Review of The Black Phone (2022) by Jluis_001 — 24 Jun 2022
I have mixed feelings about this film that I really wanted to like more. Especially because it's quite rare to find a thriller in which its strongest horror elements are at the same time its biggest weakness.
What do I mean by this? That the atmosphere provided by the murdered boys basically takes away any concern you might have for the main character. Those moments are pretty bleak, yes, but it's the fantasy element that robs the story of a lot of its suspense, especially in the moments involving the protagonist's sister, because it inevitably builds to a predictable climax.
Ethan Hawke, for the little screen time he gets, is genuinely creepy. It's a terrible shame he couldn't have gone further. I suppose that would have been too dark for this film, but at the end of the day if you're telling a story involving a serial killer of children and teenagers, you either embrace that darkness or you don't, and that's precisely what happens to The Black Phone, which delivers on its aura of suspense and entertainment, but ultimately falls short when it comes to genuine horror.
This review of The Black Phone (2022) was written by Jluis_001 on 24 Jun 2022.
The Black Phone has generally received positive reviews.
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