDR: Phenomenal acting overshadowed minor flaws in writing and the lack of “shock” imo
I literally saw the movie yesterday, so I was so happy when you announced the video.
Personally, I loved the movie, especially the grainy shots. I loved how the grabber changed the mask based on his mood, much like his demeanour.
The movie was really effective because I was abused by my father the same way the father abused the sister. I felt so uncomfortable watching that scene, but I totally understand why it's there. That's one of the reasons why I appreciate horror movies so much. They say things that I have never said.
I'm so happy Summer of 84 got a mention in relation to this! What a great film with an unforgettable ending. It's definitely the film that came to mind for me while watching The Black Phone in terms of how the eras they're set in aren't just used for nostalgia bait
This movie definitely doesn't do any sort of nostalgia bait. It feel like inverse of that. I wish more filmmaker do something like this movie.
"Chiller" is a perfect description.
I enjoyed it A LOT.
HOYEVER; when it ended I was taken aback. I thought I must have fallen aleep and woke up to credits.
I really enjoyed it. I do agree with the thing about the coked up brother, it didn’t really go anywhere and felt like an excuse to get James Ransone in to the film for a Sinister reunion of sorts.
I usually end up binging videos talking about movies instead of watching the movies themselves, I'm going to check the movie out beforehand this time, it looks good!
One thing that I appreciate about films/shows/games/etc. that explore abuse is when they actually establish that while abuse shouldn't be excused, it should be understood and examined. The Black Phone has some pitfalls and screw-ups, but they did do a good job demonstrating that abuse often creates abusers, and that abusers aren't generally just evil monsters, but frequently are people unable to cope or recover from their own mistreatment or life's struggles. It's refreshing to see storytelling move away from "yeah, that guy's evil because he's just really a huge shit" in favor of the complexities of how the human mind reacts to trauma.
Loved it, but I feel it was 10-15 minutes too short. There is something about the movie I wish would have been done differently but I honestly can’t think of it. I need to rewatch it but it just felt it was missing something.
Shut up
I liked the actress that played the sister a lot, that whole storyline kind of goes nowhere which is disappointing. They could have done like 10 minutes more of her to complete her story.
@@dr.strange5419 at first, I didn’t like the girl when she was doing the crying scene. But she really grew on me. Incredible performance
@@dr.strange5419 The whole point of her story was giving the families of the lost children some form of closure.
Absolutely LOVED this film personally. One of my favorite details was the lack of dialogue from Gwen during many of her most emotional scenes/the dreams. I feel it really showcased how she felt like no one was listening to her or trying to help!! She felt utterly silenced by the adults around her who either treated her gift like a joke or a curse!!!
Good timing, I’m literally sat in the cinema screen waiting for the movie to start - i’ll watch this after. 😋
Enjoy!
For me this film is about how adults can be so powerful when you're that young. How children can often be forgotten so easily. How abuse can just be hidden. That no one will ever believe the child.
I liked the ambiguity of the Grabber himself and the phone too. Black Phone blends supernatural aspects and realism as well. It stays somewhat balanced with either aspect. It’s never explained if the phone is just Ethan Hawke’s past trauma with the victims he’s killed or the actual ghosts communicating. The whole thing could just be Finny’s own actions combined with Ethan’s mentally insane mind. Or it could actually be the spirits of the dead victims… the ambiguity whether purposeful or not helps with the story
I dunno. We know what Finn heard and saw. While I suppose Grabber could be projecting psychically I don't think so. To say nothing of his sisters visions from the other kids pasts, their memories. I THINK the phone 📞 actually rang. After all glass bottles 🍾 moved on their own. 🤔 NOW I think Grabber mentioned he had lived there "ALL my life" and that he heard the phone ring. I think he was trapped in the basement by his father 👹 who beat him. I think he heard the phone even then and maybe...he denied it was happening.
ALSO Grabber never showed his face . He had 1) Gray paint 🤡, 2) full mask 👹, 3) Full mask with no mouth🙊, 4) lower half mask (with AND without paint 🎨), and finally broken mask. When he was unmasked he got afraid 😳 and was shocked. 🤔 He doesn't want to show his face to anyone. Except maybe his brother. I think he was dissociating and the mask was becoming his true self.
10:03 The sick "naughty boy" game he forces Finney to play is probably what his dad did to him.
I’m glad the killer didn’t get any backstory or info about him, he’s just a crazy kidnapper killer, I’m also glad the movie didn’t use “people have mental illness and need help” fu%k all of that mental s%it, crazy or killer people used that as a way to get out of jail and avoid punishment, when the main character kill the grabber, it was good and yeah Ethan was a amazing actor as the grabber.
I'm sure the grabber will get backstory in the many sequels, prequels and remakes that are to come in the future unfortunately
@@laurarules3642 nah it’s better not to give the grabber any backstory, it’ll ruin the movie or the story, giving the villains or killers a sad backstory is really stupid and overwhelming or overused.
I'm very happy we didn't get a back story. Focus was on Finney not the Grabbers sad story of being beaten or molested by his dad. We only know he was down there once and the phone rang before. Leave it up to the viewer to think of what happened to him 👍
I feel the most interesting role was actually the sister, the humour injected into her role was palatable for sure and she had me laughing several times throughout what was a largely melancholy atmosphere. She was underdeveloped for sure, there could’ve been more done to explain where the clairvoyance angle came from and why her mother ended up committing suicide.
I agree that Ethan Hawke was brilliant with what he had but I feel as though the ending could’ve been slightly more impactful, the chase scene in the middle of the film where Finn escapes from the basement was by far the most intense section of the film for me. That part was particularly effective in my opinion.
But my biggest compliment was how the film stayed grounded in a sense of reality by not touching too much on the supernatural side of things, it allowed the film to feel like it was likely to happen in the real world (as we know these things do happen) and for me, the supernatural elements acted as a beacon of hope for Finn as the film progressed, even though they appeared as a melancholic symbol initially.
I don't really agree with needing more information on those points as I like the ambiguity. We don't need answers for everything bc just like in life sometimes things just happen.
SPOILER:
Jeremy Jahns theorized that Max was included as part of reshoots to add some levity and I kinda agree with him. Any scenes where he's mentioned are scenes where nobody is visibly talking, so it could have been ADR. Plus how does he not see his brother just sitting in the kitchen with his shirt off, wearing a demon mask?
Aside from that it was a very well done, very creepy movie.
Yeah, you know, part of me did wonder if Covid effected production because there’s a lot of isolated stuff in there. I thought the sister did a fair job adding levity but it’s not a bleak enough film to need it. Sinister on the other hand…
maybe the brother is out of the house alot, or he only does it when he knows his brother is asleep (i forgot if he ever did it during the day though).
If you read the original story there is an appearance of a brother, but doesn’t play a huge part except for the scene that does play out in the film. I’m sure with Derrickson helming he probably wanted James Ransone to have a big part since he had chemistry with Ethan in “Sinister”
@@LucyLioness100 If that's the case why do they only share one line with each other, and it's not even when they're in the same room?
My understanding of the role of the brother (at least in the story by Hill) is that his visit to his brother The Grabber was unexpected, and pretty much the reason why Finny wasn't tortured as extensively or killed as quickly as the others, allowing him time to get the messages from the phone & develop his escape plan. In the story, the "Max" character was necessary for that ending, & none of the "naughty boy" kitchen shenanigans happened. Had the movie skipped The Grabber half-naked with a belt, waiting in the kitchen, Max's role might have made a little more sense. I also wondered how The Grabber let Max set up the whole murder whiteboard in the living room, without comment, & then how Max "slept through" his brother in his mask in the kitchen. If Finny hadn't been warned by the dead boy, & had simply gone upstairs, and The Grabber had initiated his beating in the kitchen, surely Max would have heard it all (& maybe would have had to have been eliminated much earlier)! I seriously doubted that The Grabber would have risked that happening. Max was a bit of a disconnect for me, in the movie, in an otherwise pretty well-conceived plot.
Saw this last night. I was expecting a stupid popcorn horror but I really loved it! Especially the slow build up, the incredible acting and natural dialogue, and the ending.
I think that I'll need to read the short story, though, because some things seemed a bit too unexplained. I imagine the story will provide more context
The dialogue in the bathroom scene was pretty cringe though lol
Saw this at the cinema the other night, and apart from a couple of gripes, I really enjoyed it. 4/4.5 stars out of 5 for me
Such a well acted movie! I do love that Ethan's screen time was little. Perfectly done.
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece like I've seen others do, the pacing was too fast, the emotional payoffs didn't *quite* hit as a result, and the runtime could have used an extra 10-15 minutes, but overall, I thought this was a surprisingly great and well-made film. Most horror flicks don't do much for me nowadays, but this one was tense, disturbing, and actually freaked me out a bit. I genuinely cared for Finney and hoped that he would escape, I love how the film was set in the late 70's and didn't shove this fact into our faces, and the whole movie felt like something Stephen King would write, which is ironic since his son wrote the original short story as many have already pointed out. Also, Finney's sister cursing like a sailor got a big laugh out of me.
As for the Grabber, I know most people want him to be the next Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, and while I agree that the mask and get-up is already iconic, I personally think he's not that type of villain. Sure, Ethan Hawke completely ate up the screen with his performance, but his scenes were few and far between, and we really don't know what his motivations were or his connection to the phone. I don't see him becoming the next big horror icon of the decade, but who knows.
Me and my friend were talking about this I wish it showed his motivation or explained the magician part of they would have given just a little more explanation about him this movie woudlve been even better
I held off watching this video as I was waiting to watch The Black Phone, which I saw with my son this morning. Derrickson brings concepts to the table that, like you say, rarely stick the landing. Sinister is a great example of this. A magnificent setup with minimal payoff. But I really appreciate his ambition and craft. The Black Phone is definitely more consistent than Sinister, and maybe this is a sign he’s evolving. I will always be in line to see a Derrickson horror film.
The performances of the kids in this film are outstanding. Mason Thames is something else, and Madeleine McGraw is fantastic, saying the movie’s funniest lines with relish.
Great movie and great critique. Thank you Ryan!
I love analyzing movies and their hidden meanings in the characters and how they connect to the moral of the story. I noticed how the Grabber’s behavior was very much of an abusive parent (I come to realize, may be an ALCOHOLIC abusive parent.) The masks show uncertainty of how the parent is going to react to what the child does, an accident, a chore done wrong, accidental “attitude”, any move the parent deems as wrong.
The way the Grabber sat on the chair, waiting for Finney to come out so he could beat the living daylights out of him is so clearly a parent watching the every move of the child, HOPING to catch them doing something “punishable”. And then, after all these horrible things and between them, the parent acts like it’s done out of love, discipline, that there’s no hard feelings.
Child abuse is the true monster of this movie, Finney’s father, the ignorant adults, the Grabber’s masks, belt, the basement, the threats, the sudden and violent mood change.
I’m so pissed Finney’s dad didn’t get what he deserved.
I feel like the lack of backstory for the killer was perfect: nothing they can come up with will ever be as good as letting our imaginations run wild.
This s a person who crafted what is essentially a demon/monster persona for themselves and was so brutally efficient, not even someone living in the same house noticed.
Also, the ending was cathartic as hell to me. The kid became a monster too, in a certain aspect, but it was very visceral, a fight for survival in the purest way.
It was kill or be killed and he found it in him to do it. Finney used all his rage, from the bullys, from his dad, the murderer, his own life... he really had to pull it all out for that moment.
Nice video
Having realism close with the real life cases, that are discussed on that chapter and explore with us is a nice touch.
I hope we see you tackle more serial killer movies that are closer to real-life.
Hope we get a Collab with you and that chapter. A Irish team up.
I think the Grabber and Finny both also had some psychic abilities. The dead kids say they couldn’t hear the phone even though it was ringing for them too and that Finny was the first of them to hear, while stating the Grabber can too but he ignores it. I think due to certain potential hauntings or other strange things from these abilities and abuse at home, it all contributed to making the Grabber into a child killer. Not the same but also not too far off from Jack in The Shining
I said the same thing!!! I like the film a lot but as I was leaving the theater I said to myself that it lacked "bite". For a film with such a cool concept it played it really safe and things just wrapped up how you'd think they'd wrap up. I was just hoping for a little more.
With all of that knowledge of how a film should be why haven’t you written a million dollar script yet ?
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 Because I prefer working as a Production Designer.
Swing and a miss, kid.
@@Zombie_Trooper we’ll stick to that and stop acting like you can do someone else’s job when you can’t …you probably aren’t a good “designer” either
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 Well I literally was a script doctor, a story editor, co authored a book on film, and have worked all over the broadcast and entertainment industry, probably on things you've seen, but sure, kiddo, tell me more about how to do my job 😉
Run along, kid, you look ignorant. Strike 2.
@@Zombie_Trooper yeah sure you have …you said it on the internet and I should believe it huh
Where most horror films glorify the killer, the Black Phone focuses on the victims and still allows for the enigmatic evil to give us chill.
You know what I noticed the fans love this movie the critics also like this movie but they want to bash it for not being 100% the same thing as the short story that gave this movie Life critics have like these unrealistic expectations of movies to be perfect when there's no such thing as a perfect movie just like critics critique movies they're not always right they might just be biased or have a predetermined notion against a certain person involved with the movie an won't let themselves embrace it
I loved the film. Its a typical crime drama with a mix of supernatural. Never really see too much fusions of genres together.
I absolutely love this movie it's so chilling it's basically got all the returning cast from sinister the 1st one Ethan hawke is such an underrated actor!
I really enjoyed The Black Phone and how we never learn much of The Grabber. The jump scares never felt watered down. The build up and pay off during the third act had me yelling with excitement. It's not a solid nor perfect movie but for being an original horror it felt authentic. Thank you for your video review! Felt the same as you did
I fully agree with you regarding the Exorcism of Emily Rose Sinister, and, because of that, was wary upon seeing The Black Phone.
Hoyever, I honestly found the film to be a refreshing departure from (and subversion of) a lot of cliches we see in modern horror, and felt the film to be both far more subtle than most films of the same genre whilst simultaneously being far more brutal. I've noticed that modern horror movies are beginning to shy less and less away from depicting graphic violence against children (Dr. Sleep and The Black Phone being the most recent films coming to mind), but have managed to keep it from being overly gratuitous / there for the sake of shock value. In this film especially, I felt it to be used as a tool depicting a grim reality that isn't too far exaggerated for many children, especially in the United States. The homage to the old-school true crime drama / documentary opening montage shown at the beginning of the film was a nice touch, as well.
I think it's that sense of reality (which, despite the supernatural elements, kept it far more grounded than a movie like Sinister) that helped this film to achieve and maintain such tension and suspense, even with Max's inclusion. Without the use of a single unwarranted jump scare, a certain scene in this film involving a storm door had my heart beating so hard I was sure it was audible. These characters felt real, for the most part, and genuinely fostered a connection with the audience: I cared about these kids, and can't say the same for many modern films (let alone modern horror films).
Though Black Phone certainly wasn't perfect, I hope to see more films like it in the future. It makes me happy to see that more cerebral / psychological horror (like the Black Phone, The Night House, Hereditary, etc.) is beginning to become more popular and is replacing the brainless, derivative mush (like Annabelle, La Llorona, The Nun, etc.) we've seen tarnish the horror scene in the past decade. I hope the trend continues!
I finally watched it last night and it was good. I liked it more than I expected to honestly. I agree with some parts feeling a bit unnecessary and the aesthetic/camera work to be done super well. I feel like the scenes with the basement were the best parts honestly. The first half was really good. I enjoyed when The Grabber was on-screen though. I thought the whole "don't say his name 3 times" thing was gonna be true and like, the sister was going to be taken. I liked the backstory for the dad though. That was interesting. All in all, pretty good.
The tophat is a hold over from the 60s hippie fashions. Mostly seen worn in the 70s by the likes of Alice Cooper and a Saturday morning cartoon PSA series, "Time for Timer" who's catchphrase was, "Follow me!"
There was also a popular childrens show in the US southwest, "The Wallace & Ladmo Show" and one of the characters wore a tophat (the creators of the show were friends of Alice Cooper).
So, I can see the authentication in having the antagonist wear one. Its basically a subversion of look from that era, blink and you'll miss it, if you weren't from that time period.
✌
I liked that 'The Grabber' had no backstory as we seen that done way too many times and it never works. I'm never going to have sympathy for a sadist serial killer. So it's fruitless.
I personally really enjoyed it and thought the sense of dread it built was impressive. I also think that it's sort of more respectful to the victims to not explain the grabber and makes it ultimately scarier because like in 8mm, some people are just evil.
The advertisements for this was so Paranormal Activity-esque that I was incredibly turned away from it lmao
Saw it last night was better than I expected it to be despite the few flaws . The actors who played the brother and sister were fantastic.
I wanted to hug those kids in the abuse scene & the end with them made me tear up
@@LucyLioness100 Me too especially Mackenzie that was so believable it broke me.
I grew up in a situation EXTREMELY similar to Finney and Gwen, and with the theory that the Grabber and his brother also had a traumatic childhood, I actually really liked how there were two very different outcomes from the toxic environment - one became a serial killer and the other a happy, friendly guy. It really reels in the “break the cycle” aspect of the movie for me, and gives me hope for my siblings who haven’t been able to heal.
Hi Ryan! I just wanted to thank you for making this kind of videos, I love the psycological and story telling aspects of horror movies but i'm kind of sensitive about them. So, listening to your essays really scratch that itch for me, besides you have kind of a calming voice? It's weird but i feel at ease listening to you.
Thank you very much!
I love The Black Phone, and your take on the Grabber is spot on. My sister, who's a psychologist, saw the movie with me and came up with the same analysis as well.
This was a surprisingly good horror movie. Plus, Ethan Hawk is in his element here.
It’s so great to see him embrace villains like Arthur Harrow, but here he uses that natural charisma and warps it into a character who is an enigmatic monster. I like that the original story and screenplay never delve into why the Grabber is so horrific and let Hawke play around with a creepy friendly moment sprinkled into the rasping monster who will gut you in a second if he pleases
Legitimately loved every second of this movie. Perfectly crafted. Minimal jump scares , and the ones they had actually made sense.
I'm a bit surprised by your take on this movie. A few of the elements you brush over and think we're unnecessary or comic relief I felt were core to the events unfolding as they did. One being the brother. It was his presence that prolonged the game the grabber was playing. The bother was visiting and crashing there. So he was not there during the other murders. This means that the grabbers time to you with finn was limited to times where the brother was away or asleep or inebriated. The success of Finn was dictated by more time and privacy he had that the other victims did not have. This was shown in the grabbers frustration. As for the sister. The establishment of her clairvoyance was also key to the plan of the ghosts of the victims to bring about the conclusion they maneuvered Finn into perpetrating. As said by one ghost, this isn't about you. You should revisit this movie again.
Wow. Out of everything this channel has analyzed and discussed, this film was incredible. B+.
it's definitely implied that he assaults the children before killing them. I read the short story and a lot of it was accurate. except that the grabber looked more like John Wayne Gacy. I think if he looked like the story's description, people on Tumblr wouldn't be writing grabber/Albert x fem!reader fanfic.
How ironic. I got an ad for this movie right before the video.
The thing I liked so much about this movie it had u basically feeling like you were the point of view of the kid trying to figure out what's going on as everything happens and trying to figure out how these kids are talking to him until finally they show one of the kids is dead kind of like in the sinister but instead of them being bad devilish kids they're the victims of the grabber trying to make sure that this doesn't happen to anybody else again they each give him a clue on how to escape from their experience before they got killed he exhausted all the options until finally his friend at the end lets him know I've been here with you the whole time we going to fight this man and get out of here you're not going to die I didn't die for nothing I want to die knowing I got my friend out alive
And I like how they didn't make the sisters dreams automatically solve everything and have her know everything it took time and frustration for her to figure things out and what her dreams meant once she finally did I like how they had them go to the right house in her dream but it wasn't the house that her brother was in it was the house that the victims were buried in but he prevailed and was able to make it out alive and his sister looks up and sees his eyes I literally was starting to cry once that came full circle 😭😭cus I have a similar relationship with my sister like that so I could just imagine myself being in that situation with her and her not giving up until she finds me or vice versa
I really liked this one. Gripping,scary, atmospheric,good stuff.
I saw this movie last night and I've been struggling with this same feeling since, I'm so glad at least a few others are getting it because the reviews are absolutely glowing. I have a few various problems with the kids acting and the writing, but overall it is a really well made, creepy movie with a great set up that just...doesn't have much of a point. It seemed like whatever 'twists' popped up amounting to not much of anything. It really needed one good hook to elevate it. I've actually been comparing it a bit to Hereditary in that neither of them are really scary horror movies, but while Hereditary is a GREAT drama, The Black Phone is just a decent true crime movie and I don't think I'll be thinking about it in the future.
Couldn’t agree more!
Where’s your script?
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 I hope you don’t mean this in the “if you’re not happy with it, write your own script” kind of way…
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 because if so, you come off as the narcissistic, can’t take criticism type
@@Moviesandcheats nah a narcissist would be you…a person telling someone else how to do their job and yet you aren’t qualified to do it…that’s the clear example of narcissism, thinking you can do shit you ain’t qualified to do
I'm glad Joe Hill is getting so many movies based on his work.
While listening to this review, my mind kept focusing on one particular thing that each point raised just further emphasised
My personal theory is that Finney's discussions with the kids leads to him having psychic powers of some kind and that the Grabber is either influenced by Finney or is a manifestation of Finney's trauma from the hands of his father
I also noted from the review that there were alot of similarities between Finney and the Grabber which makes me wonder if Finney is actually the Grabber and thus the true villain of the film and that the ending was of Finney overcoming his personal abusive demon
Dumb take
@@thetruthandnothingbutthetr6484 why are you like this?!
Thank you! You put into words exactly what I felt about the movie lacking a certain bite. The focus on the horrors of abduction were so poignant in the beginning (that scene showing the slideshow of Bruce's life got me bad), but by the end it just felt like another horror movie cliche that didn't have enough focus on the boys, or the more grounded aspects that actually made it unsettling. I left the movie theater feeling like I'd only seen half a movie, it was weird. Still has a lot of potential, but that's why I was left feeling so disappointed.
I think the fact Max was staying with him during the movie was a massive plot hole. No way he doesn't see his brother sitting in the kitchen with a creepy mask and a belt.
He also reacts to the all the noise when Finn escapes like his brother has just dropped a plate. Kinda left me with a sour taste
And when he was like "want to know how I found you?!" Like dude, get him out of there!
@@aaunyea4799 "let me just peer round the door for 2 minutes and chat so the killer can sneak up behind me"
You said finney couldn't see the dead kids,but he could,cause he saw the dead kid who was dripping blood and we know that for a fact because he pointed at the phone and finney picked it up even though it wasn't ringing