The Black Phone is a paranormal abduction thriller that balances the tension/despair of being trapped and the ghost elements very well. The movie does a great job setting up the main characters in the beginning that gives you a relationship with them and genuine desire for them to succeed. There are a few plot points that are a little questionable, but are they are minor nitpicks and didn’t pull me out of the story too much. The performances all around were great. Ethan Hawke does fantastic in his limited screen time. He conveys the mental state of the Grabber with such nuance, it really makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The children do very well too, especially in the more emotionally heavy scenes. A few of the classmates performances in the beginning were a bit awkward. Overall, I had a great time with this movie and it is a testament to the directors and writers that they could adapt such a creative thriller from a short story.
Verdict: Great