In 1978, in North Denver, several teenage boys have gone missing, abducted by a mysterious man police are calling the Grabber. As each new boy is abducted, the town rallies for a few days, but then people move on with their regular lives, until the next boy goes missing, and they are once again reminded of this looming threat. Finney (Mason Thames) is a shy 13-year-old, a bit of an outcast, and the target of some bullies at school. His 11-year-old sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) is a tough young girl, who’s always ready to jump in to defend and try to protect her brother. The siblings are constantly looking out for one another, especially when it comes to their father (Jeremy Davies), who, ever since their mother passed away, likes to get drunk on the weekends. It doesn’t take much to set Terrence off and cause him to take his anger out on his kids. But he quickly becomes the least of Finney and Gwen’s problems when Finney becomes the Grabber’s (Ethan Hawke) latest abductee. He finds himself in an empty, dingy, sound-proof basement, with just a bare mattress chained to the floor, a disconnected black phone on the wall, and a sadistic killer taunting him. However, there’s something odd about that phone on the wall—even though it’s not plugged in, it begins to ring, and some mysterious voices on the other side offer Finney advice on how to escape his situation. Meanwhile, Gwen has some psychic traits she inherited from her mother, and sometimes her dreams turn out to be true. So she tries to make sense of the images she’s seeing in her dreams, hoping that they will help her locate her brother. Can Finney find the inner strength and confidence to make it through this ordeal, and will these paranormal forces at work be able to help him escape before he runs out of time? Or is he destined to become the Grabber’s next quickly-forgotten victim?

The Black Phone is easily one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent memory. It has all of the elements necessary to make a great thriler—a scary, threatening villain, characters you care about and want to root for, a creepy tone/setting/look, some tense moments and scares, and some supernatural horror elements.

The film’s villain is grounded in reality, inspired by serial killer John Wayne Gacy, which adds a layer of real fear and authenticity, that this predator could actually be living in your neighborhood. The Grabber is this creepy man who dresses like a magicianparty performer to lure young boys into his black van, never to be seen again. The film does a nice show of slowly revealing this killer. The first few times we witness his abductions, we just get a brief or blurry glimpse, sort of the way the shark is slowly revealed in Jaws. And once we finally do see the Grabber, he’s always wearing these odd masks that give him these freaky expressions and cover most of his face. Ethan Hawke is chilling in this role, really making the terror of this sadistic predator come to life. However, to balance things off, we are given this wonderful pair of siblings to root for. What Finney lacks in confidence, his sister has in droves. She always speaks her mind no matter what—she’ll curse out the cops if she thinks they’re saying something stupid, or even Jesus, if he’s not giving her the info she asks for in her dreams. Finney is a shy, smart teenager, but when it comes to his sister, he would do anything to protect her. He always looks out for her on Friday nights/Saturday mornings, when it’s most dangerous to be around their father. So as Gwen desperately searches for her brother, Finney is also trying to find a way to escape, despite things looking hopeless, because he knows that his sister needs him.

The Black Phone is set in the late 1970s, a simpler time without cellphones and the internet. Kids were often left to their own devices, without parents constantly watching over them. People were more trusting back then, and kids wandered off nd did things on their own. So it’s not a big surprise that the Grabber is able to corner and abduct his victims unseen. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of recreating this era with the color palette, the sets, clothing and hair styles, as well as in the general attitude, language and mannerisms of the characters. You are instantly and fully transported back to the late 1970s, and never doubt that we are in fact in that time period. The filmmakers also make use of Super 8 film footage for Gwen’s dream sequences to give them a different look and feeling. However, this also has the benefit of giving the film an added creepiness factor, like you’re watching an old found footage horror movie. The stark basement that Finney is locked in also evokes an unnerving feeling, setting up the perfect environment for things to play out. But if that wasn’t enough, there’s also some supernatural horror elements at play. This includes not only Gwen’s psychic dreams, but also the supernatural forces in the basement trying to assist Finney. Does he have powers like his sister, or is that black phone the source of this?

The film does a nice job of building the tension, especially as Finney tries to execute his escape plans—there is always the fear that the Grabber could return at any moment to discover what he’s up to. And there’s also some jump scares to really get the heart pumping. The filmmakers aren’t afraid to show the brutality, whether it be the raw, bloody fights between the kids at school, or a drunk Terrence using a belt on his kids.
However, the film also find moments to inject some humor and lighten the mood. These often come from Gwen, who is always unfiltered, making some witty, crass or sarcastic comment. Overall, it’s a fun, wild ride that really recaptures the era while also giving viewers a solid thriller.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The picture is extremely clean and clear with an excellent level of detail, and has a beautiful color palette that really transports viewers back to the late 70s. The Super 8 footage is also blended in seamlessly, helping to really cement the period and tone of the film. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and showcases the film’s rocking soundtrack, but also makes excellent use of the surround channel to give the film a more immersive feeling. This is especially noticeable in the creepy, disjointed opening theme, the pulsing score, and in the music and echoes of Gwen’s dreams—the sound bounces around the room.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs come packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase with a carboard slipcover with an embossed title. The release contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD digital copy of the film (which is Movies Anywhere compatible). The discs contain a director commentary, over 20 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and crew, 2 short deleted scenes, and a 12-minute short film by the director.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:43:15)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1), French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2023):

• HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:
The same features can be found on the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. Play All, or select from:

• Deleted Scenes (1:21)
  Play All, or select from two deleted scenes.
  • Is This America Now? (:49)
    Finney gets home to find his father sitting on the couch listening to records and drinking.
  • No Dreams (:29)
    At breakfast, Gwen tells Finney that she didn’t have any dreams.
• Ethan Hawke’s Evil Turn (4:25)
  The cast and crew talk about The Grabber, working with evil Ethan Hawke, and what he brought to this role. Hawke discusses what it was like playing a villain, and how being masked most of the time forced him to act more with his voice rather than with facial expressions. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-screenwriter/producer C. Robert Cargill, executive producer Ryan Turek, and stars Ethan Hawke (“The Grabber”) & Mason Thames.
• Answering the Call: Behind the Scenes of The Black Phone (10:40)
  The cast and crew talk about getting the Sinister gang back together, the evolution of the script, the 70s visual style of the film, the younger cast and their characters, the stunts, working with the director, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with co-screenwriter/producer C. Robert Cargill, director of photography Brett Jutkiewicz, hair stylist Pricilla Green, stunt coordinator Mark Riccardi (“Umpire”), and stars Ethan Hawke, Tristan Pravong (“Bruce”), Brady Hepner (“Vance”), Madelieine McGraw (“Gwen Shaw”), Mason Thames, Miguel Cazarez Mora (“Robin”), Jacob Moran (“Billy”) & Banks Repeta (“Griffin”).
  
  
  
• Devil in the Design (5:15)
  The cast and crew talk about recreating the period in the design of the sets, costumes, hairstyles, and overall look of the film. They also discuss creating the ghost kids, the dingy basement set, using the black phone prop, the masks, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Patti Podesta, co-screenwriter/producer C. Robert Cargill, set costumer Laurel Pocucha Ojala, hair department head Michelle Johnson, key hair stylist Weldon Steinke, director of photography Brett Jutkiewicz, makeup & makeup FX department head Rick Pour, assistant property master Ashley Clements, sound mixer Kevin Strahm, mask creators and designers Jason Baker & Tom Savini, and stars Ethan Hawke, & Mason Thames.
• Super 8 Set (1:49)
  The cast and crew discuss using Super 8 to film Gwen’s dream sequences, which not only helped to evoke the time period, but also gave a different, spookier aesthetic. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director of photography Brett Jutkiewicz, co-screenwriter/producer C. Robert Cargill, and star Ethan Hawke.
• Shadowprowler – A Short Film by Scott Derrickson (11:57)
  Teenager Brady finds himself home alone in a neighbor’s house where he’s stalked by a prowler with a wrench.
• Feature Commentary by Producer/Co-writer/Director Scott Derrickson (1:43:16)
  Producer/co-writer/director Scott Derrickson provides an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film. He discusses how a lot of the film is based on/inspired by his own life, and combining this with Joe Hill’s short story. He also shares lots of personal stories related to the scenes, talks about the casting, the performances, the design of the mask, the production design, and more. It’s a really interesting commentary track.

Final Thoughts:

The Black Phone is a highly-entertaining, well done thriller, finding this perfect blend pf drama, humor, horror and paranormal elements. The 1970s setting is perfectly recreated and helps add to the film’s creepy tone. The cast is excellent, especially Ethan Hawke as the sadistic masked villain, Mason Thames as the victim who needs to find his courage and inner strength, and Madeleine McGraw as the crass, outspoken, loving sister looking for him. Universal’s Blu-ray release features a solid technical presentation, and includes a nice assortment of bonus material. This release comes highly recommended for anyone looking for an entertaining period psychological thriller. Fans of the film will surely be pleased by Universal’s release. For those still in doubt, the film is currently also available for a limited time on the Peacock streaming service.