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Scott Derrickson egy tisztességes iparos, a filmjei mindig jól néznek ki. Itt azonban inkább mechanikusan, mintsem kreatívan próbálja ötvözni a gyermekrablós thriller témáját (valóság) egy túlvilági történettel (fantázia), és ez nem igazán működik. A túlvilági elemek csak a cselekmény kibontakozásának funkcióját töltik be. A gonosztevő nem eléggé ijesztő és rosszul ábrázolt. Még az indítékát sem fogjuk megtudni. A drámai vonal a gyenge, erőszakos apával nem kap elég teret. Az "egyszer ki kell kiállnod magadért" motívumnak van némi ereje, de csak tinédzser közönségnek szól. A film legstabilabb pillére a fiatal Mason Thames a főszerepben. Még hallani fogunk róla. (2022.09.08)

Solid retro psychological-detective-supernatural kidnap thriller. The Black Phone was talked about as one of the potential horror films of the year, unfortunately that didn't happen, but it's still a solid film and one of the better ones. Scott Derrickson is well-versed in the horror genre and is one of the better filmmakers of the last decade, but I found his previous horror release Deliver Us from Devil to be sharper. From the start, The Black Phone impresses with its chilling 1970s visuals that add to the sultry atmosphere of gloomy Denver, where there is a man who kidnaps local children and kills them known as the Grabber. It has that feel of an proper crime drama, too bad we don’t get to really enjoy the investigation itself. The film is not officially based on real events, but it’s inspired by them. The main characters include sibling duo Gwen and Finney, both impress with strong child acting. Gwen in particular steals all the scenes for herself in the beginning of the film – the conversation with her father is downright uncomfortable and emotionally powerful to the point of being Oscar-worthy. Finney is the boy who is kidnapped and even though he comes across as a pushover at first, he shows skill and talent as the story progresses. The film flows at a slower pace, there are purely only two horror scenes, and they are two decently executed scares. Ethan Hawke is solid as the bad guy but I agree he could have had more space and the mythology around him could have been explained to the viewer in more detail. I enjoyed the concept where Finney has the ability to communicate through a black phone with previous Grabber victims. Pulling it up to above average for me was the nicely paced finale, where there was a bit of violence in a well put together duel. All in all, the film builds more on atmosphere, acting performances and confident direction, but those expecting first-rate horror may be slightly disappointed. Story 4/5. Action 2/5, Humour 2/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 4/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 4/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5. 7/10. (2022.07.17)

For a film that was supposed to be one of the highlights of this year's horror season, The Black Phone is terribly basic. There's really nothing extra beyond what the synopsis says and what the trailer showed. I kept hoping that Derrickson and Hill held some sort of ace up their sleeve, but alas. It's well made, it has quality actors and likeable characters, a creepy bad guy, but what's the point when it's more period atmospheric than scary, the rules of how the supernatural works float in a vacuum, the finale lasts about a minute, and the only minor plot surprise elicits raised eyebrows rather than appreciative shock at the screenwriter's abilities. A watchable genre film, but we should demand more from Scott Derrickson's cinematic horror. (2022.07.21)

He's a bad boy, that Ethan, but let's be honest, without his meaty glam rocker, this would hardly be a slightly scarier episode of a cartoon. There are a couple of ideas in there, but they are not the most polished I’ve ever seen. Derrickson surprises us a bit through the fluctuation of tone, and the goofball elements are really out of place. Overall, I wasn’t really blown away by it. Deliver Us From Evil may have been corny as hell, but it had a dense atmosphere. This film oscillates between a cute Stranger Things ballad and a feeble genre hybrid. I am not going to give him any credit next time. (2022.07.19)

In my eyes, Scott Derrickson has done it again, and hasn't faltered once in his career, including that piece of craft slavery in the form of a Marvel movie. He's just a smart kid. I could actually do without the supernatural element here, but I understand that it is crucial to the development of the plot. It's not horrifically spooky, but it's finely unsettling, the seventies production design paces flawlessly, and Ethan's masks are creepy enough to make his personality both repulsive and appealing. And on top of that, a double pleasure: the performance of the charismatic boy Mason Thames and the discovery that Jeremy Davies can give a solid performance if the director leads him to do so. I give a shout-out to the musical dramaturgy for Pink Floyd's "On the Run" (from the album "Dark Side of the Moon") at the very end. (2023.04.06)