SummaryFinney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them ... Read More
Directed By:Scott Derrickson
Written By:Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
The Black Phone
Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
User score
Generally Favorable
6.9
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
61% Positive
23 Reviews
23 Reviews
32% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Jun 23, 2022
100
Stylistically, the film is nostalgic, reminiscent of vintage photographs and the era of striped baby tees, flared jeans, and The Ramones. Warm browns and oranges, film grain, and filtered light flood the screen. But this idyllic '70s suburbia is corrupted by Derrickson’s horror.
Jun 23, 2022
89
It's the period details that really make The Black Phone ring. It's not the set dressing, or the costumes, or the hairstyles (although Jeremy Davies does sport a fantastic muttonchops-mullet merger as Gwen and Finney's alcoholic, abusive father). It's that grimy sense of the era, that way that kids felt left to their own devices. This is an Amblin adventure drenched in R-rated fear.
User score
Generally Favorable
66% Positive
232 Ratings
232 Ratings
27% Mixed
94 Ratings
94 Ratings
8% Negative
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
Oct 23, 2025
10
Enjoyed the film since loving the, 'what would you do scenario.' My favorite character is the sister for her courageous attitude. Bravo to the entire crew for making this awesome movie. Looking forward to seeing the sequel film in theaters.
Oct 22, 2025
10
Me encantó, es de todo mi gusto, no es la típica película de terror genérica con sustos baratos, es una película de terror/suspenso elegante y realista, se nota la calidad tanto en la música como en la cinematografía.
Oct 5, 2021
80
The story’s final third works even better than the buildup would suggest, shrugging off some of the atmospherics and, with a clever nod to a classic in the serial-killer genre, focusing all the movie’s energies on a sequence that delivers
Jun 23, 2022
70
Ultimately this story of a young boy’s emergence exhibits strong teleological leanings, suggesting that all our endeavours – even our apparent failures – ultimately have a purpose in a grander scheme.
Jun 24, 2022
60
The result is a beautifully shot and well-acted live-action short story, but one that's missing enough connective tissue, fresh ideas, and time spent between its characters to produce a lasting feature film experience.
Jun 23, 2022
50
There are very few classic hallmarks of horror films in The Black Phone. They arrive in the third act, but before that, it is a lot of… nothing. Talking. No cat-and-mouse chasing. No killing. Not even any suspense.
Jun 24, 2022
20
It’s the film that’s hell – and a very dull, desperate hell at that, as if these dungeon masters have realised we aren’t sufficiently scared by the main event, and try throwing the kitchen sink at us, almost literally.
Jan 23, 2025
10
Um obra prima do terror, com uma atuação arrasadora de Ethan Hawke esse filme se destaca como perfeito
Dec 27, 2024
6
I have already this film and it was good but I don't think it's unique and perfect as other people say. Black phone brought a new horror concept combining a slasher killer with supernatural aspects but the development of the movie is not completely well. The main antagonist is a bit flat and I would have liked to know more about him. The characters have some interesting things such as the main character's sister who can see things about the raptor in her dreams. The horror of the movie is simple but effective in some parts creating good stress scenarios. The worst parts of the movie are the main character's decisions which are very silly and illogical. Literally he had many weapons to protect himself and he didn't use any of them. In summary, it's a good movie but its mistakes are obvious.
Feb 28, 2024
6
Very moody, feels like a film made in the late 70s, early 80s. And, thanks to Joe Hill, we get a lot of Stephen King vibes. Fantastic child actors, a great Ethan Hawke, and good direction make this film an interesting supernatural coming of age thriller.
Jul 15, 2022
3
bad
[ bad ] adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
not good in any manner or degree.
bad
[ bad ] adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
not good in any manner or degree.
Jul 1, 2022
3
Holy crap this just got worse and worse.
They forgot to develop ANY of the characters.
Shallow, shallow, shallow.
Production Company:
- Universal Pictures
- Blumhouse Productions
- Crooked Highway
- Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)
- Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit (OFTTC)
Release Date:Jun 24, 2022
Duration:1 h 43 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Never Talk to Strangers
Awards
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 4 Wins & 5 Nominations
Golden Scythe Horror Awards
• 3 Wins & 5 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
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