Black Phone
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Written by: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Based on the short story by: Joe Hill
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
Release Date: June 24, 2022
Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone (2022) is a chilling and deeply emotional horror film anchored by Ethan Hawke’s terrifying performance and remarkable turns from young stars Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw. A standout in modern horror and a highlight of our 31 Days of Horror series.
The Perfect Balance of Terror and Heart
Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone is a genuinely terrifying and emotionally rich horror story — a rare combination that elevates it far beyond most genre entries. While Ethan Hawke gives one of the most haunting performances of his career, the film is far from a one-man showcase. Derrickson’s sharp eye for casting and precision pacing gives the story both weight and urgency, proving once again why he remains one of horror’s most dependable modern filmmakers.
The Story Behind the Ringing Phone
Set in a sleepy Colorado suburb in the late 1970s, The Black Phone follows siblings Finney (Mason Thames) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who are already navigating a painful home life. Their mother’s death by suicide has left their father (Jeremy Davies) a broken, abusive alcoholic, and their community is paralyzed by fear as a masked kidnapper stalks local children.
That kidnapper is known only as The Grabber — played with chilling restraint by Ethan Hawke. He lures his victims using black balloons, abducts them in his black van, and traps them in a bare basement where a disconnected black rotary phone occasionally rings. When Finney becomes The Grabber’s next target, those calls begin — not from the living, but from the dead boys who came before him.
The Sister Who Dreams in Clues
Meanwhile, Gwen has a strange gift — her dreams seem to reveal clues about the missing children. Her visions, filled with cryptic fragments and disturbing imagery, catch the attention of police when she shares details that were never made public. Her knowledge of the black balloons even turns suspicion toward her father, briefly transforming the family’s trauma into another layer of horror.
Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are nothing short of spectacular. Their sibling bond is the heart of The Black Phone — tender, funny, and painfully real. Derrickson gives them space to be kids, even amid the darkness, and their resilience becomes the story’s true source of hope. Far from helpless victims, they embody intelligence and bravery that feels rare and refreshing in horror.
Ethan Hawke’s Unforgettable Monster
Ethan Hawke’s turn as The Grabber is unforgettable — a character simultaneously childish, pathetic, and deeply frightening. Beneath his alternating masks of comedy and cruelty lies a man consumed by his own demons. Hawke’s performance hints at trauma and madness without ever humanizing the evil, creating a villain who is both terrifyingly present and disturbingly believable.
A Director in Total Control
With more than twenty years as a horror storyteller, Scott Derrickson knows that real fear comes from emotion and empathy, not just shock. That’s what makes The Black Phone so effective. The scares are crafted with precision — including one masterful jump scare that’s so simple and well-timed it made even seasoned horror fans leap in their seats.
Derrickson understands pacing better than almost anyone in the genre. The film builds tension gradually, weaving dread through the mundane details of the 1970s setting — the sound of a phone ringing, a van idling, a child’s scream in the distance. Every frame feels purposeful.
Why It Endures
The Black Phone isn’t just one of the best horror films of 2022; it’s one of the best horror films of the decade. It’s smart, suspenseful, and emotionally grounded — a rare mix of supernatural and psychological terror that lingers long after the credits roll.
Derrickson has crafted something enduring: a film about survival, trauma, and the ghostly echoes of childhood fear — and how courage, even when whispered through a broken phone line, can still save a life.
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