After watching the trailer for The Black Phone and following Ethan Hawke’s performance in Moon Knight, I was intrigued and equally keen to see what he was involved in next.

I then found out that the film was based on a short story of the same name by Joe Hill, and I was in! I haven’t read any of his work but am a very big Stephen King fan, who happens to be his father. I’m conscious that this doesn’t define him either as a person or author, but it provides a new author to investigate and pulled this film towards the top of the list in what to see next.

As I haven’t read this short story before seeing the film, I won’t be able to compare how true to the source material it was and what may have been added or removed. Therefore, my observations will be limited to what the film presented.

I’ll just jump in straight off and say that I really enjoyed the film and the story that it told. It held my attention in all the ways that you want from a thriller, and I enjoyed the suspense provided. There are a couple of scenes that provide a shock value that will have you jolt in your seat however the tone is mostly within the supernatural realm.

I’m not sure if it was done on purpose but I really did get a Stephen King vibe from the style of the film. Whether that is something that runs in the family, or a conscious decision made by the filmmakers, I felt in a familiar zone.

This was amplified by a few references that other SK fans will easily spot; a yellow raincoat, mentions to Boulder, and does Gwen have the shining?

The Black Phone spoke to me about standing up for yourself, the challenges of fitting in at school/society, and explored the bond between siblings.

There aren’t too many big surprises that happen in this film. It’s a simple story at its heart with a neat resolution and that is perfectly ok. Not every film needs to have that big twist which blows your mind. What makes those films special, is that they are rare. It is a pleasure however to have story told well, in both look and feel.

That said, it’s not quite a perfect film. It’s weaknesses lie by the things which are presented but left unexplored. The relationship the father of Finney and Gwen with his children and digging a little bit further into his alcoholism being the first. Another being Gwen’s dreams and the connection with her mother.

I do like it when some things are left up in the air, giving the viewer the opportunity to have further thoughts and considerations well after the film’s end. But the storyline with Gwen feels like it should have been pushed a little further than it was. I feel like there was an additional extra gear required to elevate the tension.

Other positives include Ethan Hawke’s terrific performance of “The Grabber”, which is truly creepy and not over exaggerated. The two main child actors; Mason Thames (Finney) and Madeleine McGraw (Gwen) were both very strong in their roles.

I’ve since borrowed “20^th Century Ghosts” from the library which contains this short story and look forward to seeing how it differs.